Qualifications,
Selection and Training
The
According to section 3033 of the
Education Law, &85.1, a mentor is a tenured teacher who has at least a 60%
teaching assignment and is highly qualified.
In addition, a mentor can be a retiree from HLCS within three years of
retirement.
A mentor must submit a written
application to the program coordinator.
In addition, a mentor must demonstrate or have each of the following:
1. a willingness to
participate in the program
2. a mastery of
pedagogical and subject matter skills
3. evidence of superior
teaching abilities
4. interpersonal
relationship qualities
5. a positive
professional demeanor in and out of the classroom
6. evidence of
participation in professional growth activities over the last three years
7. mentoring
training or a willingness to receive the training prior to the
beginning
of the school year in which the mentoring occurs
The Intern
An intern is a teacher who is in the first year of a
probationary tenure appointment.
Teachers, previously tenured in another district, can be excluded from
the program based on a collaborative decision made by the Hadley Luzerne
Teachers Association and the Superintendent of Schools. The Superintendent, in collaboration with the
Hadley Luzerne Teachers Association, may determine that other teachers may also
qualify for the intern status as indicated in the APPR and TIP, prior to
tenure. Starting in 2004, the Board of
Regents requires a one-year mentor/internship for professional certification
for all teachers.
The
A letter/application will be mailed to
all tenured teachers in the district.
This will be mailed jointly by the President of the Hadley Luzerne Teachers
Association, the Program Coordinator and the Superintendent of schools. The information will be sent annually by
April 15th. By May 15th,
written notification of a desire to serve and a completed application must be
received by the program coordinator. The
list of new names is provided by the Program Coordinator to the Hadley Luzerne
Teachers Association and the Superintendent of Schools by June 1st. The coordinator will contact teachers that
did not appear on the preliminary list in order to ensure that sufficient
mentor staff is available for new teachers.
Those teachers contacted by Program Coordinator will also need to
complete the application no later than June 15th. By June 15th, a common list
(preliminary list plus any additional names determined by the Program
Coordinator) shall be provided to the HLTA and the Superintendent of
schools.
As
openings for mentors occur, candidates will be selected for the best intern
mentor match through discussion and cooperation of HLTA president, Program
Coordinator and the Superintendent of HLCS.
In selecting a mentor, consideration will be given to assigning an
intern in the same building, grade level, and subject/certification area of the
mentor. Teachers that have retired
within the last three years from HLCS may be selected if it is deemed to be the
best fit for the intern(s).
Any disagreement shall be addressed as per the rules of the
American Arbitrator Association for each situation. Consideration for mentor/intern
incompatibility may be addressed at the end of the first quarter of the school
year. If either the mentor or the intern
determines that the team relationship is not productive, they may request a
change by submitting a written request to the program coordinator no later than
November 15th. After meeting
with both the mentor and the intern, the coordinator will render a decision
regarding the status of the mentor/intern team.
The Intern
Intern selection will be based on the qualifications as stated
above and will be cooperatively agreed upon by the President of the Hadley
Luzerne Teachers Association, the Program Coordinator and the Superintendent of
schools
The
Whenever
possible, mentors will receive initial training as a mentor before the start of
the school year in which they will be a mentor. In addition, they will
participate in ongoing training during the school year. Release time may be
used for these meetings.
The Intern
Interns will attend the orientation session(s) during the
summer prior to the September 1 beginning of the contractual year. The intern will attend four large group
meetings of intern/mentor teams during the year. In addition the intern will view the
district’s videotapes pertaining to the intern/mentor roles and will
participate in professional development as presented by the district’s
Professional Development Plan.