District says mentorship programs help retain new teachers within Watertown schools

During the school board meeting Monday, curriculum director Trisha Walker and assistant superintendent Derek Barrios spoke about the successes of the district’s teacher mentorship program.

With more than a third of teachers leaving the profession within the first five years, costing districts roughly $20,000 for teacher turnover and $8.5 billion nationally, the Watertown School District is doing what it takes to retain its teaching staff.

“(These numbers) show how important it is not only to attract and hire quality candidates and staff and teachers but also to build them up and retain them within the school district,” Barrios said.

The district averages around 30 certified staff new hires per year, and in 2022, the district was able to employ 43 certified staff from a limited and competitive teaching pool.

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To retain new teachers, they are provided with the resources and assistance they need to be successful within a new district.

South Dakota Department of Education has a mentorship program, but the Watertown School District also has developed a program to promise success for its new teaching staff.

Supporting new staff begins with the district’s New Teacher Academy, which is held annually at the end of July. This five-day event is meant for all certified staff new to the district, including teachers, nurses, counselors, speech-language pathologists, and more.

“We have a few goals we intend to achieve during that time. The first is to get them orientated with the new district,” Walker said. “We are trying to build them a support team and create comradery.”

Another goal of the New Teacher Academy is to prepare staff for their first year within the district by ensuring their instructional needs are met. The academy helps in lesson design, curriculums, pacing guides and training in specific programs.

Classroom and behavior management also is part of the academy. The new staff is taught ways to help develop positive student relationships and to maintain a well-managed classroom.

“Every year, we’ve tried to make some changes to the academy, to try and flexibly meet their needs,” Walker said.

State Mentorship Program

In 2016, the state Legislature created a statewide new teacher mentorship program. Mentors who volunteer their time to support new teachers are paid a $1,500 stipend, so long as they meet the state requirements. To qualify for the state program, mentees must log 45 hours and mentors 49 hours at the Summer Academy of Mentors in Sioux Falls.

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The state mentoring program benefits new educators within their first two years of teaching in a general or special education classroom.

The Watertown School District had 17 state mentor pairs in its first year and 14 pairs in the second year.

“This is a significant group that comes together,” Walker said. "Our veteran mentors are able to support both their mentees and staff that don’t have an assigned mentor.”

District support of cohort staff

The district provides additional support for cohort staff not covered under the state mentorship program.

“I call it a cohort because it’s for all our certified positions, regardless of their experience, if they are new to the profession or new to the Watertown district, they are part of this cohort group and are paired with a curriculum partner,” Walker said.

The district supplies instructional coaching support to help ensure that all certified new hires are getting support in classroom management, instruction and curriculum needs. These coaches are partnered with state mentors and provide weekly check-ins with first-year new hires and continued support into the second year.

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“We provide them the support that is needed until they have their feet underneath them,” Walker said.

The instructional coaches are invaluable because of their flexibility within the district.

“Our coaches can provide connections across the district buildings and grades that our mentors might not be able to see. Because coaches are working with staff across the district, they might see something we need to address,” Walker said.

Mentors and coaches are volunteers. Walker informed the board more coaches are needed to support new staff under the cohort program.

School board meeting in new location

The Watertown School Board will no longer be conducting its meetings at City Hall beginning in January. Meetings will be held at the district administration offices, 900 Ninth St. NE.

With this change, local cable subscribers will no longer be able to tune in live to GovTV broadcasting. However, the public can now watch a livestream of the meetings on Watertown School District’s YouTube channel www.youtube.com/@watertownschooldistrict14-74.

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Mentorship programs help retain new teachers in Watertown schools