Help us reach a new generation of teachers.

Beginning teachers flee the profession when they lack support

With your help we can continue to change that.

THE REACH VIRGINIA PROJECT

High-quality retained teachers are invaluable to schools as well as students across the commonwealth.

No more trial-by-fire. New teachers are expected to perform at the same level as experienced teachers. Teaching is one of the only professions where we encounter this impossible expectation. The trial-by-fire method of casting novices into the fray of the classroom is a tradition that does not lead to success. The University of Virginia’s education school Dean Robert Pianta, calls the teacher shortage in Virginia “an emergency situation.”

An alarming attrition rate is no longer a secret. Schools are hiring more teachers than ever. But there’s more to the story. Teachers are leaving at an alarming rate. In fact, 40% of first year teachers abandon their careers in the first five years. This is a primary factor in Virginia’s teacher shortage.

A passion that must be cultivated. Their love for teaching can be nurtured and strengthened or left to languish in disillusionment in a system that can overwhelm a first-time teacher. A retained teacher is worth untold dollars in both training loss and student futures.

Our mentor-centered approach is changing outcomes.

School Division Consortium

Collaboration among multiple school divisions and universities to target and reach common goals.

Professional
Growth

Supporting school divisions and ensuring implementation with vital funding.

Data
Collection

A robust analysis to inform mentoring program practices going forward.

Reach Virginia (formerly known as the Teacher Induction Network) began addressing the needs of new teachers in 2010, initially bringing together three Northern Virginia school divisions. Since that time this consortium has expanded to 12 school divisions, 5 universities and other interested stakeholders including Learning Forward Virginia reaching over 35,000 new teachers.

Why Reach Virginia? Why now?
Right now, continuing our work is not easy. Results are proven but funds are uncertain. With your partnership we can reach higher. Reach Virginia will apply donor funds directly to the mentoring program. New mentors will be trained and data will continue to be collected, so we can ensure no teacher or school divisions will fall through the cracks.

Beginning teachers who participate in a high-quality induction program that includes a comprehensive mentoring program have consistently shown to increase beginning teacher retention. This also leads to improved student achievement and reduces the waste of financial and human resources associated with teacher turnover. In short, high-quality mentors work. And the entire commonwealth benefits socioeconomically.

Build a database of information that will inform teachers and mentors going forward.
Expand the program to allow teachers, mentors and students to flourish.
Grow the number of teachers in the system with skills to teach at the highest level.
Provide assistance to teachers who would have abandoned their profession.
Underwrite an education program that is a model for the entire state of Virginia.

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