By Guest Blogger John
“I was really hoping to be able to meet with Senator Roach—we were ready!” Kristy said, disappointed after getting a chance to advocate for new teacher support with her two other legislators, Reps. Christopher Hurst and Dan Roach, but finding Sen. Pam Roach out for the day with a health issue.
In the Governor’s proposed budget, support for new teachers through the Teacher Assistance Program (TAP) would be eliminated for the first time in more than 20 years…..
While TAP funding has been dwindling in recent years, it provides districts with crucial funds to provide support for beginning teachers. Teams of new teachers from around the state have been traveling to Olympia to visit legislators and advocate for a budget that includes continued support for new teachers. This past week I accompanied three new teachers from my district to the Capitol, and the experience was a memorable one for Kristy, Ashley, and Bridget.
Of course this is not the only education program on the chopping block. The case we tried to make, in addition to giving first person narratives of what impact new teacher support had on our team, was that some cuts will end up costing the state more than they save. One study found that it costs about $45,000 to replace a teacher that leaves the profession, and that lack of support is one of the primary reasons teachers leave in the first five years—well ahead of inadequate compensation. While HB 1410 and SB 5444 ask for $8,000 for each new teacher to cover five years of support beginning in 2012, we were simply asking in tough times for the current $800 per new teacher to be maintained. This will still result in a cost saving in the next biennium because, unfortunately, there will significantly fewer new teachers to support.
The Center for the Strengthening of the Teaching Profession (CSTP, pronounced C-Step) helped these new teachers refine their message, learn what to expect, set up meetings with legislators, and then provided guidance throughout the day.
“The help I got from my TAP mentor with my highest need students was invaluable,” Ashley told Rep. Roach, who as a father of a high needs student, appeared to really connect with that message. Whether or not he will help find a way to save this funding is not yet known, but the experience of actively advocating for policy in her second year of teaching is one Ashley will not soon forget.
Ashley, Kristy and Bridget shared their stories about how effective induction programs, funded by the TAP program, help them navigate the difficult first year of teaching. I invite new and experienced teachers, mentors, district administrators and anyone else to share YOUR stories. What impact does TAP funding have in your district? What do you think will happen if that funding goes away?
Interestingly, in another comment of Tom’s, he mentions NCATE.org (accreditation of teacher education programs) which currently has a link (http://ncate.org/public/012909_NBPTS.asp) that the president of NCATE sent to the Washington Post stating, in essence, that NBCTs stay in the profession longer and that the students who have NBCTs as teachers grow academically.
It’s absolutely essential to support new teachers. John’s team obviously delivered a powerful message: pay a little bit now to support new teachers, or pay a whole lot later to hire their replacements. I can’t imagine an easier decision. Great post, John.
If ever I felt passionate about an educational topic, it is the support that new teachers need, the mentoring, the aid, in order to become the master teacher they can.
Sure, a state could adopt a sink or swim, mentality. However, in the end, it only hurts the state who will lose the teacher, the district because they have to hire another teacher, and ultimately the students.
To continue an automotive analogy started by Tom, I put preventative maintenance money into my car (oil changes, having that “pinging” sound checked out) so that I do not have to have a huge repair job later. If I do not do this, it will ultimately result in costing more money, more time, and the car will not be as effective before or after the repair.
To me it makes sense, and it is not about dollars and cents. It is about what is best for students and working backward from there.
John and his crew of beginning teachers did a fabulous job on the hill! It is not often that legislators get to meet real, alive and vibrant beginning teachers (as opposed to the fake, dead and dull ones – just joking!)and they did a great job telling a compelling message through their experiences. If any educators out there are interested in coming to Oly to advocate, please contact me – Nasue Nishida, nasue@cstp-wa.org, 360-350-2930.
Thanks to John, Bridget, Ashley and Kristy!!!