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Board debates draft induction rules: mentors' role, time, reporting, and protections
Summary
MSDE presented draft COMAR induction regulations proposing three-year induction for new teachers, structured mentoring with selection criteria and suggested mentoring minutes, program evaluation and LEA reporting; board members pressed for clearer mentor protections, IHE collaboration, midpoint needs-assessment and careful treatment of implementation/funding constraints.
MSDE presented a comprehensive draft of proposed induction regulations and solicited the board's consultation. The draft brings work-group recommendations and statutory changes together into a new induction package covering definitions, program structure, mentor selection, mentor professional development, program evaluation, and reporting timelines.
Key draft elements:
- Duration and definitions: The draft sets comprehensive induction at a minimum of three years for new-to-profession teachers and one year for veteran teachers new to Maryland.
- Program components: Induction programs must include orientation, participation in educator professional learning communities, specialized professional learning aligned to the Maryland-recognized professional learning standards (incorporated by reference), job-embedded individualized mentoring, opportunities to observe and co-teach with skilled teachers, and a reduction in teaching schedule aligned to the career ladder (60/40 phase-in starting 07/01/2025).
- Mentoring: The draft requires rigorous mentor selection (demonstrated instructional expertise via performance task or instructional data, at least an effective rating, and school/district recommendation) and recommends that each new teacher receive, to the extent practicable, 180 minutes of instructional mentoring per month. The department explained the "to the extent practicable" wording reflects staff and funding constraints across LEAs.
- Evaluation and reporting: Each LEA must develop a local evaluation plan that includes mentor and mentee perception data, evidence of professional development plans, and retention metrics. MSDE proposed full compliance and the first LEA report by 07/01/2026, with subsequent reports every three years.
Board discussion and major concerns:
Members raised many implementation and clarity issues. Several recommended clarifying or defining "highly competent" and "effective" evaluation ratings, given wide local variation in evaluation systems. Members pressed MSDE to protect mentor-mentee confidentiality and to specify whether mentors may or may not participate in a formal teacher evaluation, with many arguing that removing a protection would undermine trust and reduce mentoring effectiveness. The board also asked MSDE to better align induction activities with educator-preparation programs and unions, remove an overly prescriptive 1:1 mentoring phrasing, require midpoint needs assessments (perceptual/formative checks) as part of evaluation, and consider more frequent reporting or data-sharing to build feedback loops with IHEs and other stakeholders.
Next steps: MSDE will collect board members' written feedback, include the comments in a memorandum to the State Board, and return recommended edits. The board agreed to continue consultation and requested draft language to address mentor protections and evaluation crosswalks.
