New Teacher Mentoring Program

Recruiting and hiring excellent, diverse, and Classical teachers for all our Gryphons has been a challenge! To increase the diversity of Classical teachers available to our students, Eagle Ridge Academy has received grants through the Minnesota Department of Education to begin a Grow Your Own (GYO) teacher program and expand our teacher mentoring program. 

The programs will be supported by the New Teacher Mentor Coordinator who will recruit a diverse population of non-licensed teachers, equip them with the skills and knowledge needed for high-quality teaching, and develop their teaching skills through coaching and mentoring which will allow Eagle Ridge Academy to retain empowered educators who positively impact student learning. Additionally, the New Teacher Mentor Coordinator will support aspiring teachers in navigating the state certification system. Eagle Ridge Academy will assist in covering costs associated with obtaining a license and/or degree. Through mentorship, financial assistance, and support in maneuvering the complexities of state procedures, Eagle Ridge Academy will remove the cultural, economic, and linguistic barriers that may otherwise prevent future Classical educators from pursuing a career in teaching.  

Grow Your Own

Increasing the diversity of educators in the classroom benefits all students, especially those from historically marginalized populations, who often do not see educators who look like them during their time in school. Grow Your Own (GYO) programs are partnerships between educator preparation programs, school districts or charter schools, and community organizations that recruit and prepare local community members (e.g., parents, paraeducators, non-certified school staff, high school students) to enter the teaching profession and teach in their communities.  Some GYO programs assist adults who are interested in entering the teaching profession by providing stipends, scholarships, unique student teaching or field placement experiences, and other options to help them in pursuing a career in education. In addition, many GYO programs create opportunities to help secondary students explore teaching as a profession through Introduction to Education courses, future educator clubs, and other activities that help them see teaching as a promising career field after they have completed their postsecondary education.  

New Teacher Mentor Program

Stronger support for new teachers leads to reduced teacher turnover and improved instruction for students. Without the informal and formal experience provided through teacher preparation, four-year Degree Professionals seeking Teacher Licensure sometimes lack preparation and classroom management skills. Through this program, current staff with a four-year degree in a field other than education will obtain skills and knowledge to equip them to be more successful in the classroom as well as acquire a teaching license according to the appropriate MN Licensing Tier level. 

There are two pathways:

1. Paraprofessional/Educational Assistants with Four-Year Degrees: Licensure candidates will be hired as apprentice teachers and teach cooperatively with a mentor teacher while also receiving Classical training rooted in best practice. Licensure requirements and fees associated with licensure are paid for by the Academy. 

2.     Teachers on a MN State Tier 1 or 2 license: Currently            licensed teacher candidates who are hired at Eagle            Ridge Academy on a Tier 1 or 2 license and working           toward full (Tier 4) licensure will be supported                      through an Academy mentor who will create an                   individual plan that outlines goals, supports, and               timelines for licensure. Fees associated with the                   licensure will be paid for by the Academy.