Kansas Early Career Teacher's Academy
The Kansas Early Career Teacher’s Academy provides a seamless system of professional development for beginning teachers in their first three years of experience. The yearlong Academy provides for multiple avenues of interaction with both the beginning teacher and mentor attending monthly sessions. Mentors are trained during these sessions and beginning teachers are exposed to a number of developmentally appropriate topics. To end the year, both the mentor and mentee attend the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Annual Conference in Wichita and an awards banquet.
The Academy is focused on improving instruction and management, socializing professionals within the school culture, reducing isolation, retaining professionals in the profession, developing collegiality among professionals, and increasing student achievement. An important focus during the first two years includes the successful completion of the Kansas Performance Assessment.
The program meets all of KSDE’s standards for mentoring programs and has been presented at numerous national and state conferences with several different articles published concerning its merit.
The Kansas Early Career Professional/Mentor Academy Program Summary(PDF)
2006-2007 Kansas Early Career Professional/Mentor Academy PowerPoint
Pictures of past conferences 1(PowerPoint)
Pictures of past conferences 2(PowerPoint)
The Academy is directed and managed by four experienced professionals who work with the beginning professionals and mentors.
Mrs. Amanda Hill, Program Coordinator, 110 Hughes Hall, Administrative Assistant, Teacher Education, Pittsburg State University,
Telephone: 620-235-4489 E-mail: ahill@pittstate.edu
Dr. Charles Kent Runyan, Mentor Trainer, 117-C Hughes Hall, Professor,
Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Pittsburg State University,
Telephone: 620-235-4497 E-mail: krunyan@pittstate.edu
Dr. Rozanne Sparks, Early Career Trainer - Kansas Performance Appraisal,
110 Hughes Hall, Director of Teacher Education, Pittsburg State University,
Telephone: 620-235-4488 E-mail: rsparks@pittstate.edu
Dr. Marilyn Dishman-Horst, Early Career Trainer, 117-E Hughes Hall,
Assistant Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction,
Pittsburg State University
Telephone: 620-235-6134 E-mail: mdishman@pittstate.edu