Director of Leaders in Professional Development Dr. James Holman Jr. briefed the board on a package of teacher-development programs the district will expand for 2024–25 and 2025–26, designed to support induction teachers and aspiring leaders.

Holman said the Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy (Georgia TAP) presently has 73 candidates across 34 schools (31 new enrollees this year and 42 continuing candidates). He said 30 teachers completed TAP this year and that 7 of the district’s teacher-of-the-year honorees were TAP completers. Holman said the district is processing 47 additional TAP applications and that summer training (“essentials”) will begin July 7.

Holman reviewed other components: a mentor teacher program with quarterly calibration and school check-ins; monthly induction‑teacher meetings; professional development for academic coaches and assistant principals; and a multi‑modal approach (asynchronous, hybrid and in‑person) to accommodate teacher schedules. He said the district will increase progress monitoring of PD implementation through in‑person observations, partnerships with school leadership and a teacher-recording bank for coaching review.

Holman described Empower, a weeklong professional development series delivered in June for leaders and veteran teachers and again in July for new teachers. He summarized the aspiring leaders cohorts (assistant principals and principals) that use a competitive application process, interviews and job‑specific professional development; cohorts complete cumulative leadership projects tied to school improvement.

Board members pressed for clarity on mentoring coverage and late hires. Holman and Superintendent Dr. David Lewis said Muscogee pays mentors who support induction teachers and that mentor numbers vary by school (ratios cited as low as 1:3 and as high as 1:6). Holman said the department receives new‑hire information from HR and will increase school visits and midyear checks to support late hires.

Holman and the superintendent described a master‑teacher pilot run in partnership with Columbus State University that places an experienced teacher (a professional master teacher) without a classroom to coach two to three teachers full time; the model is operating at several elementary schools and will be expanded when funding is identified. The board also heard that a lab school at Diamond Elementary will launch next school year to provide year‑long, in‑school preparation for teacher candidates.

Questions from board members asked whether mentors are certified teacher support coaches and whether the district pays for TSC endorsements; the response was that mentors are TSC-certified and that the district does not currently pay for the endorsement, though schools may fund endorsements when local need requires it. Members requested more detail on how many mentors are assigned at each school, how late hires are tracked, and whether the district collects retention and exit data to identify when teachers quit; Dr. Lewis said HR tracks separations and the district is not seeing a rampant midyear exodus but will continue monitoring.

Holman said additional supports include a materials “yard sale” for new teachers to obtain donated classroom supplies at no cost and targeted PD for CTAE teachers and other specialty areas. He closed by describing plans to make PD materials available for later access and to continue expanding induction supports, the master‑teacher pilot and the lab‑school partnership with Columbus State University.

No formal action was recorded on these informational items; board members asked staff to provide additional implementation details and capacity estimates for the lab school and master‑teacher expansion.