Feb. 25, 2004

During a recess period, Danielle Dionne, left, goes over a lesson with her mentor, Yolanda Williamson. They teach in adjacent classrooms at the 79th Street School in Niagara Falls.

Through the advocacy of New York State United Teachers, the one-year mentored program that will be required of all new teachers must be part of a district's Professional Development Plan. Teachers - appointed by their local unions - must make up the majority of the committee that puts that plan together and develops the mentoring program.

The new regulations also specify that any mentoring program requirements falling within the purview of the Taylor Law must be collectively bargained.

But time is running short. The State Education Department wants PDPs revised - to include mentoring programs that meet the new regulations - and submitted to the local board of education by June 1.

Because the regulations are broad on structuring mentor programs, "teachers and their local unions have a lot of discretion in putting together a unique program for their district or BOCES that will help attract and retain teachers," said Antonia Cortese, NYSUT first vice president.

Niagara Falls

One district with a head start is Niagara Falls. Operating out of the Niagara Falls Teacher Resource Center, Andrea Fortin-Nossavage is full-time coordinator of a program that pairs nearly 300 new teachers and mentors in 14 buildings throughout the district. A high school social studies teacher for 12 years, she is a member of Niagara Falls Teachers, the local union headed by Joe Catalano.

When it comes to mentoring, here are some recommendations from Niagara Falls for a successful program:

• Respect, trust and confidentiality - "We remind our mentors that interns come to them for professional growth, so they need to be able to trust you," said Fortin-Nossavage. That means stressing that interns are colleagues, not student teachers. It also means that, unless the local union contract specifically authorizes mentors to help evaluate new teachers, information shared between mentors and interns should be kept confidential.
  
• Great expectations - All Niagara Falls mentors must have completed at least five years of teaching, be tenured and permanently certified in their area. Looking to "raise the bar" in the selection process, the advisory committee is considering requiring that mentor hopefuls have a recommendation from a colleague.
  
• Total involvement - The district's mentor advisory committee, which monitors the program, includes all the stakeholders: central administration, building principals, the union president and union-appointed teachers at every grade level and in most subject areas.
  
• Good match-ups - Fortin-Nossavage tries to pair mentors and interns according to grade level, content area and location. "We like to put them in close physical proximity, so they just have to run next door, down the hall or upstairs to see each other," she explained. "If something is on their mind, you don't want them waiting until they meet next Friday."
  
• Exit strategy - If it's ultimately not a match made in heaven, Niagara Falls allows mentors and interns a sort of "no-fault" separation. "We just reassign them and make a new match," said Fortin-Nossavage. "No hard feelings."
  
• Basic training - State Ed says a good mentor training program includes such topics as adult learning theory, peer coaching and time management. In addition to a weeklong summer orientation, Niagara Falls has developed a mandated training course that covers these and other topics, including qualities of an effective mentor.
  
• Ongoing support - "We get great support from the district," said Catalano. The union has negotiated common planning time for mentors and their interns, release time from classes and qualified substitutes to take their place. Niagara Falls has clear guidelines on how often mentors and interns meet.
  
• Periodic evaluation - Among Niagara Falls' evaluation tools are calendars and logs that are collected monthly; needs assessment surveys; and surveys at the end of the school year. Self-assessment is also important. "We have mentors and interns look at their own relationship and say, 'Am I doing as a mentor what I need to be doing?' and 'As an intern am I being receptive to these ideas?'" Fortin-Nossavage explained.

The local union appears to have met a primary goal of the new mentoring regulations.

"We've got phenomenal retention rates," Catalano said. "I like to think the program contributes to people feeling welcome and comfortable." To learn more about your district's Professional Development Plan and what it offers in mentoring and other forms of in-service training, talk to your building representative or local president.

NYSUT's Web site carries a series of Information Bulletins on PDPs and mentoring at www. nysut.org/research/index.html.

- John Strachan

NYSUT.org. Copyright New York State United Teachers. 800 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham, New York, 12110-2455. 518.213.6000. http://www.nysut.org.