District reports hiring and induction data: 67 certificated hires and 75% tenure retention for program completers

Human Resources director Melissa Winters and induction coordinator Tristan Gartrell presented certificated staffing and induction program outcomes to the board.

Winters said the district hired 67 certificated staff this year, including 49 classroom teachers, 22 special education teachers, six transitional kindergarten teachers and eight math and science teachers. "So we have a commitment of our goals of recruitment, retention of staff, training and promoting our staff," Winters said.

Gartrell described the induction program as the cornerstone strategy for recruitment and retention, noting the district offers an accredited induction program for teachers and an accreditation for an administrative induction program. He said the district matches new teachers with school-site mentors for weekly one-hour meetings, supports individualized learning plans (ILPs) and emphasizes reflective practice.

On retention, Winters said 75% of candidates who completed the induction program (57 individuals) achieved tenure and remained in SMMUSD within the seven-year dataset used for accreditation review. Board members asked about reasons teachers leave; Winters summarized common causes as non-reelection, commute/relocation, other employment, health and personal reasons. The presenters noted plans to expand recruitment to diverse pipelines and affinity partnerships.