| A GREAT PLACE TO TEACH!
First-year mentoring and a spirit of professional collaboration
create communities in our schools that nurture new teachers. Teachers
new to the school division attend an orientation that provides valuable
information about the school, curriculum and expectations for discipline.
Our mentoring programs range from
a structured approach that looks at all phases of classroom
practice to more informal school-based programs that support teachers
through their first year. Special education teachers are paired
with a peer partner who assists them with legal and procedural aspects
of the job. Teachers have many opportunities to influence the practices
in schools and throughout the district. They serve on committees
and school improvement teams, which set goals for the school and
determine ways to achieve them. Teachers can also be important members
of the staff development council, which defines the need for professional
development and coordinates workshops.
Professional Development. Not only does Newport News offer
a superior staff development program that helps all teachers
continue their own learning, but we also encourage teachers to share
their best practices. Our goal is for teachers to become leaders
who work together and who are committed to their own learning. We
are proud of our outstanding, award-winning staff and provide every
opportunity for them to share their skills and expertise.
Career Advancement. Newport News Public Schools' innovative
compensation program allows teachers to advance professionally without
leaving the classroom. A three-year probationary term as an instructor
(Status I) is an opportunity for teachers to meet the division's
performance standards and to satisfy state guidelines for beginning
teachers. After three years of satisfactory service, teachers are
eligible for Status II and are offered a continuing contract. This
level is open to all teachers who demonstrate effective teaching
skills.
About eight percent of the school division's staff members are
selected for Specialist (Status III) positions. At this step, teachers
are recognized for their leadership skills and for improving the
performance of both students and other teachers. Specialists develop
and implement new programs and help train other teachers while continuing
their classroom responsibilities. Status III appointments are for
three years.
Teacher Resources. A real boon to instruction is the division's
Teacher Resource Center, a centrally located facility that offers
a video and professional library, numerous resources for reading
and science teaching, and materials and equipment for laminating
and other activities.
A
GREAT PLACE TO LEARN
The school division offers three types of school programs: comprehensive,
magnet and specialty programs. The comprehensive program, a rich
and broad program of study, addresses math, science, English, language
arts, social studies, the arts, and physical education. Foreign
languages are offered at the middle and high school level, and vocational
and technical educational programs are offered in the high schools.
Middle and high school students may also take part in AVID (Advancement
Via Individual Determination), a highly successful tutoring and
mentoring program used nationwide that prepares students who might
not reach their potential for success in higher education. The Standards
of Learning, Virginia's curriculum requirements for student
achievement, form the basis of the instructional program.
In a magnet or specialty
program, students are able to focus to a greater extent on a
particular discipline and participate in specialized courses and
activities not available in other schools. Students attending any
of the three programs receive an excellent education. Students may
apply to magnet or academy programs at all grade levels.
Read more about our academic programs.
A
GREAT PLACE TO LIVE
Newport
News, Virginia, is a city with a rich maritime heritage, thriving
economy, and many cultural and recreational attractions. Built along
the historic James River, the 21-mile long city features neighborhoods
that offer the convenience of modern subdivisions as well as those
listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Newport News,
with its 180,000 residents, is an integral part of the Hampton Roads
metropolitan area, which has a population of approximately 1.5 million.
The city is adjacent to James City and York counties, and the city
of Hampton. Across the harbor, the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth,
Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Suffolk make up the area known as
Southside. Together the region is often referred to as Hampton Roads.
A strong industrial base -including Newport
News Shipbuilding, one of the state's largest private employers,
and the $120 million Canon Virginia facility, located in the thriving
Oyster Point industrial complex -in combination with a major military
presence form the foundation of a sound and growing economy. Newport
News is also home to one of the nation's most advanced physics research
centers, the Thomas
Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. Nearby NASA
Langley Research Center offers further opportunities for high-tech
research.
With six nationally recognized museums and the largest municipal
park east of the Mississippi, cultural and recreational opportunities
abound. The internationally acclaimed Mariners'
Museum, Peninsula
Fine Arts Center, War Memorial Museum, as well as regional symphony,
ballet and opera companies provide an appealing array of entertainment
and activities. The Virginia
Living Museum, which attracts more than 270,000 visitors a year,
offers the chance to explore a botanical garden, natural history
museum, zoological park, aviary, aquarium, and planetarium. More activities at dailypress.com...
The area is rich in options for higher education. Christopher
Newport University, located in Newport News, and nearby Hampton
University and Thomas
Nelson Community College participate in cooperative programs
with the school division. Old
Dominion University and Norfolk
State University in nearby Norfolk, and Regent
University in Virginia Beach are also within easy driving distance.
The College of William
and Mary is close by in Williamsburg. Neighborhood shopping
centers, regional malls, sporting and entertainment venues, and
conveniently located airports are among a few of the area's amenities.
Colonial
Williamsburg, Yorktown
and Jamestown, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello,
Fort
Monroe and other easily accessible sites offer a rich picture
of our country's heritage. National parks and recreation areas along
the Eastern Shore and in the Blue Ridge Mountains are just a short
distance away. Theme parks and oceanfront resorts round out the
region's attractions and let residents and visitors take advantage
of the area's pleasant climate.
OPTIONAL
AUGUST COMPENSATION
Teachers new to the school division may elect to receive $600 of
their first year contract salary at the end of the first week of
teacher meetings. Under this option, September, October, November
and December paychecks will be adjusted by $150 to compensate for
the early payment.
NNPS
TEACHER MENTORING PROGRAMS
At NNPS mentoring is linked to a vision of good teaching, guided
by an understanding of teacher learning, and supported by a professional
culture that favors collaboration and inquiry. Mentoring helps teachers
develop the skills for continuous improvement -to become the best
teachers they can be.
We think of it as sharing the genius of teaching.
Who Participates?
Teachers new to the profession, as well as teachers with experience
but new to a district, grade level or certification area take part
in the mentorship programs.
Instructional Mentoring
Instructional Mentoring provides one-on-one coaching support
using materials developed to meet the needs of new teachers. Instructional
Mentors have gone through a rigorous training program and work collaboratively
with new teachers during the critical first year of teaching. The
structured activities are aligned with the division's performance
assessment process that new teachers follow. The approach is developmental;
mentors help teachers sharpen the planning, management, instructional,
and reflective skills they need to succeed in the profession.
Minority Male Mentorship Program
The mission of the Minority Male Mentorship program is to provide
a support network for first year minority males via monthly enrichment
workshops which will offer practical, theoretical knowledge from
experienced veteran educators, administrators, curriculum specialists
and other available resource personnel in order to increase the
retention rate for this employee group.
For eleven years, teachers in this mentoring program have come
together as a group to share their successes, to discuss their concerns
and to take part in a variety of training sessions designed to help
them build the confidence and skills they need to become effective
instructional leaders.
The Special Education Institute and Peer Partners in Special
Education
The Special Education Institute of the New Teacher Academy is
a series of monthly workshops designed to address the many needs
of teachers new to the division. Topics include IEP development
, behavior management, instructional strategies, compliance, building
parental partnerships and assistive technology. All workshops are
conducted by experienced Newport News Public School personnel with
expertise in the area. General education teachers are encouraged
to attend if the topic is relevant to their needs.
Newport News Public Schools recognizes the special challenges
of teaching special education and has developed an Elementary Special
Education Peer Partner Mentoring Program to support novice special
education teachers. Peer Partners are experienced special education
teachers who meet individually with assigned novice teachers at
least twice a month. They offer assistance in conducting IEP (Individualized
Education Program) meetings and provide on-going support to new
elementary special education teachers to help them implement federal
and state regulations.
Site-based Mentoring
All schools offer mentoring programs unique to their site. Using
a combination of professional development activities, professional
reading, and classroom observation, new teachers are coached in
instructional methodology and classroom management. One-on-one coaching
may be a part of site-based mentoring programs.
Also of interest to new teachers:
New Teacher Orientation is held two weeks before school
begins and introduces new employees to the expectations of the school
division. Sessions are conducted on instruction, curriculum and
classroom management. During the week new teachers have opportunities
to meet with Instructional Supervisors, lead teachers, and others
who will be helpful resources to them throughout their tenure in
NNPS.
The Staff Development Department has information on tuition
reimbursement, professional development and other opportunities
for teachers to expand their learning. Call (757) 591-4585 or email
Staff.Development@nn.k12.va.us
for details.
The Newport News School Division
does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national
origin, sex, creed, marital status, age or disability in its
programs, activities, or employment practices as required by
the Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, Section 504, and ADA regulations.
Regina Harris, HR Compliance Supervisor, Human Resources, Newport
News Public Schools, at 12507 Warwick Blvd., Newport News, VA
23606, (757-881-5061), is responsible for coordinating the division's
efforts to meet its obligations under Section 504, Title IX,
the ADA, and their implementing regulations.
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