Association of Texas Professional Educators

In 2008, ATPE commissioned Dr. Edward Fuller, an educational researcher at the University of Texas at Austin, to perform a study on the relationship between student performance and teacher quality.

The study found that high teacher quality (defined as credentialing, years of experience, certification test scores and teacher turnover) has an obvious relationship to student performance. In order to improve teacher quality, the study suggested a variety of improvement practices, including the funding of mentor programs, especially for educators in high-need schools.

Teacher turnover in Texas is often attributed to a lack of support for new teachers during the initial years in the profession, a problem that can be addressed through mentoring. To that end, ATPE has partnered with the Texas A&M University System to provide support to novice teachers. The Performance-based Academic Coaching Team (PACT) System is an online mentoring support system designed by the Texas A&M System and funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and the Texas Association of School Administrators. ATPE is the latest in an exclusive list of organizations to become involved in the program. Membership in the PACT System gives novice teachers access to personal, one-on-one guidance from e-mentors through an online help request system.

E-mentoring

The PACT System e-mentors come from a variety of education backgrounds, and most have more than 20 years of experience in the profession.

Dr. Donna Marie Jarma has been a PACT e-mentor since the program’s inception in 2004, before the PACT System formed partnerships with outside entities. Why did Jarma get involved? “Teaching is my passion, and I totally believe that how the first year goes for teachers can make all the difference,” she says. “I wanted to help people keep their spirits up and face the wide range of challenges all teachers face.”

Becky Walker, a 35-year veteran of the education profession, believes that colleges don’t teach new educators all they need to know before they set foot in a classroom. “The first year can either make you or break you,” she says. “I want them to make it. I love my career, and I want them to love it, too!”

Program participants can ask questions on almost any aspect of the education profession. For example, a member wrote about feeling overwhelmed during her first few weeks of school. An e-mentor replied with a personal anecdote on how she, too, often felt that way before offering some words of advice on how to stay on top of it all: over-plan, keep a file of free-time activities, have a routine, etc. Another member wrote to seek clarification on modified tests for a special education student and received a quick response from an e-mentor who directed her to information on available special education handbooks.

The novice educators aren’t the only ones who benefit from the program, however. The positive aspects of the e-mentoring are felt by all parties involved. “Everyone needs new ideas, motivation and encouragement,” says Elaine Hazel, who’s also been a PACT e-mentor since the beginning. “When you hear responses from those that you have helped or encouraged, it makes you feel great.”