Southeastern Louisiana University is using a $5-million federal grant to develop a mentoring program to assist education graduates as they enter the classroom. Dean of Education Paula Summers Calderon said new teachers tend to leave the profession in their first few years due to burnout and not meeting their own expectations.
“And once they are past that two-to-three-year mark, research shows that teachers are going to stay, for another 10, 15, or 20 years,” said Calderon.
The Program is called BRIDGE Building Rigorous Induction and Development for Growing all Educators. Calderon said they are partnering with the Tangipahoa School System for the first year and will focus on ways to prepare teachers to meet the needs of the district also. She said it’s a win-win.
“It’s great for the university and great for the college because we hope our enrollment increases and then it’s great for the schools because we’re there on campus giving support to those new teachers,” said Calderon.
And then for the third year of the five-year program, the St. Charles Parish school system will be added.
The project will prepare 375 more highly effective and trained teachers over a five-year period and increase the leadership skills and knowledge of 150 teachers who support them. Calderon said other states have similar programs, but this is a first for Louisiana.
“And we’re hoping to create a model that works and a model that can be replicated through the entire state,” said Calderon.
The program will also work closely with school districts to recruit teacher candidates from underrepresented populations.
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