The New Teacher Center (NTC) at the University of California, Santa Cruz, is a national resource dedicated to teacher development and the support of programs and practices that promote excellence and diversity in America's teaching force. Recent research and conventional wisdom indicate that the quality of the classroom teacher is the single most important ingredient for student learning. Since 1998, the NTC has been providing mentor-based support for new teachers, and training for new teacher mentors. With many years of experience supporting new teachers, the NTC is now focused on the pressing national need for new teacher induction programs.

Working collaboratively with the NTC, the Department of Education in Virginia has recently developed requirements designed to support high quality induction programs for beginning teachers in hard-to-staff schools. These efforts to support beginning teachers require a common vision that extends from the state department of education to local school sites. Experience also teaches that successful induction requires cooperation and collaboration among many stakeholders, including universities and colleges, central office administrators, principals, and teacher leaders. Administrators of human resources departments are well poised to recognize the importance of having local induction programs that can help retain and promote the success of new recruits.

The NTC has been supporting induction efforts in Virginia by working with a number of school divisions and their university partners to develop induction programs based on Virginia's requirements. Several partnerships have elected to implement the NTC's intensive mentoring model that promotes the development of highly trained mentors and the use of formative assessment strategies and tools to support new teacher development. These programs include Richmond City and Hanover County Public Schools in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University, Fredericksburg City Public Schools, and a K-17 consortium involving Amherst, Nelson, Rockbridge, and Appomattox County Public Schools. The NTC is also working with one of the Carnegie Foundation's Teachers for a New Era sites at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville in collaboration with Charlottesville City and Albemarle County Public Schools.

The NTC is very excited to be part of the efforts in Virginia to support beginning teachers. We believe all states need to develop policies that support high quality induction practices that can provide the support beginning teachers need to become highly skilled, committed and caring professionals - the teacher leaders of tomorrow.

POST YOUR JOBS ON VASPA's WEBSITE In its continuing effort to expand services for members, VASPA now provides the opportunity to post job vacancies on its Website. This initiative is part of an ongoing effort to increase the utilization of VASPA.org for the delivery of services. The new job posting feature enables advertising of vacancies to our Website visitors through an attractive and informative posting system designed to extend your recruitment reach. Click here for more information. Click here to view a job posting on VASPA ’s Website.

Effective July 1, 2004 teachers seeking initial licensure or licensure renewal must complete study in child abuse recognition in accordance with curriculum guidelines developed by the Department of Education in consultation with the Department of Social Services. (§22.1-298 COV). Child abuse and neglect study must address three topics: recognition; reporting; and interdisciplinary intervention following a response by child protective services. Teachers and schools can obtain the required training from several sources.

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Social Work's VISSTA Program, is offering an on-line course for teachers entitled "Child Abuse and Neglect: Recognizing, Reporting, and Responding for Educators." The course is available at no cost and completion will earn trainees five professional development points. The course is available February 1, 2004 at: www.vcu.edu/vissta/training/va_teachers

Effective March 1, 2004 school principals will receive the course in CD Rom format as an alternative to the on-line course. The CD Rom may be duplicated by school divisions.

Local departments of social services can provide a two hour child abuse and neglect workshop, at no cost, utilizing a curriculum developed by the Virginia Department of Social Services.

The Management Institute at the University of Richmond also provides child abuse training, for a fee, utilizing the Virginia Department of Social Services curriculum. For more information, call the Management Institute at (804) 289-8019 or go to their website at: http://www.richmond.edu/mgmt_institute

Childhelp, USA Virginia provides in-service training for teachers in Northern Virginia for a fee. For more information call Childhelp, USA Virginia at (703) 208-1500 or go to their website at: www.childhelpusa.org/virginia/prevention.htm#CARR

A Child Abuse and Neglect Resource Packet has been also been distributed, by VCU/VISSTA, to Virginia's colleges and universities with approved teacher education programs for incorporation into teacher education curricula.

The Question: Are You Ready to Retire?

You're tired of the daily grind. AARP has begun to send you advertisements. You have daydreams of traveling, gardening, fishing, reading, relaxing, and spending more time with loved ones. You'd like to move on to the next chapter in your life-the one that follows years of working-your retirement. But are you ready? Retirement is a major step, and there are several things to consider. Ask yourself:

• Do I have enough money to retire?
• Will my money last for a lifetime?
• How can I survive severe market downturns?
• What kind of lifestyle do I plan to have?
• How will I receive my retirement income?
• Will I continue to work part-time, consulting, or even another job?
• What kind of health coverage will I have?
• How will my retirement income be taxed?

It's always appropriate to review from time-to-time just how much it takes to retire today. Frankly, we are convinced that there are more questions than answers to this inquiry. That being the case, we need to diligently seek the right answers for our circumstances by working with an advisor, doing research at the library, or joining an investment club that specializes in long-term savings and investments. This is especially imperative considering that in a recent survey by the American Savings Education Council, the majority of current retirees surveyed mentioned that they are spending at least 80% of what they used to make while working.

According to the Social Security Administration, American men age 65 have a 50% chance of surviving to 80, and women have similar odds of living to 84. Further, half of those men are likely to survive to 87, while half of those women will live past 90. A recent study further estimated that 15 percent of the 65 population would live to be 97.

Unfortunately, most individuals between 50 and 60 have a totally unrealistic notion of their retirement expenses, with over half believing that their expenses will be 50% or less than their last working year's income.

It's important to have the answers to these and other questions, prior to signing those retirement forms. Before you start evaluating your income choices, it's important to have a clear idea of exactly how much you think you'll need to live on comfortable. You can start by making a list of all your current living expenses, and then try to anticipate whether you'll be spending the same, more, or less once you retire. One way to estimate your retirement income goals is to use a salary replacement ratio-in other words, expect to need at least 70 to 90 percent of what you currently are earning each year.

While some work-related expenses, such as commuting costs and wardrobe, will be eliminated once you retire, there are other issues, such as health insurance and costs that may suddenly be of concern. Remember, most of us will have a greater need for medical care as we get older and face the onset of age-related ailments. Will you have a health insurance plan after you retire? Will this plan include drug benefits? Will you be able to handle long-term care?

There are several on-line profiles to assess whether or not you are financially ready to begin the retirement stage of your life. Such profiles review with you the amount you are currently saving for retirement, the approximate value of your retirement plans and savings, how much income you are expecting from your pensions and Social Security, and one that we have already presented to you: how much income you think you'll need to live in retirement.

If you want to be assured of a lifetime income-payments you won't outlive, no matter how long that may be-one of the ways to do it is through a lifetime annuity. The trade off? Lifetime annuity payments don't let you withdraw larger sums for cash emergencies, and certain decisions, once made, can't be changed, even if your circumstances do. If your goal is not to run out of money, however, that's just the beginning. Depending on the size of your retirement accumulation and the other resources you may have available to you when you do retire, there are a number of creative ways you can use annuity income and still have the flexibility you want. Of course, there are other options besides annuities.