Collaborative relationship building and co-learning processes across the educator pipeline.

• Mentoring and induction program
• Peer observation and feedback
• Common planning time
• Communities of practice
• Dedicated time to build staff relationships

Student relationship-building structures so educators can build meaningful relationships with students with dedicated time in the school day.

• Advisories
• Community meetings

Promote collaborative structures centered on instruction.

Provide professional learning regarding working conditions that influence educator wellbeing (i.e., hiring, evaluations, professional development, autonomy, and decision-making ability of teachers).

Engage educators when assessing current job demands and current workload and when creating solutions.

PPSD has created career pathways for school mental health providers. These include lead and specialist roles for school social workers, school psychologists, and school counselors. These roles are focused on building capacity on the school mental health teams.

Multiple career pathways both vertical and horizontal:

• Vertical – administration, district leadership
• Horizontal – instructional coaching, managing a team of teacher (content, grade-level)

Evaluation Systems are an integral part of a comprehensive talent management system which seeks to develop, support, and grow educators through observation of practice and high-quality feedback.

Micro credentialing is a strategy to create career advancement pathways. Employees take courses offered by academic institutions aimed at improving specific job-related competencies.

Professional Development that aligns with educators’ career goals and allows for specialization. High-quality professional learning is an integral part of a comprehensive talent management system that develops, supports, grows, and retains educators throughout their careers.

• Mindful Mondays. Participants receive PD credit when complete.
• PPSD School Social Work PD Series
• Stipends for professionals to pay for PD of their choice

SMH Specific:  

School mental health providers have specific professional development needs that schools may need to seek outside consultation at community health agencies or higher education institutions in order to support. Support for school mental health providers includes:  

• Training  
• Clinical supervision  
• Peer mentoring  

Provide physical space for educators where they can engage in activities that reduce occupational stressors and enhance overall wellbeing.

Taking Care of You: A biweekly publication that provides educator wellness tips and tools  to help educators navigate through the school year as well as SEL resources to use in the classroom.

Exercise classes, community walking events, cooking classes all offered through the Trust for employees.

Relaxation rooms for educators.

The Wellness Flame: A partnership with a local wellness coach. Offerings include reiki sessions, heart math, individual/group coaching sessions and a newsletter.

“Wellness corner” in staff newsletter.

Offer an employee assistance program (EAP) to address job stress, compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, and burnout.

Create emergency management systems that address physical and psychological safety.

Staffing models that reduce teacher workload:

• More planning periods
• Regular substitutes that can help staff when needed they need to step away (planned or unplanned)
• Classroom size

Streamline administrative tasks for educators so they can focus on their core work.

Provide sufficient material resources to educators to engage in their work with students.

Orientation and onboarding.

A thoughtful orientation can shorten the new employee’s learning curve, increase productivity, and reduce error, while also improving job satisfaction and retention. This is typically completed on the first day or week of the job.

Onboarding, on the other hand, can take several weeks or months to complete. Onboarding includes activities that occur after orientation that help the new hire transition in the new work environment. An example could be mentoring or ongoing supervision.