No action on mentor/mentee program

CLINTONVILLE – The Clintonville Board of Education took no action on proposed updates to the district’s Teacher Mentoring Program and associated costs related to the proposed updates.
Leading off the discussion at the board’s June 8 meeting, Elly Brzezinski, director of Curriculum and Instruction, told the board that the district needed to update its Mentor/Mentee Program. She said one of the things that needed to be updated is the number of years the district’s teachers have mentors for.
“It’s highly recommended that we do a three-year mentoring program versus a one-year mentoring program, especially for our new teachers,” Brzezinski said.
In addition, Brzezinski said she would like to change the compensation involved with the program since she would like the program to be a three-year mentor program.
“I think this is much more of a robust program,” Brzezinski said.

Board member Christopher Hoffmann asked how many teachers would be impacted by the new updated program.
Brzezinski said that would depend on how many new teachers the district hires this year.
Hoffmann also asked if the program takes into account whether a teacher has years of experience prior to being hired by the Clintonville School District.
Brzezinski said teachers new to the teaching profession would be in the three-year mentor program, while teachers hired with numerous years of teaching experience would be in the program for only one year.
Hoffmann asked if the compensation a mentee would receive would be above the compensation stated in their district contract.
Brzezinski said both the mentor and the mentee would receive additional compensation above their contract with the district. She said the expectation of a new teacher is more, as they must attend three additional days at the beginning of the year for orientation.
“The new outline of the things I have them doing is more than we would have a regular teacher who has been here for a while,” Brzezinski said.
“I guess I’m just wondering why it’s not part of the contract,” Hoffmann asked.
“That’s a good question,” Brzezinski responded.
She added that the district can apply for grants that would help pay the district’s mentors and mentees.
Board member Jason Moder asked what the differences are between the district’s current mentor/mentee program and the one that Brzezinski is proposing that would provide more compensation.
Brzezinski said she would now expect new teachers to do observations and reflections and to meet with their mentors to discuss those reflections. New teachers would also have to meet an additional three times a year with Brzezinski. More co-planning would also take place.
Based on that, Moder said those items should be required and included in a first-year contract.
Hoffmann agreed, adding that it sounded like conditions to work for the district.
“If it’s in the contract, to me, they have an obligation to do it,” Moder said. “It’s not, if you don’t do it, you don’t get this. So, to me, in the contract it’s more of a stipulation of employment to complete necessary training that you want to see and require. Why should there be an extra add-on where this is essentially making it optional.”
He added, “If we want quality staff and we want trained staff, you want to put forth a mentor/mentee program to ensure that the staff is qualified and trained to what our expectations are, I suggest we put it in the contract and don’t leave it optional.”