Nationwide, 50 percent of beginning teachers leave the profession within the first five years. In Washington state that number is around 25 percent.
Why so many? New teachers often report feeling overwhelmed and under-supported.
But there’s good news for new teachers in seven of our state’s school districts that were just awarded a total of $800,000 in Beginning Education Support Team (BEST) grants to expand their beginning teacher assistance programs.
The BEST program, established by the Legislature in 2009, is designed to accelerate new teacher growth, keep novices invested in Washington’s public schools, and develop instructional leadership among veteran educators. To those ends, BEST grantee districts must implement these components:
Orientation for beginning teachers.
Assignment of a qualified mentor.
Development of a Professional Growth Plan for each beginning teacher.
Release time for mentors and new teachers to work together.
Teacher observation time with accomplished peers.
Out of the 38 districts that applied, the BEST grants were awarded to:
Burlington-Edison: $36,500
Clover Park: $139,500
Eatonville: $21,000
Kent: $268,500
Moses Lake: $106,000
Quillayute: $45,000
Yakima: $169,000
According to OSPI’s press release, a total of 390 teachers will receive support through these grants, affecting more than 35,000 students.