TOSAs outstanding support piece

Every year, enrollment at each school site varies, some years more than others. The last couple of years have seen a somewhat more extensive shift in enrollment numbers. This is hardly surprising, given the tumultuous times of the pandemic period. Partly as a result, partly due to naturally evolving and changing instructional needs, we have undergone various systemic changes.

One of these is the creation of a position called TOSAs — Teachers On Special Assignment. Taking the opportunity to talk with Mitzi Estes, as deputy superintendent of Academic Services & Leadership, she has long been involved in decision-making targeted at how to best serve students and families, as well as staff.

One long-recognized need has been more support for elementary school principals. With some elementary enrollments not far behind middle schools, the demands of the one administrator present a considerable stretch. Hence, TOSAs.

They help out with a wide array of tasks, helping to free up the elementary principal for their true role: instructional leader; especially as we are having to implement mandated programs, such as Multi-Layer System of Support, along with others.

Our TOSAs have proven to be an outstanding support piece, and across the board, elementary principals are wondering what they did before the TOSAs were in place. The TOSAs were already highly qualified classroom teachers with additional leadership responsibilities.

Even so, meticulous consideration was given to the creation of the new position. Estes explained that even though we — like all districts, currently — are experiencing a teacher shortage, it became a question of having these outstanding educators in a classroom impacting 25 students as opposed to impacting 250 to over 400 students. Not only is the wider reach important, but also the instructional support for all the teachers and principal at a school.

Estes encouraged me to learn firsthand of the positive impact, so I contacted Parkview Elementary's Carrie Geisler, whose TOSA is Allison Craig. Geisler could not have been more enthusiastic about the addition of TOSAs and how it's also contributed to better communications between school and families.

“Allison Craig was already a well-respected member of the Parkview team, and she has been so effective in working one-on-one with teachers, holding data meetings, whatever was needed,” Geisler said.

It's not surprising that many districts across New Mexico as well as across the nation have incorporated the use of TOSAs. As Estes emphasized, it's not only a support for the principals, but also for succession planning, a sort of built-in internship.

Cindy Kleyn-Kennedy is the Instructional Technology Coordinator for the Clovis Municipal Schools and can be reached at:

[email protected]