Responding to pandemic-era impacts on teacher licensure, FUSD prioritizes key aspects of NTC’s proven induction and mentoring model to support an influx of provisionally certified educators and other alternatively certified teachers coming through non-traditional pathways.

With nationwide declines in enrollment and completion in teacher preparation programs, over 360,000 teachers with provisional and emergency licenses are leading classrooms with varied levels of preparation and training. Some have had pedagogical coursework, some have not. Some have had student teaching experiences, some have not. In essence, many of these beginning educators are learning on the job, and, in far too many cases, in isolation or with assigned mentors in name only.

Our long-time partner, Fresno Unified School District (FUSD) annually manages the onboarding and induction of approximately 700 new educators coming from multiple pathways with vastly different levels of experience and preparation. This includes a growing number of provisionally and alt-certified teachers who, research shows, are even more prone to attrition than those coming from traditional prep programs. This loss of talent has significant negative impacts on schools and student learning.

Using our planning, reflection, and observation cycle tools in addition to our “active coaching” strategies, the district has been able to meet incoming teachers where they are at. The aim is to provide responsive, differentiated, asset-based, student-centered mentoring to respond to the unique needs of a changing teacher workforce.