School districts would have high-quality induction and mentoring programs to improve new teachers’ instructional practice. All new teachers would be given an experienced mentor, who has expertise in her subject and grade level and sufficient time to support new teachers. All districts would have meaningful evaluation systems focused on professional growth that provide teachers with continuous feedback, identify areas of strength, and highlight areas for improvement. Professional development would be tied to these areas of improvement.
The probationary period would be at least three years, during which teachers would be observed at least twice annually. Evaluation systems would consider student achievement as a preponderant criterion. Probationary teachers with more than one poor observation would be given limited support and then terminated if they do not improve. It’s time for districts to take advantage of this time period to weed out inefective teachers.
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