COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O. BOX 2120
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 146
August 4, 2006
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Billy K.
Cannaday, Jr. Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
2006-2008
Funds for |
The 2006 General
assembly appropriated $2.75 million to support mentor teacher and clinical
faculty programs for the 2006-2008 biennium.
Each year of the biennium approximately $1 million will be allocated for
mentor teacher programs in school divisions, and $375,000 will be awarded to
institutions of higher education for clinical
faculty
programs.
School
divisions should collaborate with institutions of higher education in the
continued development and implementation of mentor teacher programs. Participating divisions are strongly
encouraged to implement projects that reflect scientific, evidence-based
research, and best practices. These
programs include the Pathwise Framework Induction Program at http://www.ets.org, The Santa Cruz New Teacher Project at http://newteachercenter.org, and
For
2006-2008, funds for school divisions will be allocated on a per teacher basis
that will be determined after requests for grants have been submitted. A local resource commitment of 50 percent is
required, and funds will be retroactive to July 1, 2006.
Participation
in this funding opportunity to support mentor teacher programs is voluntary. However, the Education Accountability and
Quality Enhancement Act of 1999 amended Section 22.1-303 of the Code of Virginia
to require that school boards must provide probationary teachers with a mentor
teacher, except those who have prior successful teaching experience, as
described by Board of Education guidelines.
Copies of the Board of Educations Guidelines
for Mentor Teacher Programs for Beginning and Experienced Teachers and Requirements of Quality and Effectiveness
for Beginning Teacher Mentor Programs in Hard-To-Staff Schools may be
accessed at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/newvdoe/teached.html.
If you are
interested in seeking funding for your mandatory mentor teacher program for
probationary teachers, please complete the attached affidavit verifying the
number of new teachers without teaching experience in your division for
2006-2007 and the projected number for the 2007-2008 school year. Please fax the attached form to Susan M.
Trulove, associate director in the Office of Professional Practice, at (804)225-3671
no later than Friday, September 15, 2006. Upon receipt of this information, along with
your 2005-2006 Mentor Teacher Summary
Report, funds for the 2006-2007 year will be transmitted electronically to
your school division.
If you have
questions or need additional information, please contact Dr. Thomas A. Elliott,
assistant superintendent, Division of Teacher Education, Licensure, and
Professional Practice, at (804) 371-2522 or e-mail: Thomas.Elliott@doe.virginia.gov,
or Susan M. Trulove, at 804)225-2877 or e-mail: Susan.trulove@doe.virginia.gov
BKC/TAE/smt
Attachment
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2006/inf146a.pdf