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Board hears mentor‑mentee and support‑staff survey results, discusses retention strategies
Summary
Personnel and leadership presenters reported that onboarding is generally strong but support staff show gaps; the board was told mentor‑mentee is typically a three‑year process and the district is exploring group mentoring and expanded mentor pools to improve retention.
At its Jan. 5 meeting the Mount Pleasant Public Schools Board heard mid‑year updates from the personnel and leadership goal group focused on onboarding, mentor‑mentee programming and staff survey results.
A presenter said the district found new staff largely satisfied with onboarding but identified gaps among support staff. The group recommended expanding mentor opportunities beyond one‑to‑one matches and creating more peer group forums to share practical knowledge.
"We found out that most of our staff are happy with the onboarding process," a presenter said, but added that "with the support staff, there were some areas where we thought we could target and work with them more directly." The group suggested hub resources and targeted communications to increase awareness and use of district materials.
Board members pressed for details on survey timing and participation. Presenters said response totals were "in the hundreds" and that the survey was still open when the presentation was prepared; they can break results down by tenure and staff category to identify trends among employees who are three to five years into the district.
The group also reviewed mentor‑mentee practices, telling the board that Michigan law requires mentors for teachers in their first three years and that the district typically provides three check‑ins per month in year one, decreasing in subsequent years. Presenters stressed confidentiality in mentor reflections and said principals can view summaries to guide supports, though the district does not run a formal, district‑wide exit interview at the end of mentorship.
New staff orientation efforts include a Google Classroom with videos and resources from district leaders and recorded messages from principals to help new hires connect with building leadership.
Next steps: Group 4 will continue to refine support for non‑instructional staff, expand hubs and consider more group‑based mentoring experiences; they will bring more granular survey breakdowns to future meetings.
