District outlines multi-day onboarding for more than 70 new staff; mentors, device distribution and curriculum orientation included

The Janesville School District told its Personnel Policy Committee Aug. 4 that an expanded onboarding schedule will welcome more than 70 new staff in mid-August and provide multi-day orientation, device distribution, curriculum rotations and mentor support.

Doctor DeGraff told the committee the program begins with a bus tour of the community and an afternoon session to ensure each new employee receives their district device so they can access digital curriculum resources during subsequent training. The district said sessions will include introductions to directors and coordinators in curriculum and instruction, an overview of educator effectiveness and teacher-evaluation expectations, and training on district digital resources.

DeGraff described a rotation model in which new certified staff meet directors and then rotate through stations covering educator effectiveness, digital curriculum access and relationship-building strategies for classroom management. New teachers will spend a building day with their principal and then pair with an assigned mentor; the district also created a month-by-month new-teacher handbook that lists mentor check-ins and milestone tasks (for example, preparations for parent-teacher conferences and report-card procedures).

The district said specialists will run targeted sessions: English-language learners’ orientations led by Julie Cook and special-education orientations led by Whitney Weiss. The transcript records that eight special-education staff completed mentor training this year and that mentors receive both a stipend and paid time for mentor activities; mentors also complete a timesheet for full-day onboarding duties.

DeGraff said the district has a combination of nationally trained mentors (through the National Teacher Center) and locally designated mentors and that the mentor program includes recommended classroom observations and coaching (non-evaluative). The district conducted pre- and post-surveys of participants; staff reported roughly 85% of teachers said they felt they were better teachers because of mentoring, while comments indicated some mismatches that the district will address.

Committee members praised the orientation and asked for details about mentor selection and frequency of check-ins. DeGraff said mentors are selected using a handbook of criteria, selection can be voluntary, principals participate in selection, and mentors meet with mentees weekly.

The committee did not take formal action on the onboarding presentation; staff said the orientation schedule and mentor program are part of ongoing retention efforts.