As an educator and longstanding member of the National Board of License, I am saddened about its demise announced in the article, “Teacher’s Licensing Board To Expire” (Nov. 27). On the other hand, as the director of the Jewish New Teacher Project (JNTP), it was reaffirming to have JNTP referred to as “among the best known … Judaic teacher training and mentoring programs (established) launched in the past decade.” Since “best known” is a relative term, please share this brief description of JNTP with your readers:
Since 2002, the Jewish New Teacher Project (JNTP), a project of the New Teacher Center in Santa Cruz, Calif., has provided an intensive mentor support program for Jewish day schools in metropolitan New York, Boston, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Memphis and Miami. JNTP has had a positive impact on retaining and developing this most vulnerable group of teachers, with 90 percent staying in the field since the program’s inception. In addition, by training experienced teachers to become mentors, JNTP provides schools with a venue to recognize and retain their best teachers. Through this process, the mentors deepen their teaching and leadership skills. Beyond the new teachers and mentors, JNTP has provided Jewish day schools with a vision for rigorous professional development and a set of professional teaching standards.
Director Jewish New Teacher Project
