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Beloit expands mentor program; 56 student‑teacher placements over three years, district hired about 42%
Summary
Director Rochelle Elliott told the board the district trained 70 mentor teachers (NTC/other), ran new‑hire orientation, and hosted 56 student teachers over three years, of whom 24 were later hired by the district (roughly 42%). The program emphasizes NTC training and building‑level mentorship.
Rochelle Elliott, the district’s director of early learning and professional development, presented the board with a detailed review of mentoring, new‑hire onboarding and student‑teacher placements.
Elliott described a three‑day (this year) new‑hire orientation, monthly mentor meetings at elementary, middle and high‑school levels, and differentiated supports including instructional coaches and PLC time. She said the district has 25 New Teacher Center (NTC) mentors trained via CESA 2 and that 70 teachers have participated in mentor training as part of the district’s broader support structure.
On student‑teacher placements, Elliott said the district recorded 56 student teachers over the last three years and that 24 of those were subsequently hired by the district — a hire rate Elliott noted as "not too shabby" (~42%). She described partnerships with UW Whitewater, Beloit College and other institutions and outlined placement logistics including background checks, Raptor sign‑in and Google‑form based placement preferences.
Board members and staff discussed how student‑teacher placements are spread across buildings and how the district works with universities to avoid overloading individual classrooms. Elliott also outlined DPI changes that permit student teachers to count calendar weeks in different ways and that allow student‑teacher scheduling flexibility tied to either university or district calendars.
Elliott said mentor relationships are largely determined collaboratively by principals and district leadership; principals recommend mentor candidates and the district prioritizes pairing new staff with trained mentors. The district uses mentor surveys and confidential mentor/mentee relationships to shape supports and to guide targeted professional development.
Sources: Presentation by Rochelle Elliott (transcript segments beginning SEG 507), Q&A and follow‑up (SEG 700–SEG 1049).
