Spring ISD will host a kick-off event next week for new teachers and their mentors in celebration of the start of the 2021-22 school year.

The event, designed to help welcome brand-new teachers to Spring ISD and assure them of the district’s support as they begin their new profession, will take place at 5:15 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 30 at the district’s Planet Ford Stadium facility.

“For new teachers, the first year on the job is often the most difficult,” said Spring ISD Chief of Innovation and Equity Dr. Lupita Hinojosa, citing research showing that as many as 15% of new teachers leave the profession after their first year, while another 14% change schools – often as the result of feeling overwhelmed, ineffective or unsupported in their professional development as new educators.

“Our goal in revamping Spring ISD’s new teacher mentorship program this year is to ensure that we’re offering support directly tailored to the needs of our newest teachers,” Hinojosa said, “setting them up for success right from the start, helping them thrive and, ultimately, influencing them to remain in the teaching profession.”

During the kick-off event, Spring ISD Superintendent Dr. Rodney E. Watson will offer greetings and encouragement for teachers at the start of their first year in the classroom. In addition, attendees will learn more about the district’s new teacher mentorship program that they will each be a part of – paired with veteran educators in the district who will serve as guides and sources of information, inspiration and support during the crucial first year.

“Teaching is both a calling and a profession,” Hinojosa said. “It takes an extraordinary measure of both heart and skill to do it well, and we know from experience that teachers’ individual passion for educating students has to be supported by strong professional development and active mentorship, especially in their first years in the classroom.”

According to Watson, the revamped new teacher mentorship program is a natural fit with the district’s new strategic direction, Every Student—Every Teacher—Every Day, launched just before the start of the 2021-22 school year.

“When we talk about Spring ISD as a district that supports excellent, equitable outcomes for all students, we know that support begins every day with teachers, including our newest teachers and all that they bring to the classroom,” Watson said. “We’re excited to celebrate the beginning of this important school year by welcoming our newest faculty members to Spring ISD and introducing them to our New Teacher Mentorship Program.”