What is the PALS Program?

The Peer Assistance, Leadership, and Support (PALS) program is a joint project
of the Metropolitan Nashville Public School and the Metropolitan Nashville Education Association. Through the PALS program, a cadre of outstanding classroom teachers are released from their regular duties to work with other teachers on a full-time basis to improve instruction and mentor new teachers. The mentor teachers (Peer Assistance Leaders or "PALs") work in a confidential, non-evaluative setting with their protégés.
     
Who is assisted by the PALS program?

All teachers new to Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools will participate in the program. Experienced teachers new to MNPS will require less assistance than first year teachers. Assistance for inexperienced teachers will be intensive and ongoing throughout the year.

How will the PALS assist?

• Provide non-evaluative classroom observations and feedback
• Assist in establishing classroom goals
• Suggest additional resources 
• Demonstrate teaching strategies
• Help in effective lesson planning 
• Recommend valuable workshops, in-service programs and system-wide training
• Help to develop conferencing skills and parent communication
• Model self-assessment techniques
• Conduct workshops
• Provide suggestions for classroom management techniques
• Facilitate an understanding of the State Teacher Evaluation System
• Foster communication and team building skills in the school community

How are PALS assigned?

The PALS will contact all principals and "new" teachers during the first week of
school to set up preliminary conferences. You will have the same PAL all year and
will be assisted on a regular basis from the first week of school until the last week.

The PALS office is located at Randalls Learning Center. PALS work with teachers on a daily basis and may be contacted by email or by calling individual cell phones. 

The goal of the PALS Program is to ensure that teachers experience success in the classroom by receiving the support and assistance needed.

The PALS Program is a joint project of  
 Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools 
  and
Metropolitan Nashville Education Association.