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2026-2027 Mentor Application SD DOE Mentor Program NOTE: You will be required to upload your Administrator Approval Form and South Dakota Teaching Certificate at the end of this application.
*If you were accepted into the 2025-26 Program as a Year One Mentor,
you do not need to reapply to the 2026-27 Program.*
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1.
Eligibility Requirements:
(Required.)
Do you have at least five years of teaching experience, one of which is within the last seven years in a school or other education related field?
Do you hold a valid or expired South Dakota Teaching Certificate?
Do you have experience within the past seven years in an educational field relative to the Five Core Propositions of the National Board Professional Teaching Standards?
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Proposition 1:
Teachers are committed to students and their learning
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Proposition 2:
Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students
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Proposition 3:
Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning
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Proposition 4:
Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience
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Proposition 5:
Teachers are members of learning communities
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2.
Last Name
(Required.)
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3.
First Name
(Required.)
4.
Have you recently or are you planning to change your name? If so, enter your new name below.
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5.
School District (state "retired" if you are a retired teacher)
(Required.)
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6.
Personal Mailing Address
(Required.)
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7.
City/Town
(Required.)
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8.
State (please use state initials)
(Required.)
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9.
Zip/Postal Code
(Required.)
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10.
Phone Number
(Required.)
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11.
School/Preferred Email Address
(Required.)
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12.
City in which you teach
(Required.)
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13.
How many years have you been a mentor through the SD Mentoring Program?
(Required.)
0
1
2
3
4+
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14.
What grade span do (did) you teach? Choose the one that best describes your teaching assignment. This information will assist in assigning you a new teacher.
(Required.)
K-2
3-5
6-8
9-12
K-8
K-12
6-12
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15.
What content do (did) you teach the most?
(Required.)
Agriculture Education
All core content areas (elementary/middle school)
Art Education
Business Education
Education Technology (Computer, IT)
English Language Arts
Family Consumer Sciences
Health/Physical Education
Math
Music/Band
Science
Social Studies
Special Education
Technology Education (Tech Ed)
World Language
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16.
How many years have you been in the teaching profession?
(Required.)
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17.
If retired, or not currently employed, list last years taught and where (if currently teaching enter N/A).
(Required.)
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18.
Why would you like to become a mentor?
(Required.)
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19.
Briefly describe any mentoring training/experience you have had as an educator.
(Required.)
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20.
What strengths do you have that would enable you to be a successful mentor?
(Required.)
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21.
Please list some of the ways you keep current with best practices in education and/or your area of expertise, (i.e. workshops, conferences, professional reading, classes, etc.).
(Required.)
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22.
Verification of agreement to terms of program:
(Required.)
Please Read The Program Requirements For Mentors:
1. Must obtain administrative sign-off to participate in the program – if the mentor is in a different district than the new teacher, both districts must approve of the pairing.
2. Participate in Online Mentor Seminar (Offered Summer/Fall 2026)
3. Participate in Online Kick-Off with assigned New Teacher (Offered Summer/Fall 2026)
4. Series of two online webinars
5. Provide 33 hours of mentoring (based on mentor guidelines to include South Dakota Framework for Teaching) during the 2026-2027 school year
6. Attend 2027 Summer Academy
7. Maintain Mentor Log
If chosen as a mentor, I understand and agree to meet the requirements of the program and obtain approval from my administrator. Failure to do so will result in the forfeiture of compensation and removal from the program.
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23.
Enter your First and Last Name as confirmation of the program terms.
(Required.)
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24.
Upload Administrator Approval Form here.
Download the Administrator Approval Form by visiting https://doe.sd.gov/mentoring/admin.aspx
(Required.)
Choose File
No file chosen
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25.
Please upload your current or expired South Dakota Teaching Certificate here.
(Required.)
Choose File
No file chosen
