Induction Newsletter: Winter 2014

Message from the Director

Beginning teachers need support programs. They need mentors, orientations, and professional development. Being a first-year teacher is incredibly hard, and a comprehensive induction program gives our newest educators tools they need to be more successful teachers and faculty members.

However, induction programs are not enough; it takes a whole community to help new teachers succeed and stay in the classroom. Supporting new teachers is not just about setting up great programs. It is also about how schools create cultures of collaboration, how principals help nurture those positive cultures, how colleagues check in with the new teacher next door, and how unions support their newest members.

Thank you for the support YOU provide to new teachers. Thank you for being part of the solution.

Patricia Brady
Director, Illinois New Teacher Collaborative

“The Changing Landscape of Induction and Mentoring”
The 9th Annual Induction and Mentoring Conference Preview

The 9th Annual Induction and Mentoring Conference will take place on February 25 & 26, 2014 in Springfield. With the theme “The Changing Landscape of Induction and Mentoring”, the conference will focus on new teacher induction programs, dedicated networking time, vendor displays, and an introduction to the Illinois Induction Guide. (http://inductionillinois.com) Breakout sessions are designed to help mentors, administrators, induction program coordinators, and others better meet the needs of new teachers. Dr. Peter Youngs, Michigan State associate professor of teacher education and educational policy, will keynote. He has published influential articles on topics including beginning teacher burnout, the role of principals in supporting beginning teachers, new teacher role expectations, and district induction policy.

Attendees have said this about previous INTC Induction and Mentoring Conferences:

• “Thank you for a very well designed conference. You’ve given us tools to collect/show data that supports the importance of mentoring program[s].”
• “I learned so much! It was wonderful!”
• “Really great selection/variety of breakout sessions to choose from.”
• “The keynotes provided very relevant information.”
• “The quality of presentations was excellent.”

Registration of just $75 provides participants two days of complimentary breakfasts and lunches, an evening reception, and a chance at winning an iPad mini or a $1,000 cash award for induction program improvements. Register for the conference today!

Induction and Mentoring Fact Sheet

What does research say about the importance of supporting new teachers? This new resource provides easy-to-read, research-based arguments for new teacher induction.

INTC and partners—the Consortium for Educational Change, the New Teacher Center, the Illinois Education Association, the Illinois Federation of Teachers, and the Illinois Principals Association—have released a Sheet that summarizes state and national research on induction and mentoring of beginning teachers.

This document can be downloaded and distributed to administrators, school board members, and legislators to help argue for a renewed commitment to new teacher induction in Illinois.

Download and print a free copy of the fact sheet here.

INTC Induction Networks

To better support local school districts, INTC secured a grant that allows it to run regional Induction Networks. In 2013, INTC formed two networks, in the central and northern parts of the state. In 2014, INTC will add a network in the south.

INTC Regional Induction Specialists (RISs) organized face-to-face meetings to offer targeted professional development and dedicated work time for district teams. They also distributed resources and opportunities for self-assessment. Between meetings, the Induction Specialists offered free services to the districts including consulting, program planning, and mentor training. See the RIS profiles here.

Most network participants represent small or rural districts while others come from small or midsized cities with large numbers of low-income students. The Regional Induction Specialists planned, facilitated, and assessed the meetings.

The networks were funded through a competitive Public Engagement Grant offered through the Office of the Chancellor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

"Why Do Teachers Quit?"
The Atlantic Article

The needs of new teachers received valuable national press in a recent article in The Atlantic. The article examines the question “Why Do Teachers Quit?” and provides answers from researchers and from teachers themselves. The article is accessible and relevant both to people working in education and to all who care about their community’s schools. Click here to read the article.

A companion article, also in The Atlantic, describes “Why Teachers of Color Quit." It explores reasons—including high stress and low pay—for why Black and Latino teachers leave the profession at higher rates than their White peers. Read this article here.

In Memoriam

Mary Elin Barnish, INTC staff member, passed away on Dec. 22, 2013, after a long battle with cancer. Mary Elin’s work with INTC brought her in contact with districts across Illinois. While we mourn Mary Elin’s passing, we celebrate her life of dedication and contribution to education and especially to the induction and mentoring movement in Illinois. More information is available here.

Upcoming Dates