Article by Julie Waechter, special to Adams State
Adams State University’s Mentor Teacher Program is entering its fifth year, with $85,340 in new funding from the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE).
“To date, in partnership with the San Luis Valley Board of Cooperative Educational Services (SLV BOCES), we’ve successfully trained 62 mentor teachers through this program,” said Curtis Garcia, Ph.D., director of the Adams State School of Education. This year’s grant supports training 15 teachers across the SLV BOCES’14 rural districts.
“We will train mentors to support alternative certification candidates and novice teachers,” Dr. Garcia said. “Adams State’s strong educator preparation partnerships with our local districts will strengthen the development of beginning teachers and support local efforts to recruit and retain skilled teachers. Mentoring programs have been shown to decrease novice teachers’ isolation and attrition rates, building stronger teachers. In addition, teachers who have completed a mentoring program gain leadership skills that benefit the entire school community.”
Noting SLV schools experienced a 20 percent turnover rate in the 2023-24 school year, he added that low teacher retention rates are a large expense for school districts. “There is a need for this program in the San Luis Valley, and Adams State is dedicated to being a part of the solution,” he said.
Through CDHE funding, the Mentor Teacher Program provides each mentor a stipend of $2,000 and $3,500 in tuition support. Teachers will earn a mentor endorsement (12 credit hours from Adams State), with potential to earn a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction (additional 21 credit hours).
