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12-62 Annual Report 2000

Mentor Training

As Massachusetts enters a period of teacher shortage, the Department has responded with an aggressive recruiting campaign and positive alternatives to traditional training, which reduce barriers to entry into teaching. While these efforts will populate classrooms with teachers who possess great potential for success, these teachers' development into top-quality educators will be far from over. To maximize their abilities and to retain them, all beginning teachers must receive professional support and assistance at the start of their careers from trained, experienced colleagues.

One of the goals of the 12 to 62 Plan is to make it possible for all beginning teachers in Massachusetts to be paired with a veteran teacher mentor. New teachers learn from veteran teachers; schools increase the possibility of retaining strong, well-trained educators; and, most important, student achievement is elevated if the mentor provides useful advice to the new teacher.

In the summer of 1999, Massachusetts expanded its corps of mentor teachers by approximately 50% by sponsoring Mentor Training Institutes in locations throughout the state. District teams of 3 to 8 received training and designed implementation plans. Almost 100 districts participated in the program during the summer of 1999. In 2000, Institutes throughout the state will be offered to 1500 individuals who can, in turn, expand and improve the programs in their own districts.

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