Headings praises mentoring program
By Terry Murry on Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – Pendleton School Superintendent Kevin Headings says one problem facing school districts is the scarcity of new college graduates with teaching certificates. He said for whatever reason, the number of young people seeking careers in teaching has shrunk.
“I think we hired a total of 31 new teachers last year, and out of that 31, eight weren’t from a formal teaching-accredited program,” he said. “They did have bachelor’s degrees.”
Headings said the district is making good use of the InterMountain Education Service District’s mentoring program and also requires the newcomers to enroll in a teaching certification program.
Headings said the mentor program is a vital part of the first goal of the district, the pursuit of instructional excellence.
“We continue to focus on hiring, retaining, and training for instructional excellence in our teachers,” Headings said.
