The Mentor Program Allotment (MPA) is a new, optional teacher mentorship program for districts. If districts choose to follow the best practices laid out in TEC §21.458, they may qualify for MPA funding. The MPA funding formula would provide selected districts with $1,800 per mentee, which can be used on: mentor stipends, scheduled release time, and mentor training. State funding is intended to reduce each district’s cost for building and sustaining their own best practices in new teacher mentorship.

Interested districts will need to apply for MPA funds when applications are available in spring 2020 for the 2020-2021 school year.

In the application, districts will:

• Describe how they will abide by the requirements of TEC §21.458 (including those around mentor selection/ assignment, mentor training, mentor roles/ responsibilities, and mentor program design/ delivery).

Priority points will be based on district size, rural status, and percentage of the district’s student population that qualifies as economically disadvantaged. The point system will be communicated at a later date by the Texas Education Agency.

Districts interested in applying for the Mentor Program Allotment should refer to the timeline below:

Districts that are selected to participate in the MPA will submit an end-of-year compliance report and certify that they have spent their MPA funds on mentor stipends, release time, or mentor training.

If you have questions pertaining to the Mentor Program Allotment under HB 3, please email HB3info@tea.texas.gov or Michelle Aguilar from the Texas Charter Schools Association at miaguilar@txcharterschools.org.