Westminster Public Schools starts one-on-one "district rounding" with new teachers

Superintendent Jenny Gatto has instituted a district-wide practice of meeting one-on-one with newly hired teachers during their first months in Westminster Public Schools, officials said.

The district describes the approach as "district rounding," a supplement to the pre-school NTaught new teacher orientation. The district said the one-on-one meetings give leadership direct feedback from teachers about what is working in classrooms and what needs improvement.

"I've been teaching for 5 years and I've never been able to sit one on one and give my opinion and my thoughts on the way the district [is] working, and it feels really inviting and wonderful," said Alexis Wine, a teacher who came to the district from another school system. Wine described the practice as supportive and said it allows staff to "practice my craft" while receiving targeted help.

The district framed the initiative as part of a continuous-improvement effort. "A backbone of our system is continuous improvement. We wanted to hear directly from them what's working and what's not," Wine said.

NTaught remains the district's formal new-teacher orientation before the school year, the district said, but officials and teachers emphasized that classroom experience brings up questions and details that orientation cannot anticipate. The one-on-one meetings are intended to capture those classroom-driven needs and help leaders tailor support.

The district did not specify how often the meetings occur, which other leadership staff participate, or whether the discussions produce formal follow-up reports. The practice was described as ongoing during the first months of new teachers' time in the district.