New Teacher Induction Program

The primary goal of our program is to retain the excellent teachers we hire. In order to do so, we provide a network of support that is individualized to meet the unique needs of every teacher that is new to our district. This support can take many forms and is outlined in detail in the “One-On-One Mentoring” section of the New Teacher Handbook.

We know that skillful teaching requires years of practice and continual improvement. So the second goal of the program is to provide teachers with a challenging, yet safe, learning environment in which they can reflect deeply, set goals, take risks, and push themselves to continually improve. The New Teacher Mentor (referred to as “mentors”) create this environment by blending together the collaborative professional learning opportunities with a rigorous series of Cycles of Inquiry to help the Participating Teachers (PTs) develop the habits and skills of a reflective professional.

The first two goals operate within the context of our district’s accreditation by the State of California to provide all of the necessary components of an Induction Program so that Participating Teachers can obtain the highest level of teacher credential: The Professional Clear Credential.

The FUHSD Induction program will provide induction support to Participating Teachers (PTs) who possess:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• CBEST—California Basic Educational Skills Test
• At least one California Preliminary Credential, including:
  • Multiple Subject
  • Single Subject
  • Education Specialist - Mild/Moderate
  • Education Specialist - Moderate/Severe
• Out-of-State credentials and fewer than two years of teaching experience[1]

[1] For teachers credentialed out-of-state or out-of-country, additional documentation may be required.

FUHSD commits to identifying and assigning a mentor to each participating teacher within the first 30 days of the participant’s enrollment in the program, matching the mentor and participating teacher according to credentials held, grade level and/or subject area, as appropriate to the participant’s employment.

PTs will also be able to earn up to 8 semester units of credit from University of Pacific per year. The cost for these units is $70 per credit or $560 total per year.

Teachers must register and pay for these units once in the fall ($280 for 4 credits) and again in the spring.

The fall semester registration deadline is November 1. The spring registration deadline is April 1.

Teachers must complete all items in the electronic Portfolio to earn these units.

The New Teacher Advisors will support teachers by providing registration documents and guidance through the process.

All induction requirements must be completed by the close of the school year of the second year of participation.

Once all induction requirements have been met, the following will occur:

• The New Teacher Advisor will give the teacher an Intent-to-File form to sign and return to the District.
• FUHSD will recommend the teacher for the Clear Credential during the months of July and August.
• The CCTC will then email the teacher confirmation and request payment for the Clear Credential.

In the event that a Participating Teacher does not meet the portfolio requirements, the reviewer will indicate the specific missing items on the Assessment of Completion document.  The mentor will then work with the Participating Teacher to complete the required work and gather evidence to show that the requirements have been met.

If the Participating Teacher disagrees with the assessment of the reviewer and believes that he or she has successfully met the requirements, he or she may file a grievance and appeal the decision:

Step1: Informal Complaint 

Participating Teacher may ask that the program administrator review the portfolio to determine if the requirements have been met.

Step 2: Formal Complaint Process

•If the issue is not resolved within the informal process, a written complaint may be filed with the program administrator (see Grievance Form).

•The program administrator will conduct an investigation and meet with all parties within 10 working days of receipt of the complaint.

•After the meeting, the program administrator will send a written response to the complainant.

Step 3: Appeal to the New Teacher Support Advisory Board (NTSAB)

•If unresolved at Step 2, the complainant may file a complaint with the New Teacher Support Advisory Board.

•The NTSAB will conduct an investigation and meet with the complainant within 10 working days upon receipt of the complaint.

•Within 10 working days of the meeting, the NTSAB will prepare a written response to the complainant.

Although there are many supports built into the system in order to support the growth Participating Teachers, the clearing of a professional credential is ultimately the responsibility of each teacher. In order to meet this responsibility, participating teachers should:

• Become familiar with specific credentialing requirements printed on his/her credential.
• Share relevant documentation from teacher preparation program with the mentor as necessary
• Develop an ongoing collaborative relationship with mentor based upon reflection on teaching practice.
• Meet with mentor regularly, and clearly communicate when meetings need to be rescheduled.
• Respond promptly to all communication from mentor and follow through on agreements.
• Complete and meet criteria for the Evidence of Application by the designated deadlines.
• Complete the FUHSD Induction Program requirements within a two-year period.
• Attend appropriate Professional Development events or design makeup events with mentor.
• Communicate questions or concerns about the program to the program director or mentor.
• Complete the online Induction Program surveys in January and May.

Note: Classroom observations and the Teacher-Mentor conversations are strictly confidential. It is the teacher’s decision to share administrator evaluation information with the mentor and/or share mentor observational data with the evaluating administrator. Information from Induction is not used for evaluation of personnel.

New Teacher Mentors are released from classroom responsibilities in order to focus their time and energy on meeting the needs of Participating Teachers. In order to meet this responsibility, New Teacher Mentors should perform the following roles:

One-on-One Mentoring

• Develop a sustaining and thoughtful mentoring relationship with PTs by modeling strong communication skills and a spirit of open, honest, and thoughtful inquiry and reflection.
• Maintain strict confidentiality with each PTs and communicate explicitly with them before sharing relevant information with other mentors and the program administrator.
• Develop Individual Learning Plans with each PTs in order to meet program requirements through formative assessment and professional learning activities while differentiating to meet their needs.
• Use Program tools in a thoughtful manner to support the growth of assigned PTs
• Support PTs by maintaining an electronic Portfolio of their work, and informing them in their progress toward completion of induction.
• Communicate questions or concerns about the Program or the participation of a PT to the Program Administrator in a timely manner.

Leading Professional Learning

The New Teacher Mentors also play key roles in the development and delivery of professional learning:

• New Employee Workshops (June and July)
• Skillful Teacher (all year)
• New Teacher Lunches (all year, coordinated with site Assistant Principals)
• Inquiry Round Tables (January and May)
• Other site and district level workshops, as assigned

Special Ed Advisors serve the vital role of complementing the mentors’ service to Special Education PTs by providing support around the specific knowledge and skills associated with their Special Ed authorization:

• Writing Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and managing the IEP process
• Case Management and matching students with school resources
• Other site and department specific support, as needed

Program Administrator for New Teacher Induction

The program administrator for New Teacher Induction is structured as 50% of the Coordinator of Academic Interventions position. Currently, Josh Maisel oversees and manages the program, and is responsible for:

• Supervising the team of New Teacher Advisors, providing training and professional development as needed
• Developing and coordinating the delivery of Collaborative Professional Learning at the District Office
• Communicating with California CTC in order to fulfill requirements to maintain Accreditation as an LEA
• Monitoring Induction completion progress of PTs and coordinating Portfolio Review process
• Evaluating the program and guiding the continuous improvement of processes and systems

The Director of Educational and Special Services

The Director of Educational and Special Services collaborates with the program administrator to ensure that Special Education teachers have additional resources and support. This includes responsibility for:

• Coordinating support for Special Ed PTs with the Program Administrator for Special Education and the Lead Resource Specialist (LRS) at each site
• Selecting and training Special Ed coaches, and assigning them to appropriate Special Ed PTs
• Evaluating the program and guiding the continuous improvement of processes and systems

The Program Administrator for Special Education

The Program Administrator for Special Education supports the Director by taking responsibility for organizing Professional Development for Education Specialists in the following areas:

• Individual Education Plan (IEP) Processes
• Positive Behavior Management and Safety Care Training
• Other Professional Development, as necessary to meet the needs of Education Specialists.

Lead Resource Specialist (LRS)

Each school has an LRS who acts as Department Chair for the Special Ed department and collaborates with the Program Administrator for Special Education and the Director by:

• Conducting classroom observations with feedback
• Coaching meetings on classroom management, evidence-based practices, and case management.
• When appropriate, serving as a Special Education Advisor to new teachers at the site.

The Senior Human Resources Specialist:

• Works with District and Site Administrators to support the transition of new teachers into the district.
• Facilitates communication and collects documents to “On Board” teachers into the district systems.
• Verifies credentialing status of all new hires hires and supports the maintenance of Staff Credential List.
• Coordinates with the Program Administrator to generate and keep accurate lists of Participating Teachers.
• Submits completed applications to the CTC for California Professional Clear Credentials for eligible teachers.

Site Administrators play two key roles in New Teacher Support.

Each school has an Assistant Principal responsible for new teacher support. These APs oversee the Site Orientation and New Teacher Lunches:

• Melina Nafrada, Cupertino High School
• Susan Rocha, Fremont High School
• John Rodriguez, Homestead High School
• Eric Wong, Lynbrook High School
• Michael Martinez, Monta Vista High School

Site Administrators also play the key role of evaluator and supervisor for new teachers.

In this role, they are responsible for following the Evaluation Timeline and using the process to collaborate with the new teachers in support of their growth and development.

Each semester, site administrators meet with New Teacher Mentors to coordinate support for new teachers. In these meetings, site administrators share observations and suggestions about new teachers, but New Teacher Mentors maintain confidentiality around any interactions with new teachers. Their role is to listen and learn in order to better support new teachers.

The Fremont Union High School District has 3 tiers of employment status:

Temporary

Temporary teachers are hired to fill a teaching position left vacant by a permanently employed teacher on a leave of absence or to replace a teacher in a categorically funded position. A teacher who is not fully credentialed must also be hired on a temporary contract. Temporary teaching positions are usually contracted for a specific amount of time (e.g. 2015-2016 school year), but these contracts are sometimes renewed for multiple years in a row. There is no legal limit for the number of years a teacher can remain temporary. Administrators are required to formally observe temporary teachers two times each year and submit a formal written evaluation once per year, before May 1. Temporary teachers can be let go from employment without cause.

Probationary

Newly hired teachers who are filling open positions are most often hired on a probationary contract. Administrators are required to formally observe probationary teachers two times each year and submit a formal written evaluation once per year, before May 1. Teachers in their second year of a probationary contract must be informed if they will not be recommended for permanent status by March 15. Probationary teachers can be let go from employment without cause.

Permanent

Teachers who complete the two-year probationary period and are recommended for reelection for the third year are granted permanent status. These ‘tenured’ teachers then follow the same evaluation cycle as all other permanent teachers in the district.

Many hiring situations are position-specific, so if you have any questions about your status, please contact Director of Human Resources, Paula Robinson at paula_robinson@fuhsd.org.

Each school approaches the Evaluation system a little differently but below is the calendar for a standard evaluation cycle.

DATE	ACTIVITY
October 1	Annual conference with principal or assistant principal completed.
December 16	At least one observation and post conference completed for all non-permanent teachers.
February 10	At least two observations and post conferences completed for all non-permanent teachers
Prior to March 15	Notice of non-reemployment to any second year probationary teacher recommended for non-reelection
May 1	Completed written summary evaluations given to teachers being evaluate

Each school structures the evaluation assignments differently, but teachers are informed in the early fall and must meet with the evaluator for the Annual Conference before October 1.

Your mentor will help you prepare for your annual conference by reviewing the California Standards for the Teaching Professions (CSTPs), and asking you to consider which standards and elements might be the most productive to focus. The annual conference is a chance for you and your evaluator to get to know each other, to discuss what type of growth you hope to achieve during the year, and to plan for how the evaluator can help you meet your goals.

Technically, no. The evaluator can choose any class or period to do a formal observation and is not required to give you prior notice. However, the goal of the evaluation system is to support your growth, so the evaluator will work with you to make sure that the observations gare conducted in a way that support this goal.

You have the right to attach your own written response to any formal observation or evaluation document. When you sign the bottom of an evaluation form, you are not stating that you agree with the comments, only that you have received the document.

Yes! Although California Education Code does not require that representation be allowed in evaluation meetings, our district has always championed a collaborative culture that allows a mentor or an FEA representative to attend these meetings with you. Mentors regularly attend meetings upon teacher request, so that they can better support the growth and improvement that the teacher wants to achieve.

Pay warrants are distributed on the last business day of each month, starting in August and ending in May (i.e. ten months).

Many teachers choose to defer a portion of their regular August through May pay so that they receive their deferred pay in June and July. Should you choose this option, 16.67% of your net pay is withheld each month and placed into a holding account (no interest, sorry) and then disbursed in June and July. This “deferred pay option” was discussed with each new hire during the New Employee Workshop. However, one can sign up for it mid-year as well. Please note that for each month after the beginning of the school year that has passed before you implement Deferred Pay, your checks for June and July will be about 10% less each month. The deferred pay form is available on the FUHSD website (in the Staff Portal under Business Forms).

Satisfactory means that the observed lesson meets the minimum standards. Satisfactory does not necessarily mean excellent, nor does it necessarily imply that one will earn permanent status. Reading through the comments and honing in on areas of growth are essential to really examining where one needs to grow.

Needs Improvement means that the lesson observed does not meet the minimum standards. When a teacher receives a “needs improvement”, it is a strong and clear signal that there are serious concerns with what was observed.

Unsatisfactory means that the lesson that was observed was far below the minimum standards and that such performance is of extremely serious concern.

In addition to the weekly professional learning that happens at each site, teachers in their first year in the district (PT1s) have several other opportunities to learn with their colleagues at the district and site level:

New Employee Workshop (NEW)

This 18-hour workshop is split into 3 full-day sessions that are spread out over the course of the summer before new teachers begin work in August. About half of the teachers participate in the first two days in June, and teachers who are hired in the summer or who have prior commitments attend the session in early August. The final day is “Orientation” which occurs on the Friday of the week before all teachers return to work in mid-August. The 4 different components of the NEW are outlined in very broad strokes here:

Part I – FUHSD Culture, Growth Mindset, Student Engagement

Part II – Curriculum Planning and Professional Collaboration

Part III – District Orientation – Routines, Relationships, Prudent Behavior

Part IV – Site Orientation – Staff Introductions, Logistics and Systems

Academic Language Production (EL Support)

Starting in 2010, every teacher in the district has participated in this full-day training to develop common language and a repertoire of techniques to support all students, especially English Learners, in developing their skills in Academic Language Production. All new hires come together in September or October to collaborate and learn how our district approaches this key area of student learning.

New Teacher Lunches

Because every site in our district has a unique culture and context, the New Teacher Lunches are developed and implemented in a collaborative effort between a site Assistant Principal and the New Teacher Advisors. These monthly lunch meetings provide “Just In Time” professional learning on such topics as Parent Communication (Back to School Night), Grading, IEP and Special Ed Collaboration, Student Health and Safety, LGBTQ and other Equity Issues, and other site-specific topics of interest.

Inquiry Round Tables

Although the Cycle of Inquiry is primarily a process conducted by participating teachers with the support of their New Teacher Mentors, each PT has two opportunities each year to convene a group of colleagues to support their learning and advise them on their areas of growth. In January, the PT selects a group of colleagues and invites them to a Inquiry Round Table lunch. At this meeting, the PT shares the Focusing Question of the spring Cycle of Inquiry and asks the panel to suggest strategies to support student growth. The PT then applies the suggestions in the spring and reconvenes the group in May to report on the outcomes.

The Skillful Teacher

Many teachers in the second year of Induction (PT2s) participate in the Skillful Teacher course as a comprehensive and rigorous exploration of key teaching skills:

Course Mission and Goals

The mission of this course is to improve teachers’ abilities to apply the knowledge base of teaching in different classroom contexts for the benefit of all students. Specifically, there are two goals that guided the design and organization of the course:

1. Provide second-year teachers with a coherent and challenging professional learning environment to complement their individual Cycles of Inquiry and help them develop the habits of career-long improvement and growth.

2. Connect new teachers with veteran colleagues in order to develop strong collaborative relationships that would sustain growth after induction and support strong PLCs at each site.

Course Organization

The course uses the book The Skillful Teacher as the main source of new ideas and information. Although the 500-page book provides a comprehensive look at our profession, the course is organized to help teachers build a more equitable classroom.  So the theme of "Equity" is woven through the course as the teachers focus on one or two key chapters each session.

We will begin with the “Expectations” chapter that builds on Carol Dweck’s work around creating a “Growth Mindset.” This initial focus will help teachers answer this essential question:

What teacher beliefs and actions lead us to best serve ALL of our students?

Once this foundation around beliefs and expectations is established, we will progress through the year, organizing our work around a series of classroom experiments, lunch discussions, and district-wide meetings where we continually ask and answer these essential questions:

What do we want students to know and be able to do?

How will we know if they know and can do it?

What do skillful teachers do to maximize the opportunity for every student to learn it?

What will we do when students don’t meet our standards? What will we do if they do?

Course Calendar

Below are the approximate dates of the District-Wide Seminars. As mentioned above, in between each seminar, teachers at each site meet for lunch to plan and then reflect on their Cycles of Inquiry. Some teachers pick one area of focus and do continuous Cycles throughout the year, while other teachers pick a new topic each time. The time between Day 5 in January and Day 6 in May is dedicated entirely to applications, so each site team decides upon a site-specific calendar for meetings to plan and reflect.  The course culminates in the "Exploring Equity Showcase" where teachers invite colleagues and community members to learn about our work in a science fair style format. 

• May – Day 0 – Orientation (lunch meeting)
• August – Day 1 and 2 – Student Motivation, Relationships, and Inclusivity
• Sept/Oct – Day 3 – Rigor, Lesson Objectives, and Equity
• November – Day 4 – Clarity and Equity
• January – Day 5 – Differentiation and Equity
• May – Day 6 – Exploring Equity Showcase 

See Skillful Teacher Website for more information

Teachers must hold a preliminary multiple or single subject credential and be employed in a California public school. The intent of the law is to serve experienced and exceptional candidates. Teachers who meet the following eligibility criteria are invited to apply to be considered for the Early Completion Option by completing and submitting the application along with the requested documentation to the Program Administrator.

Submit for review authenticated performance evaluations from at least two prior years of teaching in a K-12 classroom assignment. This may include evidence from past observations.

Submit ECO Application along with fall semester forms documenting the first Formative Assessment Cycle. Application due: December 15

Eligibility Criteria

The Program Administrator will review the documents and will either approve the application, deny it, or request additional evidence that may be necessary to determine a candidate’s appropriateness for the Early Completion Option.

The individual plan will take into account previous experience, portfolio evidence, and evaluations to focus the program support on your documented needs. Missing deadlines may be cause for the withdrawal of the ECO approval. PTs must continue to demonstrate that the ECO is appropriate for them and must retain the continuing recommendation of theirs site administrators. If they are unable to continue to demonstrate appropriate placement in the ECO, or if they elect to enter the full program, they will be responsible for completing the full length Induction Program.

ECO Applicants must submit a portfolio with evidence of Formative Assessment program completion and the reflection as stated in the Early Completion Option Application. The Program Administrator will verify completion.