Thursday, October 1, 2026
When a new teacher walks into an Oceanside classroom for the first time, there is more waiting for them than a new school, new students and a new set of responsibilities.
There is a built-in support system.
The Oceanside School District’s Tenure Attainment Program Steps, or TAPS, pairs educators new to the district with experienced teachers and provides professional learning, mentorship and reflection throughout the four-year process leading to tenure.
The program held its first meeting of the school year Sept. 8, beginning another year of helping Oceanside educators find their footing, build confidence and grow into their roles.
“TAPS is much more than an onboarding program for teachers who are new to the profession,” Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Technology Diane Provvido said. “It is designed for all faculty who are new to our district.”
That means the program can bring together educators at very different points in their careers — from teachers just beginning their professions to experienced educators arriving in Oceanside from other districts.
For Ivy Cibrano, the program’s TAPS coordinator, that support can make an enormous difference during what can be an intimidating period.
Cibrano recently retired from School No. 8 after more than 30 years in education, but she chose to continue working with TAPS. She has spent years as a mentor and is now in her second year in a leadership role with the program.
She remembers what it was like to be the new teacher.
“We never had this kind of thing back over 30 years ago when I started,” Cibrano said. “I did have teachers that I worked with who were older than me and were more experienced and they became kind of like my unofficial mentors.”
Those teachers gave her reassurance when she needed it, something she now hopes to provide to others.
“I remember how that felt, being a first-year teacher, being scared and really just not knowing which way to turn,” she said. “And just having that person there to reassure me made me the teacher that I am.”
That philosophy is at the center of TAPS.
During the first year, educators on the probationary track are matched one-on-one with trained veteran mentors. Cibrano said the district works closely with principals and department heads to make the pairings, attempting to match educators within the same school and discipline whenever possible.
Mentors also receive professional training before taking on the role.
The mentor and new teacher then meet regularly, including at least an hour each week outside of the school day. Monthly TAPS meetings address topics that educators may encounter in their classrooms, including classroom management and parent communication.
But perhaps just as important as the professional guidance is the sense that new teachers have someone they can turn to without fear of judgment.
“We’re not here to catch you or tell you you’re doing something wrong,” Cibrano said. “It’s really just to guide them and help them in whatever aspect they need.”
After the first year, educators move into TAPS 2, TAPS 3 and TAPS 4, continuing with a cohort of colleagues and different TAPS leaders as they progress through the program.
Each year focuses on another area of professional growth. Participants reflect on their work, engage in professional learning and collect artifacts that document their development.
By the fourth year, educators compile those experiences into a tenure portfolio, which they present to their superintendent and direct supervisor as part of the tenure process.
The portfolios can include student work, reflections, learning targets and examples of their growth from their first year through their fourth.
“They’ve compiled this beautiful — I mean, they’re unbelievable — beautiful portfolio,” Cibrano said. “Documenting their journey, really from year one all the way to year four and then how they’ve grown.”
For Cibrano, watching that transformation is one of the most rewarding parts of the program.
She recalled how new educators often appear “bright-eyed and scared” at the beginning of the process. Over the years, she watches that uncertainty give way to confidence.
“You can almost physically see them almost like standing straighter and having that confidence and that knowledge that they are going to be the best teacher that they can be,” she said.
This school year, that support system has grown significantly.
Cibrano said TAPS 1 has more than 60 new hires, a large increase following last year’s retirement incentive. Because of the size of the incoming group, TAPS 1 was divided into three groups rather than having all participants attend one monthly session.
For Samantha Janotte, a school counselor at Schools No. 5 and 9E and the Oceanside High School varsity dance coach, TAPS provided that sense of belonging when she first entered the district.
Janotte, who is also an Oceanside graduate, knew some of the community already, but said there was still plenty she needed to learn about her role and the district.
The one-on-one mentorship gave her “an automatic sense of belonging and a sense of community.”
Now, after participating in TAPS herself, Janotte serves as a TAPS leader.
“I always remind the teachers that are coming through as their leader, that I was once them,” she said.
That transition from participant to mentor reflects what Provvido sees as one of the program’s greatest strengths: experienced educators passing their knowledge to the next generation.
“Our experienced educators play a role in the program,” Provvido said. “They are at the heart of it all.”
For Cibrano, continuing that cycle after retirement is simple.
“I want to transition from teaching kids to teaching teachers,” she said.
And, ultimately, she said, the investment benefits everyone in the classroom.
“I think that Oceanside is so invested in their teachers,” Cibrano said. “And I think that’s why we pick these people to pass that on and help our new teachers cultivate that in themselves.”
Provvido echoed that philosophy, saying the district’s investment in educators is ultimately an investment in students.
“When we invest in the development of our teachers, we are investing in our students,” she said. “Teachers who feel supported, connected and challenged to continue growing are better positioned to create those same conditions for children.”
