ARTICLE XXVI MENTOR TEACHER PROGRAM

Note: Some of the provisions for this Article are superceded by the Site Selected Mentor Teacher Program agreement. 1.0 General: The Mentor Teacher Program is intended to provide incentives for highly talented classroom teachers to retain their classroom assignment while providing instructional leadership, assistance and guidance to new/inexperienced teachers. Throughout this Article the term "new/inexperienced teachers" will be used in reference to the probationary, intern and non-permanent teachers who are recipients of Mentor Teacher services. It is recognized that this Program is not to be regarded as a definitive identification of the District’s most outstanding teachers; the limited State funds allocated to the District for the Mentor Program preclude recognition of many outstanding teachers serving in the District. 1.1 It is understood that the Program is funded primarily by special State support and that the District must comply with the State requirements governing the Program. This Article is therefore intended to be interpreted and enforced in compliance with State requirements. The District reserves the right to terminate or modify the Program at any time in response to State-imposed changes, but shall promptly negotiate with UTLA the effects of such decisions. 2.0 Budget: If the State reduces its support funding below the present minimum amount of $2,000 per Mentor, or if the District wishes to provide supplemental funding, the parties shall reopen this section for renegotiation (without it counting as one of the limited annual reopeners). 3.0 Mentor Selection Committees: In each of the District's geographic regions, there will be an elementary selection committee. There will be single District-wide committees for the Middle Schools Unit, Senior High Schools Division, and Special Education Division. Each of the Committees is to be comprised of six teachers and five administrators. Classroom teachers serving on committees must have not less than ten years of teaching experience, and shall be elected in separate elections by the teachers from their region, grade level or division. All committee members shall serve three year terms. If unable to serve the entire term, they shall be replaced with the applicant who received the next highest vote in the election for that seat. Selection Committee candidates are not eligible to serve as a Mentor during their candidacy and committee service. 3.1 Selection Committees are responsible for assessing Mentor Teacher applicants and making nominations of Mentors and alternates to the Board of Education. The Board shall appoint from among the nominees submitted by the Committees.

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Article XXVI – Mentor Teacher Program 3.2 Selection Committee Members shall follow the uniform procedures (Selection Committee Guidelines). Said guidelines have been developed through a cooperative effort between District and UTLA representatives. 4.0 Mentor Applicants: Any classroom teacher who meets the following qualifications is eligible to apply for the position of Mentor Teacher: a.

Holds a valid California teaching credential;

b.

Has achieved permanent status;

c. Has provided direct instruction to students during three of the past five years as a register/rollbook carrying teacher or has provided direct instruction to students for a minimum of 3 hours/periods per day during three of the past five years; d. Has demonstrated evidence of effectiveness in classroom management, discipline, directed instruction and communication with peers; e. Has received satisfactory performance ratings for the last three evaluations; f. Has not received any Notice of Unsatisfactory Service or Act in the prior five years of service; g. Is willing to transfer without qualification to other geographic regions with the greatest numbers of non-permanent teachers; and h. Possesses additional qualifications pertaining to training and experience, professional qualities, professional growth, and human relations skills. 4.1 Application screening procedures for the Mentor Teacher Program shall be consistent with applicable guidelines. 4.2 A person completing the non-confidential reference form for a Mentor applicant shall concurrently provide a copy to the applicant. Applicants shall also have the right at any time to view any non-confidential documents in their Mentor Application files. 5.0

Term of Mentor Service:

a. Mentors shall be appointed for a term of three consecutive years. They may apply for re-appointment, using the appropriate application process.

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Article XXVI – Mentor Teacher Program b. Appointment or re-appointment decisions lie within the sole discretion of the Selection Committees and Board of Education and are not grievable. c. If an employee is removed from Mentor status for "cause" during the course of a three-year term, the removal shall be grievable. Such removal can be ordered only by a District level or Cluster Leader level administrator rather than the site administrator. Removal from Mentor status for "cause" will be governed by the same standards as removal from the Urban Classroom Teacher Program, i.e., a teacher who meets or exceeds the regular performance standards for teachers could nonetheless be removed from mentor status because Mentor functions were not "successfully" performed. 6.0 Assignments of Mentors: Mentor Teachers must serve wherever needed by the District. Some are to be assigned in each of the District's regions, but 75% shall be assigned to the regions with the greatest concentrations of new/inexperienced teachers. 6.1 Newly appointed Mentors shall be subject to the following assignment procedures: a. At the end of the spring semester the District will project its Mentor staffing needs, place Mentors at their current schools if it is determined that additional mentor positions are to be filled at those schools, and develop a tentative list of anticipated priority openings to be filled by Mentor transfers. b. This list will be distributed to all Mentors to enable them to interview and seek assignments which are satisfactory to the teacher, the receiving school and the Cluster office. All transfers are to be made by the District's Cluster offices pursuant to Article XI, Section 2.0. Rather than cause a displacement, Mentors will be assigned to openings. However, when there is no opening in a school with an unusually large number of new/inexperienced teachers, displacement may occur in accordance with Article XI, Section 6.0. c. Mentors who are transferred after reporting for duty to their previous assignment shall be permitted to use up to one day of released time to accommodate the relocation. d. Mentors are exempt from displacement during their Mentor service and, except in compelling circumstances, shall be subject to only one transfer during any one Mentor term at the initiation of the District to meet Mentor Program needs.

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Article XXVI – Mentor Teacher Program e. Transferred Mentors shall have return rights to their original geographic region, including those whose Mentor status is lost due to curtailment or elimination of the Mentor Program. 7.0 Duties and Responsibilities: In general, the Mentor is to provide advice, help secure materials, ease the new/inexperienced teachers' transition into the District, share information about all aspects of staff development, and provide orientation to new/inexperienced teachers. 7.1 Mentor Teacher duties and schedules shall be determined on an individual basis in conjunction with their principal and the Cluster Leader or designee. Mentor Teacher duties may include, but not be limited to, the following examples of services to new/inexperienced teachers: a. Provide orientation, conduct classroom visitations and observations, and ongoing assistance; b. Demonstrate successful teaching and classroom management techniques. However, any teaching demonstrations in the classroom of the new/inexperienced teacher shall be by mutual agreement of the teachers and shall not be ordered by the administrator; c. Plan and lead staff development sessions and salary point project classes subject to Section 7.2; d.

Develop class organization plans;

e. Provide opportunities to exchange ideas with, and observe, other successful teachers; f. Assist in establishing, explaining, and achieving instructional goals and objectives; g. Assist in solving management, or discipline; h. methods;

problems

in

curriculum,

classroom

Share materials, curriculum developments, and teaching

i. Coordinate assistance with Department or Grade Level Chairpersons. 7.2 The above duties and responsibilities are to be directed primarily toward the new/inexperienced teachers. For example, Mentors should not be expected to conduct workshops designed for veteran teachers. However, nothing in the above is intended to preclude experienced teachers from voluntarily receiving incidental Mentor services or from attending any Mentor activities with the consent of the Mentor.

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Article XXVI – Mentor Teacher Program 7.3 The District shall provide an opportunity for the Mentor Teacher Article XXX Subcommittee to participate in the development of a duties statement for Mentor Teachers who do not have mentees to serve. 7.4 Mentors are not to participate in the evaluation of teachers. In order to encourage a supportive professional relationship between teachers and Mentors, conversations between the teacher and the Mentor regarding the teacher's performance are to be treated as confidential and privileged. Subject to the foregoing, the fact that various Mentor services are provided shall stand as evidence that the District has provided part of its required program of assistance under Section 5.0 of Article X, but shall not satisfy all of the District's obligations under said section. 7.5 A reasonable effort shall be made to schedule, for the Mentor and the Mentor's assigned mentees, a common conference period in secondary schools and a common recess and lunch period in elementary schools, provided that such a schedule does not adversely affect the school's instructional program or negatively impact other employees. 8.0

Pay:

8.1 Mentor Teachers shall receive an annual stipend of $4,398 ($2,199 per semester) in addition to their regular salary. These stipends shall not be counted as salary or wages for State Teachers' Retirement System (STRS) purposes. 8.2 Mentors may not receive a coordinating, coaching or activity differential, but may participate in the Urban Classroom Teacher Program (UCTP) and the Bilingual Classroom Teacher Program (BCTP). Mentors also shall normally not be permitted to receive an auxiliary teaching period assignment, except when program needs indicate a special need for such services and approval has been obtained from the Cluster Administrator. 8.3 Released time and pay for Selection Committee activities shall be continued consistent with the practice in effect during the 1985-86 school year. 9.0

Miscellaneous:

9.1 The District shall make a reasonable effort to minimize and standardize paperwork and reporting obligations related to the Mentor Program. The Mentor Teacher Program Unit shall meet with the Mentor Teacher Article XXX Subcommittee to review and/or develop forms and record keeping obligations related to the Mentor Teacher Program and to review and/or develop training programs for the Mentor Teacher Program.

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Article XXVI – Mentor Teacher Program 9.2 In order to maintain continuity of instruction when Mentors or Selection Committee members are on released time, the District will make a special effort to honor substitute name requests. 9.3 A Mentor Teacher Advisory committee shall exist, comprised of two members from each region (one elementary and one secondary), Senior High Division, and Special Education Division. Members of this committee shall be elected by their Mentor peers in their Region/Unit/Division. The threemember UTLA Subcommittee (see Article XXX) may also participate in all such meetings. 9.4 The Mentor Teacher Article XXX Subcommittee shall continue to meet to discuss and evaluate the implementation of the 1995-97 siteSelected Mentor Teacher Pilot Program and by April 15, 1997 shall make recommendations regarding such program for the 1997-98 school year.

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