Arizona's Master Teacher Program Information
Mission and Purpose:
The mission and purpose of the Master Teacher Program is to build capacity for teacher leadership and provide sustainability and support for the profession.
Program efforts are aimed at the following:
- Foster a spirit of accomplishment amongst Arizona’s teachers
- Recognize the contribution of excellent teaching in our communities and elevate the status of the profession.
- Designate or place a Master Teacher in every school building, beginning with our poorest and most in need.
The goals of the Master Teacher Program are:
Improve teacher effectiveness and student achievement in high poverty districts through exemplary instruction, quality professional development, and dedicated mentoring and coaching for new teachers.
- Provide support and training to identified Master Teacher Mentors/Coaches in districts contracted with the Arizona K12 Center.
- Select and identify Master Teachers and Master Teacher Mentors/Coaches through a high quality application process.
- Recruit candidates for National Board Certification in high needs schools and/or in the areas of Middle or High School Math, Technology, Science and K-12 Special Education.
The Master Teacher initiative has three basic components:
Mentoring and induction for 0-2 year teachers with full time release mentors with a ratio of 15 new teachers to 1 mentor. Some exceptions may be made for part time mentors or increased caseloads above 15. Participating school districts must provide a rationale for this exception.
Instructional Coaching in specific content areas, or programs working with an identified teacher population, primarily at school sites, in order to improve the success of students at those sites. The ratio of teachers to coaches will vary depending on the responsibilities, and participating districts must provide a description of the intended population of teachers and the coaching goals.
Training and development of teacher leaders that includes all identified Master Teachers, Master Teacher Mentors and Coaches as well as existing National Board Certified Teachers. In addition a limited number of scholarships are available for National Board Certification. Interested individuals should review the NBCT application requirements.
Qualifications for Master Teacher Applicants
Teachers with at least five years of experience, strong evaluations, and demonstrated student achievement and growth can apply through the Arizona K12 Center to become Master Teachers. A teacher, who is mentoring or coaching at least half time, and meets the above requirements, may apply to be a Master Teacher Mentor/Coach. Anyone can apply to become a Master Teacher or Master Teacher Mentor Coach if they meet the eligibility requirements.
In selected Project Districts, Master Teacher Mentors and Coaches are generally chosen from the pool of Master Teachers according to agreements made with individual districts.
If selected by your district, a teacher agrees to:
- Serve as a Master Teacher Mentor or Coach and provide defined mentoring or coaching for teachers in building/district
- Participation in state-sponsored professional development for mentors and coaches in established cohorts each year they serve as a mentor/coach
- Complete all required components of the program each year and participate in program evaluation
National Board Certification
Through Arizona's Master Teacher Program, there are a limited number of scholarships available for teachers to pursue National Board Certification. Teachers have three ways to qualify for this funding. They are as follows:
- Teach in a Title I school or a rural school
- Teach middle or high school mathematics, science, technology, or special education
- Teach at a school that meets two of the following criteria:
- Poverty level of 50% or higher (free and reduced lunch)
- 20% of the faculty has two or less full years of teaching experience at your school
- 15% or higher teacher turnover over the last three years at your school
- Any middle or high school
- Underperforming or did not meet AYP for 2 years
Teachers who are interested in pursuing this scholarship opportunity must complete a National Board Pre-candidacy class prior to the scholarship being awarded. These classes are typically offered free of charge in school districts throughout the state as well as IDEAL and the Arizona K12 Center. Upon completion of a Pre-candidacy class a teacher is eligible for the scholarship. All scholarships are on a first-come, first-serve basis.
