During its annual New Teacher Kickoff at the M Resort earlier this month, CCSD welcomed over 1,350 new teachers for this school year – much more than anticipated.
Jennifer Varrato, director of Employee Onboarding and Development, said the New Teacher Kickoff shows new educators how much they mean to CCSD.
Why it matters: “We want to invest in our employees, and we want to make sure they have a strong sense of belonging within our organization and the community,” Varrato said.
Retention efforts start right from the beginning and support for teachers continues during their career at CCSD, Varrato added.
Varrato mentioned a CCSD initiative – the New Teacher Pathway – where CCSD supports beginning and experienced teachers new to the District during their first two years, providing mentoring and professional growth opportunities.
“Anyone who joins our organization,” Varrato said, “makes our organization greater because of their life experience, perspective, and vision. They’re going to make our community even greater.”
What they’re saying: Amanda Santana, a new teacher at Robert O. Gibson Leadership Academy Middle School, said she was a bit overwhelmed with the responsibility but excited to start.
“It’s a welcoming and exciting space for me to feel like I’m contributing to something outside of myself and to belong in a community where I’m encouraged to do that,” said Santana, who teaches English language arts.
Another new educator is Osanah Manzo, who teaches choir and music theory at Eldorado High School. “It’s really exciting,” Manzo said.
Asked if she wanted to say anything to other first-year teachers, Manzo said: “Let’s get it going. It’s going to be a great year!”
