Arizona's Master Teacher Program
“A Master Teacher is an individual recognized for excellence in the classroom, including the ability to improve student achievement, the ability to mentor other teachers in achieving excellence in their classrooms, and the ability to communicate effectively with their community.” - Master Teacher Program Framework, adopted by the SBOE and sent to Governor Napolitano, Spring, 2005
Arizona's Master Teacher Program places experienced, accomplished teachers into leadership roles in schools as mentors or coaches for their peers. Participating districts must ensure that teachers are identified through an online application and evaluation determined by the Arizona K12 Center in order to be designated as a Master Teacher or Master Teacher Mentor/Coach. Once this professional designation is assigned, districts may select from these identified Master Teachers to provide service to the profession through positions such as mentoring or coaching in qualifying schools within the district.
A Master Teacher Mentor is generally at least a half-time position released from the classroom to work primarily with beginning teachers. They may be assigned to one site, or multiple sites depending on district needs and demographics. Master Teacher Mentors provide observation, support and professional development primarily to teachers in their first or second year of teaching in the profession. In addition, they may provide content specific coaching and professional development opportunities for other teachers that are specifically designed to improve teaching practice and student success aligned with the Arizona Academic Standards. We recommend a ratio of 15 mentees to every full-time Master Teacher Mentor. These efforts should be focused first on teachers in their first and second year of teaching and then on supplemental coaching efforts.
A Master Teacher Coach is also generally at least half-time release for the purpose of working with individual teachers around content specific areas, school improvement goals, or coaching teachers based on specific populations of learners.
Any teacher in Arizona that meets the Master Teacher application requirements may apply to become a Master Teacher or Master Teacher Mentor/Coach, but individual districts will select their own mentors and coaches. The Arizona K12 Center offers a competitive program application process each year for school districts that wish to begin a mentoring or coaching program, or supplement and build sustainability of an existing program. Please see the District Application Information.
