Teachers present Early Leadership Institute fellows to board, propose mentorship project for new educators

Heather Sims, music teacher at Grass Valley Elementary and a local union officer, introduced three Early Leadership Institute fellows to the board on April 8 and described a fellowship project to develop a mentorship plan for early‑career educators.

Sims said she serves as a facilitator for the program, a collaboration between the local HCA and the Nevada State Education Association. She named fellows Kim Jones (pre‑K, Grass Valley), Janda Wagner (special education, Sonoma) and Michelle Allen (special education, Grass Valley). Sims told trustees the fellows interviewed early‑career employees — aides on special assignment, long‑term substitutes and teachers within their first one to five years — and identified mentorship as a primary need.

Sims said the fellows’ plan is to research mentorship models, draft a district mentorship proposal that could involve HCA partnership, present to the HCA board for approval and, if cleared, present the project to the Humboldt County School District Board by June. "They're going to create a project that I'm hoping that by June, they can have their project complete to then present to you at the board," she said.

HCA president Melinda (last name stated on the record) praised the work and said the local is the only affiliate in the state currently using the NSEA program, and that fellows attended a leadership conference in Reno. The public comment portion closed with trustees thanking the speakers and acknowledging the connection to district “grow your own” efforts discussed later in the meeting.

No board action was requested during public comment.