New teacher and mentor political literacy: reading, navigating and transforming induction contexts

Abstract

New teachers are unprepared for school politics and the conflicts they experience with administrators, colleagues and policies. Research and practice on mentorlog often ignore organizational contexts. This artide explores these under-examined contexts, asking: (1) W'hat do mentors need to know and be able to do in relation to school and district contexts to advocate on behalf of their induction work?; (2) W'hat are the challenges mentors face in their school and district contexts? Drawing on practitioner expertise and an intensive case study, this artide highlights three critical domains ofmentors' politicalliteracy: reading, navigating and advocating. Analyses delineate challenges and promising practices in tapping this knowledge base in action. Mentors' politicalliteracy offers novices a way to act in schools' political climates, to address conflicts and, ultimately, to define a professional identity. Rather than viewing politics as negative, this artide reveals how