Veteran teachers offer a safety net of support

Kassidy Wallace's fourth- and fifth-graders at Arroyo Verde Elementary School in Redlands called her "the best teacher in the world and the whole universe" last year when she was brand-new to the profession. But she still felt fear and self-doubt.

"In moments of terror, when I asked myself how I could handle this job, it was nice to have someone reassuring me, and telling me all new teachers go through this."

The "someone," in this case, is Jan Rhodus, vice president of the Redlands Teachers Association (RTA). She still visits Wallace regularly as part of the association's new approach to supporting new teachers. (RTA is a participant in the San Gorgonio Service Center Council's pilot project designed to support and retain new teachers. Other participants are the Temecula Valley Educators Association and the Riverside City Teachers Association.)

"We need new people with enthusiasm and energy - she's definitely got it," says Rhodus. "We'll stay connected. This is not a 'meet and greet' operation. I wish there had been something like this when I was a new teacher here."

A similar bond exists between board member Suzie White Gomez and new teacher Ann Granillo Egger, who teaches a special day class for students in grades 3-5 at Victoria Elementary School. Even though she is new to the association, Granillo Egger is interested in becoming a site rep. "You'd be good at that, because you are not afraid of speaking your mind," says Gomez.

RTA divided up the district's 89 new teachers among the 13 board members. Each board member took four to six newcomers under his or her wing at the beginning of the school year and makes personal contact on a regular basis.

"We visit them on behalf of the association and ask them how they are doing," says RTA President Rich Laabs, who also conducts visits. "We want to make sure everything is going well for them. We ask them if they are having any problems in the classroom and how their professional development is going. We talk to them about their first evaluation or anything they think is important.

"We want to show new members that the association is not just this entity, but that it has real people. We want new teachers to know that we care about more than just negotiations, money and benefits; we care about them as people. We care about their professional development, their personal security and their learning."

The warmth and caring makes Granillo Egger feel valued. "It's such a nice feeling to know that my association really wants me and cares about me," she says. "I was shocked when the president called me to say hello, and said, 'We want to find solutions before problems even arise.' I feel like I have a safety net."

At the beginning of the school year, RTA hosts a dinner for new teachers, inviting their spouses and significant others. Each new member receives a briefcase with RTA's logo on it. One of the door prizes is "winning" the association president to take over the classroom for a full day. The dinner is followed a few weeks later by an open house at RTA headquarters for all 300 members, complete with a band, food and refreshments.

During both festive events, veteran members fill new members in on important topics, such as the district's health plan, how dues are spent, and what benefits are available to them through RTA. New members also learn about the battles CTA has waged over past years by watching a video, "CTA: Journey to Respect," which leaves a few teachers teary-eyed - including Wallace.

"Watching that video made me realize how lucky I am to be teaching in California," she says. "I was very moved by the battles that were fought and what people went through to help us have better working conditions."

But RTA has done more than wine, dine and visit new teachers. "We decided to try an experiment and offer things that corporate America does for its loyal employees," says Laabs. "We decided to help them in ways that have never been done before. But first we surveyed them and asked what types of services they needed."

RTA has created an interest-free loan program for all teachers allowing them to borrow up to $2,000 a year for education costs. "Every teacher in the master's program took out a loan," says Laabs. "We had more than $80,000 in loans." In a cooperative spirit, the district agreed to automatically deduct loan payments from paychecks.

An interest-free "emergency loan" program was also created. "I am astounded at the emergencies that come up," says Laabs. "Teachers may have had their car totaled and no way to replace it, or an emergency with their house. If someone needs help, we provide it."

Because so many teachers wanted to earn their master's degree, RTA sought a way to make it affordable and convenient - by collaborating with National University. Under the plan, all teachers get a 30 percent price break and, to alleviate the need to commute, National instructors hold classes in Redlands East Valley High School two nights a week. "We have 36 people getting their master's degrees at one time," says Laabs. "And because teachers have been working all day and go straight to class, we arrange to have dinner catered."

Seminars of interest to teachers - such as how to buy a home for the first time - are offered. And members are given the option of participating in a prepaid legal program, much like an HMO, for $15 a month. Under the plan, attorney services are available for items ranging from dealing with traffic tickets to creating a will or trust (felonies are excluded).

The outreach plan is already paying off, says Laabs, noting that "nobody leaves Redlands" except through retirement - even though the district does not pay higher wages than surrounding districts.

How does RTA manage it all? It helps that teachers and district administrators have an excellent relationship, so RTA does not have to spend lots of time filing grievances, negotiating contracts and protesting working conditions. Nonetheless, it is still very time-consuming.

"It sounds like a lot of work, but we share the load and have a really good support staff," says Laabs. "It also helps that we are very serious and passionate about what we are doing. We're excited about this. We think it's going to be a great success. The more you give, the more that comes back to you."