New teachers stick with tough city assignments with the help of veteran peers.
B ridgeport, Connecticut, like many urban cities, had to find a way to stanch the flow of new teachers leaving for jobs in the more prosperous suburbs. Overcrowded classrooms, deteriorating facilities, a largely disadvantaged student population, and low salaries make it difficult for these educators to stay in city schools, says Mary Lou Weiner, first vice president of the Bridgeport Education Asso-ciation. So in 1997, she launched the local's Peer Assistance Program. The mentors assist with everything from classroom management strategies, lesson plans, and student assessments to state certification requirements. And the program breaks the isolation that can add to the burden of a first-year teacher.