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Over the course of two years, a $901,100 Colorado Department of Education New Teacher Mentor Grant will provide additional support to strengthen the District’s new teacher mentoring program.
Over the course of two years, a $901,100 Colorado Department of Education New Teacher Mentor Grant will provide additional support to strengthen the District’s new teacher mentoring program.The grant was written by Kelly Warren, the District’s Director of Professional Development, with support from Tammy Neal, Executive Director of Human Resources.
Teacher retention challenges exacerbated by the pandemic have led to a growing number of new teachers with initial and/or alternative licenses entering the district: sometimes in the middle of the school year. Additionally, novice teachers often struggle in the areas of classroom management and relationship-building, and also need support to build their content knowledge.
While the District currently has a two-year mentoring program, the CDE grant will allow for the implementation of stronger training content, additional personnel to provide ongoing professional development and direct support to new teachers, and establishment of accountability structures that ensure all new teachers are getting the requisite support they need to be successful.
The overriding goals of the grant are to increase student achievement, bolster teacher retention, and attract highly qualified teachers to the District.
