Mentorship of Special Educators

Attrition rates for special educators are exceptionally high; approximately 13% leave the profession annually. New teachers frequently exit after only one or two years in the classroom. Quality teacher mentoring programs provide one effective remedy to this chronic problem. However, there is recent evidence that many new special educators don't have access to appropriate mentoring opportunities. The study, published in the January edition of Education Policy Analysis Archives, found that:even within a state that requires mentoring for all new teachers, only 64.4 percent of special education teachers reported access to a mentor, compared with 85.6 percent of general education teachers. The quality and length of the mentoring relationships that were available differed from district to district for both general and special education teachers, and did not always meet state requirements (reported by Sarah Sparks in Education Week Online, January 6th, 2011)The proposed title addresses this problem head-on. It is designed to serve as a practical and ready to use handbook for professionals who provide support and mentorship to special education teachers with a unique emphasis on working with culturally and linguistically diverse students. The authors provide in-depth coverage of the fundamentals of mentoring, mentor support for core responsibilities of special educators such as planning and conducting IEP meetings, as well as how mentors help special education teachers assume emerging responsibilities in today's inclusive schools, e.g., implementing RTI and Positive Behavior Support Plans. Reproducible tools and templates are provided for use by mentors and mentees.