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.

Reach Virginia

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.

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.
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.

With Your Support

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.