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Union rep: Middletown's peer‑support program helps recruits, but retention remains challenge
Summary
Adam Evans, MTA co‑president, told the board that of 37 pre‑credentialed teachers placed in the district over eight years, only 14 remained and only four stayed five years — prompting calls for recruitment, retention strategies and use of peer mentoring.
Adam Evans, co‑president of the Middletown Teachers Association, reported to the board that the union-run peer support program provides roughly 200 hours of mentoring per incoming teacher but that retention remains a concern: "over the last just 8 years, we've had 37 pre credentialed teachers... Only 14 of those teachers have remained with our district," he said.
Evans described peer support as one‑on‑one mentoring including weekly support and classroom observations and said it is primarily an after‑hours volunteer effort. He and trustees discussed root causes for departures, citing salaries, housing and workforce shortages as factors. Evans said the union will pursue retention efforts and consult regional representatives to compile comparative data.
Trustees and the superintendent thanked MTA for the peer mentoring effort and suggested outreach to retired community members as potential volunteers to expand mentoring capacity.
