New Teacher Support in Maryland: Rhetoric vs. Reality

On paper, Maryland’s mentoring and induction support system for new educators sounds pretty good — new teachers should be given a mentor, time to observe veteran teachers, a reduction in workload, and targeted professional development. Sound familiar? For many teachers in Maryland, it doesn’t. That’s because the recommendations laid out in Maryland regulations, known as COMAR (Code of Maryland Regulations), often don’t match the reality of what’s happening in classrooms across the state.

How do we know? From comparing what the state says new educators should get in COMAR to what educators say they actually get in their responses to the 2015 TELL Maryland Survey. The survey, with responses from more than 30,000 educators, specifically asked what kinds of supports new teachers received.

Ready to see how the rhetoric matched up with reality? Here we go…

Mentors

Rhetoric: “Each local school system shall establish and maintain a comprehensive induction program for all new teachers. … The comprehensive induction program shall include … Ongoing support from a mentor, including regularly scheduled meetings during noninstructional time.” (COMAR 13A.07.01.04)

Reality: 25% of respondents said they were not formally assigned a mentor. 50% said they did not have formal time to meet with their mentor during school hours.

Rhetoric: “Mentors shall … Demonstrate a knowledge base and skills to address the performance evaluation criteria and outcomes to be met by each mentee.” (COMAR 13A.07.01.06)

Reality: 57% of mentors taught a different subject area than their mentee. 62% of mentors taught a different grade level than their mentee.

Why the mismatch between mentors and mentees? According to districts’ reporting on their induction programs in their master plans, only six out of 23 counties listed their ratio as one mentor to 15 educators or lower, as recommended by the state: “To the extent practicable given staffing and fiscal concerns, local school systems shall establish the maximum ratio of mentors to mentees in the comprehensive induction program at one mentor to 15 mentees.” (COMAR 13A.07.01.06) The lack of local systems funding and supplying an adequate number of mentors means that there often aren’t enough mentors to go around and match up with mentees’ content area and grade level.

Reduction in Workload

Rhetoric: “To the extent practicable given staffing and fiscal concerns, local school systems shall consider the following options for first-year teachers: (1) A reduction in the teaching schedule; and (2) A reduction in, or elimination of, responsibilities for involvement in non-instructional activities other than induction support.” (COMAR 13A.07.01.05)

Reality: 85% of respondents said they were not given a reduced workload.

Time to Observe Veteran Teachers

Rhetoric: “Each local school system shall establish and maintain a comprehensive induction program for all new teachers. … The comprehensive induction program shall include … Regularly scheduled opportunities for new teachers to observe or co-teach with skilled teachers.” (COMAR 13A.07.01.04)

Reality: 53% of respondents said they were not given time to observe other teachers.

Professional Development and Support

Rhetoric: “Each local school system shall establish and maintain a comprehensive induction program for all new teachers. … The comprehensive induction program shall include … Ongoing professional development designed to address new teacher needs and concerns.” (COMAR 13A.07.01.04)

Reality: 27% said they did not have access to seminars designed specifically for new teachers. 33% said they did not have access to professional learning communities where they could discuss concerns with other teachers.

Rhetoric: “Each local school system shall establish and maintain a comprehensive induction program for all new teachers. … The comprehensive induction program shall include … Before the school year begins, orientation programs for all teachers new to the local school system.” (COMAR 13A.07.01.04)

Reality: 26% said they did not have orientation for new teachers.

We don’t need to reinvent the wheel to improve new teacher induction and support (though there are plenty of good ideas to consider incorporating into our system). We can start by simply better implementing the standards that districts should already be striving for.

Know that there’s support a new teacher in your building should be getting, but isn’t? Let your local association UniServ director know. And stay tuned in the coming months as MSEA works on improving how support for new educators is implemented statewide.

Curious to see county-level TELL Survey results? Click here to check them out. If your school had a 50% or greater survey response rate, you can even view school-level results. Click on the county name, and then you’ll see a list of every school in the county with links to school-level results if available.