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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 5, 2003

News Release

Teaching and Learning Boosted by NEA-Saturn/UAW Partnerships 

'Partnerships in Pursuit of Quality Yield Success in the Classroom as well as on the Assembly Line'  

Washington, D.C. - A quality teacher in every classroom ... that's the foundation for great public schools for every child.  This year's eight winners of the 2003 NEA-Saturn/UAW Partnership Awards take a giant step toward reaching that goal in school districts in six states.

As in previous years, this year's NEA-Saturn/UAW winners focus on efforts to assist new teachers and to offer them the guidance, professional support, and opportunity for personal growth that have contributed to greatly increased teacher-retention rates in each of their districts. 

NEA President Reg Weaver said: "A great teacher is the single most important ingredient in every classroom.  Our children deserve nothing less.  And keeping those great teachers - especially during their critical first few years - is the goal of these partnerships.  There is no nobler goal and we are grateful to have the opportunity to shine a spotlight on their accomplishments.  They serve as models for other communities that are struggling to retain quality teachers in their schools."

Jill Lajdziak, Saturn's Vice President of Sales, Service and Marketing, agreed with Weaver's praise:  "Saturn takes great pride in saluting this year's Partnership Award winners, as well as all teachers and administrators who work together to help new teachers succeed. Partnerships in pursuit of quality can have powerful results in the classroom as well as on the assembly line.  We look forward to welcoming this year's winners to the Saturn Plant in Spring Hill, Tenn., in November."

Weaver, Lajdziak, and other NEA, Saturn/UAW officials will present this year's winners with a trophy on June 30 in New Orleans, just prior to the NEA's Representative Assembly. A celebratory dinner will honor the 2003 recipients from Glendale, Ariz.; Thousand Oaks, Calif.; Canton, Fairfield, and Youngstown, Ohio; Flossmoor, Ill.; Greensburg, Pa.; and Antigo, Wisc. 

The 2003 NEA-Saturn/UAW Partnership Award winners are:

Glendale, Arizona.  New teachers to Glendale are assigned a school mentor for the first three years of their career as part of the Glendale Union Mentor Teacher Program.
The teacher and the mentor follow a training curriculum jointly developed by representatives from the Glendale Union Education Association and the Glendale Union High School District.  Mentors teach two classes, assist new teachers three periods a day, and receive a stipend for additional summer work.  Each new teacher is observed by a mentor at least once a week and receives one-on-one feedback on all areas of student education.  Last year the district retained 90 percent of its first-year teachers.

Thousand Oaks, California.  An alliance of leaders from the Unified Association of Conejo Teachers and the Conejo Valley Unified School District teamed up to create the Conejo Peer Assistance and Review Program, which has produced a 98 percent retention rate of new teachers.  The two-year program pairs consultant teachers with new teachers and includes professional development activities and support and observation from a full-time mentor.  Mentors, who are selected by a governance committee made up of union and district officials, receive mileage and stipend allotments as well as full-time classroom release.

Canton, Ohio. Seven years ago, the Plain Local School District began a mentoring program pairing experienced "buddy" teachers with new staff. Today, thanks to the cooperative work of the School District and the Plain Local Teachers Association, the Plain Local Entry Year Teacher/Mentor Program has blossomed into a nationally recognized entity. The cornerstone of the program is the Professional Assistance and Review Committee (PARC), composed of union and district representatives. The Committee oversees the formal mentoring program, provides paid training for new staff, and rewards mentors with an extra $600 stipend. The results of PARC speak for themselves-out of 175 participating new staff, only one has left the teaching profession.

Fairfield, Ohio. Combined support from the Fairfield Classroom Teachers' Association and the Fairfield City Schools has allowed for the continuance of the Entry Year Induction Program, designed to provide in-class support and to help new teachers pass Ohio's rigorous state licensure exam. The program provides professional development workshops, critical test preparation, and indepth mentor support to new teachers.  In addition to re-energizing mentors about their own skills and methods, the program has helped produce a 97% retention rate of new teachers in the profession.

Youngstown, Ohio. One of the first districts to receive a state grant to establish a mentoring program, the Youngstown City School District continues to be a leader in establishing new teachers through its New Educators' Support Team (NEST). This program pairs mentors and first-year teachers by subject-area, grade level and building, allowing for a unique and successful sharing of ideas, materials and methods. Mentors, all members of the Youngstown Education Association, are provided with mentor salaries, class coverage, and professional development opportunities and supplies. In addition to achieving a 92% rate of retention for mentees, the teamwork between union and district officials saw all but one of last year's participants successfully pass Ohio's assessment performance test.

Flossmoor, Illinois. Since the inception of the Model Teacher Program three years ago, the retention rate at the Homewood-Flossmoor High School District in Illinois has undergone an astounding change, jumping from 36% to nearly 100%. A committee of school district officials and Homewood-Flossmoor Education Organization members selects each mentor based on his or her enthusiasm and exemplary teaching skills. The program clearly makes the transition easier for new teachers. As one said, "The orientation process provides a new teacher with an instant set of friends among a large staff of new colleagues, and also creates a group of individuals who share the same questions, concerns and problems during this sometimes stressful and always exciting time."

Greensburg, Pennsylvania. New teachers to the Greensburg area have benefited from career support for the past 19 years through the longest running program of the 2003 NEA-Saturn/UAW award-winners, the Hempfield Area Induction and Mentor Program.  Thanks to the joint-efforts of the Hempfield Area Education Association and the Hempfield Area School District, each new teacher participates in a three-year curriculum, which includes 17 full-day workshops with release time and one-on-one interaction with a mentor. The mentor pool rotates to allow a variety of experienced teachers to participate, and each mentor receives a half-day preparation workshop, a $600 stipend and thirty hours toward the state's professional development requirements. As testament to the program's success, only one new hire has left the profession in the last six years.

Antigo, Wisconsin. In seven years, the Unified School District of Antigo Mentoring Program has grown from a modest welcome luncheon and "buddy-pairing" to today's three-year formal curriculum earning graduate course credits for mentors and mentees. The program features a class for new teachers called COSTAR (Collaboration: Starting Teachers Achieving Results), developed in conjunction with the district, the Antigo Education Association and the University of Wisconsin. This 10-week class earns teachers credit toward the state's license renewal requirements and helps build their confidence in teaching. The success of the program has been instrumental in attracting high-quality educators to the Antigo School District.

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