The New Educator Training (NET) Program:
Beginning with the 2006 – 07 school year, every teacher new to our district (regardless of the number of years of prior teaching experience) is required to participate in the NET Program for the first 180 days of employment. What does this entail?
If the new teacher has been hired prior to the beginning of the school year, the NET Program begins with an invitation to participate in a 3-day district NET Academy. This academy is an important and highly suggested training event. Training topics at a typical Academy include district philosophy, vision, mission, and values, technology orientation, classroom management, and rigorous and relevant curriculum.
Within the first two weeks of employment, the new teacher will be assigned a peer coach by the principal. This person functions as a mentor at the school site. After the peer coach is identified, he/she meets with the NET participant and together, they agree to a number of weekly meetings throughout the school year at which they will discuss targeted topics. At the first meeting, the Peer Coach Assignment Verification Form, found in the Peer Coach Toolkit, should be completed, initialed by both, and routed to the Professional Development Center. Ultimately, the responsibility for the completion and submission of the Peer Coach Assignment Verification Form rests with the NET participant.
At each of the meetings throughout the school year, the NET participant should maintain a journal log for documentation purposes. This documentation is an important piece of the NET portfolio. Sample log forms may be found in the Peer Coach Toolkit. Also available in the Toolkit is a Target Topic Checklist. This resource is not a mandatory discussion checklist, but rather is intended to guide discussion during the Peer Coach/NET participant meetings. It is also suggested that the peer coach and NET participant collaborate on the writing of the Individual Professional Development Plan.
Click here for the Peer Coach Toolkit
Click here for the Individual Professional Development Plan
Of course, perhaps the most important function of the NET Program is to provide training to teachers new to our district. Though attendance at NET training events is strictly optional, participation is highly encouraged. Participants are paid at the stipend rate for attendance. Training events are held throughout the school year. Though topics vary from year to year, typical trainings include Dr. Harry Wong’s Effective Teaching Series, the Math, Reading, Writing, and Science FCAT Assessments, and data management.
Another important piece of the NET Program for the participant is the maintenance and final submission of the NET Portfolio. The portfolio shell will be provided at the school site for the NET participant. The new teacher is encouraged to compile the portfolio throughout the first 180 days of employment. Documentation of each of the sixteen Desirable Qualities for Effective Educators is required in the portfolio. Three pieces of evidence for each of the Desirable qualities is the required minimum documentation. At the end of the year, NET participants meet with the principal and submit the portfolio. At that time, principals examine the portfolio and determine if the portfolio documents proficiency for each of the Desirable Qualities. At this meeting, the principal will also decide whether or not the NET participant meets the criteria to successfully exit the NET Program.
Click here for the NET Portfolio FAQ’s
Click here for Desirable Qualities for Effective Educators
portfolio summary form
At the conclusion of the school year, NET participants are asked to complete the Peer Coaching New Educator Feedback Form, found at the back of the Peer Coach Toolkit. The feedback on the form is held in strict confidence in the Professional Development Department. Feedback is not used in any punitive fashion; it is used strictly to improve the NET Program and the job description and function of the peer coach in general.
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