At Mastery Schools, continuous feedback drives continuous improvement
At Mastery Schools, continuous feedback is the foundation of our commitment to continuous improvement. Building a strong feedback culture means creating multiple opportunities for staff to give and receive feedback while ensuring everyone—from new team members to seasoned leaders—actively engages in the feedback loop.
With the newcomer perspective in mind, Mastery’s Talent Team surveys teachers and leaders new to the network to learn about what’s working and identify areas for improvement in our hiring, onboarding, and overall staff experience.
With interviews complete and data analyzed, this year’s outreach results are promising.
Nearly 90% of new teachers reported that they have a complete understanding of their role and the expectations for their performance, 86% reported feeling prepared, welcomed, and supported by their mentors, and 88% said they feel comfortable asking questions and requesting support from their school’s leadership team. One of our new teachers reflected on the specialized support they receive to ensure success, sharing, “My school leaders have open doors and treat me as an individual, offering support for my specific skills and goals. Every check-in has meaning.”
For new Mastery leaders, 95% reported feeling supported by their mentors, and 100% reported feeling heard and supported by their central office contact. In addition to support, other big themes we heard about this year were teamwork and the power to drive change. One new leader shared, “I don’t have to know the answers to everything. I can ask my teammates and still have autonomy over my program. Ultimately, I have the power to make things move quickly.” Another added, “My voice is heard in different meeting spaces. There are opportunities to contribute and also step back and learn.”
Our Talent Team remains committed to enhancing staff experiences and supporting professional growth. This summer, we introduced key improvements, including upgrades to the Teacher Advancement System and expanded support for assistant principals through our AP mentor program. These changes likely contributed to the increased clarity, expectations, and sense of support reflected in this year’s survey results.
Interested in joining our team?
Mastery Schools is currently hiring leaders, teachers, residents, and support staff for the 2025-2026 school year. If you know someone great who wants to work closely with dedicated educators, continue to grow professionally, and make a meaningful impact on students, we’d love to hear about them. You can use the links below to learn about current openings and make referrals to earn cash rewards.
Make an internal referral: Mastery employees: Earn $500 – $5,000 for anyone you refer who gets hired, depending on the role.
Make an external referral: Non-Mastery employees: You get paid if the candidate you refer is hired for a high-needs role!
- $500 for high-needs teachers (special education, science, math, technology, Spanish, ESL or bilingual programs, 3-8 ELA)
- $1,000 for high-needs leaders (assistant principals and/or director-level and above positions)