Teaching at NNPS

A GREAT PLACE TO TEACH!

First-year mentoring and a spirit of professional collaboration create communities in our schools that nurture new teachers. Teachers new to the school division attend an orientation that provides valuable information about the school, curriculum and expectations for discipline.

Our mentoring programs range from a structured approach that looks at all phases of classroom practice to more informal school-based programs that support teachers through their first year. Special education teachers are paired with a peer partner who assists them with legal and procedural aspects of the job. Teachers have many opportunities to influence the practices in schools and throughout the district. They serve on committees and school improvement teams, which set goals for the school and determine ways to achieve them. Teachers can also be important members of the staff development council, which defines the need for professional development and coordinates workshops.

Professional Development. Not only does Newport News offer a superior staff development program that helps all teachers continue their own learning, but we also encourage teachers to share their best practices. Our goal is for teachers to become leaders who work together and who are committed to their own learning. We are proud of our outstanding, award-winning staff and provide every opportunity for them to share their skills and expertise.

A GREAT PLACE TO LEARN!

The school division offers three types of school programs: comprehensive, magnet and specialty programs. The comprehensive program, a rich and broad program of study, addresses math, science, English, language arts, social studies, the arts, and physical education. Foreign languages are offered at the middle and high school level, and vocational and technical educational programs are offered in the high schools. Middle and high school students may also take part in AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), a highly successful tutoring and mentoring program used nationwide that prepares students who might not reach their potential for success in higher education. The Standards of Learning, Virginia's curriculum requirements for student achievement, form the basis of the instructional program.

In a magnet or specialty program, students are able to focus to a greater extent on a particular discipline and participate in specialized courses and activities not available in other schools. Students attending any of the three programs receive an excellent education. Students may apply to magnet or academy programs at all grade levels. Read more about our academic programs.

A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE!

Newport News, Virginia, is a city with a rich maritime heritage, thriving economy, and many cultural and recreational attractions. Built along the historic James River, the 21-mile long city features neighborhoods that offer the convenience of modern subdivisions as well as those listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Newport News, with its 180,000 residents, is an integral part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, which has a population of approximately 1.5 million. The city is adjacent to James City and York counties, and the city of Hampton. Across the harbor, the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Suffolk make up the area known as Southside. Together the region is often referred to as Hampton Roads.

A strong industrial base -including Newport News Shipbuilding, one of the state's largest private employers, and the $120 million Canon Virginia facility, located in the thriving Oyster Point industrial complex -in combination with a major military presence form the foundation of a sound and growing economy. Newport News is also home to one of the nation's most advanced physics research centers, the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. Nearby NASA Langley Research Center offers further opportunities for high-tech research.

With six nationally recognized museums and the largest municipal park east of the Mississippi, cultural and recreational opportunities abound. The internationally acclaimed Mariners' Museum, Peninsula Fine Arts Center, War Memorial Museum, as well as regional symphony, ballet and opera companies provide an appealing array of entertainment and activities. The Virginia Living Museum, which attracts more than 270,000 visitors a year, offers the chance to explore a botanical garden, natural history museum, zoological park, aviary, aquarium, and planetarium. More activities at dailypress.com...

The area is rich in options for higher education. Christopher Newport University, located in Newport News, and nearby Hampton University and Thomas Nelson Community College participate in cooperative programs with the school division. Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University in nearby Norfolk, and Regent University in Virginia Beach are also within easy driving distance. The College of William and Mary is close by in Williamsburg. Neighborhood shopping centers, regional malls, sporting and entertainment venues, and conveniently located airports are among a few of the area's amenities.

Colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, Fort Monroe and other easily accessible sites offer a rich picture of our country's heritage. National parks and recreation areas along the Eastern Shore and in the Blue Ridge Mountains are just a short distance away. Theme parks and oceanfront resorts round out the region's attractions and let residents and visitors take advantage of the area's pleasant climate.