11/02/04

People are our most valuable resource and the key to our success as a school system. In the Pacific Area, we typically have a turnover rate of about 25 percent. In order to provide support to our new teachers, we established a strong mentor program for incoming educators in 1997. Over the years, we have expanded the initial training and established new goals and objectives. The program now provides information, opportunities, nurturance, and support to new teachers in DoDDS-Pacific/DDESS-Guam.

The long-term vision of the DoDDS-Pacific/DDESS-Guam Teacher Mentor Program is to retain quality teachers. It is critically important that teachers new to the school, educators transferring to a new district, teachers changing grade levels or subject matters, and teachers new to the profession receive the support, advice, and direction necessary to make their first year's experience as successful and meaningful as possible.

The Teacher Mentor Program supports Goal 1 of the Community Strategic Plan as it provides opportunities for incoming teachers to be successful in effective teaching practices that support highest student achievement , and Goal 3 which states. "Administrators at all levels will continually recruit, hire, support, evaluate, and recognize personnel in order to retain a highly diverse, motivated, and committed workforce."

Program goals and objectives for the DoDDS-Pacific/DDESS-Guam Mentoring program include:

• Training and guidance for lead mentors as instructional leaders;
• Support and encouragement of incoming teachers;
• Familiarizing incoming teachers with DoDDS, district, and local school procedures and guidelines;
• Reflection, evaluation, and update of the programs' progress;
• Opportunities for mentor teachers to assist incoming teachers; and
• Help in providing opportunities for incoming teachers to be successful in effective teaching practices and professional development experiences.

In order to support these goals and objectives, DoDDS-Pacific/DDESS-Guam sponsors a yearly conference for lead mentors to learn about current trends and hone their skills to execute a successful program.

Professional development is directly related to our success in achieving highest student achievement. I hope our school leaders will genuinely support and encourage collaboration in order to foster a positive environment for our teachers, which ultimately impacts student learning. I extend my sincere appreciation to the mentors within our schools for their hard work and dedication, and the contributions they make to support new teachers in our schools.

Nancy C. Bresell
Director, DoDDS-Pacific/DDESS-Guam