Mentor for New Instructional Hire 2026-27

JOB TITLE: Mentor for New Instructional Hire 2026-27 REPORTS TO: Supervisor of Human Resources LOCATION: Worcester Public Schools, Worcester, Massachusetts DESCRIPTION AND RATIONALE: Mentors promote the growth and development of beginning and incoming teachers, provide systems of support, and cultivate resilience in their practice. Through mentoring, mentors also strengthen their own practice, develop leadership skills, and broaden their impact in support of high-quality teaching and learning. Ultimately, the dual faceted benefit of mentorship programs increases retention by establishing a collegial network aligned in reflection, continuous improvement, and supportive relationships, which in turn improves student outcomes through reducing staff turnover and fostering an environment of and to improve student learning. To these ends, the WPS mentorship program, seeks mentors who will participate in a comprehensive and systematic process of meaningful, ongoing assistance to newly-hired educators, including enhancing their planning and instruction, orienting them to the school community and to teaching in general, and serving as collegial and emotional support for this challenging phase of a teacher's career. HIRING AND MENTOR/MENTEE ASSIGNMENT LOGISTICS AND CONSIDERATIONS: As required by DESE, any first year employee working as a classroom teacher and any educator in their first three years of teaching who has not completed an induction program will be assigned a mentor. Additionally:

• The number of mentors hired will be based on the number of new teachers requiring mentoring;
• Mentors must have a scheduled classroom teaching assignment so they can participate in mentor/mentee observations as required by DESE;
• Mentors will be assigned to up to 3 mentees based on multiple criteria that holistically weigh the most meaningful matches, including one or more the following:
• Sharing the primary teaching discipline;
• Sharing the same site location; and
• Aligned mentor and mentee preferences to be assessed upon hire of each.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (all duties and responsibilities must be fulfilled in order to receive the stipend): Attend and complete required mentorship meetings and activities as follows:

• Attend required mentor training and ongoing professional development, including:

• One 4-hour Beginning-of-Year Mentor Training prior to New Teacher Orientation (required for both new and returning mentors);

• Four 1.5-hour Quarterly Mentor Ongoing Development Sessions.

• Attend, at minimum, one day of New Staff Orientation prior to the August teacher reporting date and provide a facilities orientation to new staff at their assigned building;

• Complete their first 1-1 meeting with their mentee by the end of the August teacher reporting date (can be completed on the same day as/in conjunction with the facilities orientation described above);

• Schedule and facilitate regular mentor-mentee meetings, with a combination of activities as required by DESE, such as:

• One-on-one mentor-mentee meetings;

• Classroom observations and feedback sessions, both mentor-to-mentee and mentee-to-mentor. If release time/coverage is needed, then observations are to be scheduled in collaboration with administration;

• Group mentoring and affinity groups, focusing on shared professional experiences.

Complete required mentorship deliverables as follows:

• Maintain mentoring logs using district-approved tracking systems (e.g., Google Forms, spreadsheets);
• Provide feedback to district leaders on common challenges and successes and program improvements;
• Utilize and complete district provided mentorship curriculum which includes mentoring tools, protocols, and languages with assigned mentee(s) to support conversations that accelerate teacher practice and student learning.

Support assigned mentee(s) with various aspects of their professional growth and success and instill a positive sense of belonging as follows:

• Establish and maintain a trusting, non-evaluative relationship, reinforcing collaboration, professional growth and confidentiality, including ensuring all information is handled in a confidential manner in accordance with established policies and legal requirements;
• Learn the critical knowledge, skills, and tools to offer effective and culturally responsive mentorship needed to support educators from diverse backgrounds and preparation pathways;
• Guide mentees in implementing the Standards for Effective Teaching Practice and support educators in implementing and aligning district curriculum, MA Curriculum Frameworks, WPS Framework for Instruction, and WPS Vision of a Learner;
• Model evidence-based teaching practices and the use of the WPS Framework for Instruction and WPS Vision of a Learner, and provide mentees with classroom observations, debrief sessions, and actionable feedback;
• Provides instruction and support in the use of formative assessments to support differentiated or tiered instruction;
• Support mentees in self-reflection, goal setting, and professional growth, aligning with district evaluation and licensure expectations;
• Assist mentees in navigating school policies, procedures, and available resources, including incorporating district platforms and analysis of student data to advance both teacher learning and classroom practice;
• Encourage peer collaboration, professional networking, and community building by connecting mentees to peers, other teacher models, and additional district supports.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR APPLICATION (Evidence of the minimum qualifications will be assessed through the application questions - these are required from all applicants.)

• Current Professional Teacher Status
• An overall evaluation rating of proficient or exemplary for the two most recent formal evaluations (may be either formative or summative)
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Evidence of high quality lesson planning that effectively combines pedagogy and content (attach one lesson plan)
• The written recommendation of the principal or supervisor and the inclusion of their phone number to be contacted as a reference of the applicant's qualifications
• 90% or better attendance record in at least two of the most recent three school years

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS (preference will be given to those applicants who possess the following) :

• Master's Degree in education, area of certification, or related field
• Successful previous experience with being a Mentor in Worcester Public Schools

STIPEND: To be paid in accordance with EAW contract, at the end of the school year, upon satisfactory completion of all ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES as listed above to be determined by a review of submitted evidence, including, but not limited to, recorded attendance at required meetings and completed mentoring logs. APPLICATION QUESTIONS (to be completed when submitting the application):

• Do you currently have PTS? (Human Resources will verify your employment record)
• Did you attach PDFs of your two most recent formal evaluations on your SchoolSpring profile (may be either formative or summative)?
• Why do you want to be a mentor in WPS? (150-300 words?)
• Did you upload one lesson plan on your SchoolSpring profile? (Your lesson plan will be assessed using the rubric at this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aO5-rhWDjIEvuJGJkaLxc1coB584EJgfL7lIZrtW9Lw/edit?usp=drive_link)
• What is the name and email of your principal? (Human Resources will contact your principal for a recommendation.)
• Did you upload a screenshot of your current attendance report from Teamonline on your SchoolSpring profile?