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Parent mentors describe path from volunteering to licensure at Woodland
Summary
District Parent Mentor Program leaders and mentors outlined a multi-year volunteer-to-licensure pathway, reporting 17 active mentors this year across three K–5 schools and saying many participants have gone on to paraprofessional and substitute roles.
Tanya Abby, the day-to-day supervisor of Woodland's Parent Mentor Program, told the Board of Education on April 23 that the program spans three K–5 schools and aims to develop parent volunteers into licensed school employees.
"After you complete 100 hours of volunteering, our parent mentors are then touched base with our grant holders, Ladders of Opportunity," Abby said, describing a pathway that includes paraprofessional and substitute licensure and other credentials. She told trustees the program allows volunteers to build classroom skills and, in some cases, move into paid roles.
Abby said the program currently operates at a capacity of 17 mentors this year (the program allows up to 18 mentors, six per school). She reviewed program practices: an initial seven-week training project, community-building workshops, CPR/AED training for mentors, and spring events such as a winter festival and Readers Are Leaders activities.
Parent mentor Alyssa Klopp, speaking on behalf of mentors, described the program as "a vital bridge between our families and the classroom," saying mentors provide continuity, modeling, and support that benefit students’ social-emotional learning and academic engagement. Klopp said the experience has led several mentors to pursue substitute-teaching and paraprofessional credentials.
Administrators cited district support from the Regional Office of Education and a partnership with an initiative called Ladders of Opportunity; Abby said historically the program has reported hundreds of mentor hires across participating districts—initially citing 655 hires and noting that a later update from a meeting earlier that day reported the figure at about 1,000 hires.
Board members thanked the volunteers and asked for follow-up about retention and measurable outcomes; staff said they will provide additional data on mentor pathways and the program's contribution to staffing and student supports.
Next steps: The board heard the presentation and invited questions; administrators will provide additional metrics for participation, licensure outcomes, and any measurable impact on student attendance or achievement.
