This month, NCTR is making available four new videos on effective mentor recruitment and selection strategies.
Partner Update
Congratulations to Dallas Teacher Residency for securing a five-year contract with the Dallas Independent School District that will fully fund resident stipends and pay a placement fee for teachers hired. DTR was one of three residency programs included in a district contract that was approved last week. All told, the district is investing nearly $19 million in the three residency programs.
Reports
The Economic Policy Institute has released, “The Perfect Storm in the Teacher Labor Market,” the first in a series of reports examining the “magnitude of the teacher shortage and the working conditions and other factors that contribute to the shortage.” This initial report finds that when variables such as teacher quality, certification, and experience are taken into account, the teacher shortage is worse than previously estimated, and that high-poverty schools are suffering the brunt of it.
Grant Opportunity
The Department of Education is accepting new applications for 2019 Teacher Quality Partnership grants to fund teacher residency programs. This new round will prioritize applications from partnerships that prepare educators “to deliver rigorous instruction in computer science and improve student achievement.” Between 15 and 20 grants will be given, ranging from $500,000 to $1 million. The deadline to apply is May 20, although the agency “strongly recommends” submitting a “notice of intent to apply” before May 3.
Featured News
Video Resource: Teacher Educator Recruitment and Selection
The mentor-resident relationship is a key element of the teacher residency model. That makes the recruitment and selection of mentors and teacher educators one of the most important components of a residency program. Developing a reliable pipeline of potential new mentors and utilizing a rigorous and effective selection process are critical to the long-term success of any residency program.
This month, NCTR is featuring four new videos on effective mentor recruitment and selection strategies. We sat down with our program partners at RTR (formerly the Richmond Teacher Residency), Virginia Commonwealth University, and Dallas Teacher Residency to learn about their recruitment processes, how they ensure a strong pipeline of candidates, and the attributes they look for in teachers that lead to strong mentors.
You can access the videos through NCTR’s Resources for New and Existing Residencies page on our website. Look for the "Video Library" drop down menus. They’re also available for viewing and sharing on our YouTube channel. A user’s guide highlights the main idea of each video series and suggested audiences for the key messages.
The resource library was funded through NCTR’s 2015 Supporting Effective Educator Development grant from the U.S. Department of Education. As part of our commitment to support a high quality network of teacher residencies and to share the best practices and lessons learned with the teacher preparation field, these videos are being made available to members of the NCTR Network of teacher residencies and other educators and advocates.
Next month we’ll feature videos on graduate professional development.
In the News
A Classroom on Wheels California Sunday Magazine What happens when you put a classroom on wheels and park it in the poorest neighborhoods of San Francisco?
The Cult of Homework The Atlantic Our devotion to it stems in part from the fact that it’s what today’s parents and teachers grew up with.
Please note that the articles and events in the NCTR E-Blast do not reflect the opinions of our organization, but rather represent information that we believe will be relevant to you and your programs.
