Giving Compass' Take:

• Detroit School district is planning a teacher mentorship program in an effort to develop the skillsets of its newest educators. 

• What are the benefits of teacher mentors? How can other school districts replicate this mentorship program? What is the role of donors in expanding access? 

•  Learn more about why teacher mentors matter. 

Samantha Ciaffone was certain about one thing when she began her first teaching job in Detroit a few months ago: “I don’t know what I don’t know yet as a new teacher.” But she quickly discovered she had an asset: a mentor who’s been there and done that.

Ciaffone benefits from a program, formally announced Wednesday, that connects veteran Detroit school district teachers as mentors to new teachers.

In a district that has hired more than 100 beginning teachers in the past year, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said providing them support to become effective educators is important.

That will help retain teachers and position the district to be more attractive to potential candidates who may see a mentorship program as an asset.

“What we don’t want to do is hire someone for the sake of hiring them,” Vitti said. “We want to support them so they not only stay in DPSCD, but stay in the profession.”

As part of the new program, first-grade teacher Ciaffone is being mentored by Karen Pastor, a veteran teacher at Munger Elementary-Middle School. Pastor, who teaches the second grade, is among 115 teachers who received four days of training from the New Teacher Center in order to become mentors. The mentor teachers will each receive $700 stipends and be compensated for the training and for the weekly one-hour sessions they have with their mentors.

“I’m not here to make her a mini me. I’m here to let her develop into the teacher that she will become. That’s the most important thing. It’s an extremely delicate dance of giving her advice or guidance, holding her hand when needed, and letting it go because Samantha needs to develop into her own teaching philosophy.”

Read the full article about teacher mentorship program by Lori Higgins at Chalkbeat.