Visually, a marigold is a simple flower. They’re vibrant and low maintenance. But their roots tell a deeper story of connection and support for an entire garden. Marigolds attract pollinators and beneficial insects—bees, hoverflies, ladybugs—that help the whole garden.
“Marigolds are considered a companion plant. And if you plant marigolds around other plants, they will thrive” explains Stephanie Brown Tarnowski, a New Jersey teacher who founded a team of veteran staff members to become "Marigold Buddies" for new educator hires. Just like marigolds in a garden, educators rooted in community can help each other flourish.
“We gave everyone a buddy, and we found out through the course of the program that we needed to really look at what the new staff members wanted and needed, because not everybody wants and needs the same thing" says Tarnowski.
The “Marigolds” are part of the Mount Olive, New Jersey school districts’ Veteran Staff Advisory Team, or VSAT. The program started with just a few staff members who had been in the district for more than 20 years. VSAT started as a place for veteran teachers to get together and help their community. But it has since blossomed into something more. Now, going into their fourth year of mentorship, there are more than 55 members.
Support Beyond Curriculum
A marigold is there to be a mentor to others and the mentors put a sticker of a marigold flower on their window or door, so everyone (even students) knows they are always there to help. The mentors offer tailored support based on the expressed needs of new educators gathered through surveys sent to them by the VSAT team.
The goal of a marigold buddy isn't to force help or knowledge onto new educators, but to guide them while they're starting out.
"We wanted to acknowledge the wisdom and experiences that we had and bring them forth and share, with the new staff and with younger staff, all while learning from them as well,” Tarnowski says.
The goal of Marigold Buddies is to get teachers to stay. In a time where teacher retention rates are lower than ever, Mount Olive school district has almost 140 staff members who have been working in the district more than two decades with many more who are close to this milestone. Tarnowski says these seasoned professionals attest their longevity to the community they've found in Mount Olive.
Too often, veteran staff feel like their administration is just waiting for them to retire “like they’ve been put out to pasture” says Tarnowski. “They feel undervalued and under-appreciated.” But they have a lot to offer to younger staff members. They have figured out what works and what doesn't.
"Our support isn't usually about curriculum. It's about helping new staff learn the day-to-day routines and traditions of the school—from Friday lunches and conference day expectations to copy room etiquette and the many small details that make it easier to feel like part of the community." says Tarnowski.
Seeds of Wisdom
After expanding the marigold buddies program, they found that while not every teacher needs a mentor, that doesn't mean that there wasn't something VSAT members they could do to make their colleagues' days a little bit brighter. So, they created the Marigold Seed committee whose members deliver a hard copy one page newsletter once a month to every staff member in the district. They call it ‘Seeds of Wisdom’. The seeds are meant to bring joy as a contrast to the stress that is very much a part of the every day of the education profession.
They have a Cultivating Culture section in every newsletter, encouraging staff to make connections within their community. One month, VSAT created a bulletin board featuring middle school photos of staff members and invited students to guess which teacher was which. The display sparked conversations and fostered connections not only among staff, but with students as well.
"The students loved it, and so did the staff," says Tarnowski, who came up with the idea. "The bulletin board was outside my classroom and stayed up for nearly a month. I didn't hear a single negative comment or snarky remark. It was incredible to see the sense of community it created."
Being part of VSAT has given many veteran educators a newfound purpose in their district. The verteran marigolds connect and support everyone in the district. One marigold can help the people closest to them, but marigolds planted throughout the district change an entire community culture.
