SUPPORT TEAM

SUPPORT TEAM
Youngstown city schools
Highlights of the Youngstown city schools' new-teacher mentoring program.
When possible, mentors and new teachers are matched according to curriculum area.
The district has three lead mentors and 20 mentors. Lead mentors meet with mentor teams twice per month.
Mentors meet with new teachers daily or weekly and spend one full day with them per marking period; half of the day is spent in the new teacher's classroom and half is in the mentor's.
New teachers must attend an orientation and monthly meetings on topics such as classroom management, special-education issues, distance learning, technology, parent-teacher conferences, grading, record-keeping and social services.
Local union involvement has included the establishment of union mentor positions, discussions with new teachers by the union president and involvement in the interviewing of mentor candidates. The state teachers union has also provided workshops for new teachers.
New teachers must maintain a journal.
Mentors must write monthly reports.
Mentors receive mentor training and learn the Praxis state teacher licensure evaluation.
Mentors help new teachers prepare for the in-class Praxis evaluation. Two Youngstown teachers were required to undergo evaluations this year and both passed. In 2001-02, passing scores were earned by 26 of the 27 teachers who volunteered to be evaluated.
Source: Mary Carter, Youngstown city schools' NEST coordinator