Alabama Teacher Mentor Program (ATMP) — First-Year Teacher Requirements

Every first-year teacher in Alabama who holds a provisional, conditional, interim, or temporary certificate is required to participate in the Alabama Teacher Mentor Program (ATMP). This isn't optional professional development — it's a mandatory condition for converting your initial credential into a standard Professional Educator Certificate.

What ATMP Requires

The core requirement is straightforward: a minimum of 2.5 hours of weekly contact time with an assigned mentor throughout your first year of teaching. This contact includes classroom observations, lesson planning sessions, instructional feedback, and professional development discussions.

Your mentor is assigned by your employing school district, not by the state or your certification program. Districts select experienced teachers — typically those with strong evaluations and several years in the same content area or grade band — to serve as mentors. The state liaison for the program is Dr. Patience Oranika at the ALSDE (email: [email protected]).

Who Must Complete ATMP

ATMP applies to all first-year teachers on any of these credentials:

• Provisional Certificate in a Teaching Field (PCTF) — career changers on the district-sponsored route
• Conditional Certificate in a Teaching Field (CCTF) — candidates enrolled in an ATPO (iteach, American Board, #T.E.A.C.H.)
• Interim Employment Certificate (IEC) — candidates enrolled in Alternative Class A master's programs
• Temporary Special Education Certificate (TSEC) — candidates teaching collaborative special education grades 6-12

Traditional route graduates who receive their first Professional Educator Certificate also participate in ATMP. The program is designed to support the transition from pre-service training to full-time classroom instruction, regardless of how you got your initial credential.

Substitute teachers are explicitly excluded. Service under a substitute license does not count toward any teaching experience requirement, and substitute teachers cannot participate in ATMP.

How ATMP Affects Your Certificate

Completing ATMP is a prerequisite for converting your provisional or conditional credential to a standard Professional Educator Certificate. If you fail to complete the mentoring requirements, you cannot convert — even if you've passed all your Praxis exams, completed your edTPA, and finished your ATPO or university program.

For PCTF and CCTF holders, ATMP completion is one of several requirements verified before the ALSDE issues the standard Class B certificate. For IEC holders, it's verified alongside your master's degree completion for the Class A certificate.

What Districts Provide

The quality and structure of mentor support varies by district:

Huntsville City Schools provides dedicated veteran mentors specifically assigned to alternative-route teachers. The district integrates mentoring with a three-day intensive New Teacher Orientation program at the start of the school year.

Birmingham City Schools focuses mentor assignments in STEM areas, aligning with their TEAMS Act recruitment priorities. The district supplements ATMP with National Board Certification support as a longer-term professional development pathway.

Smaller and rural districts may have fewer experienced teachers available as mentors, particularly in shortage fields like math, science, and special education. If you're teaching in a subject area where your school has no other certified teacher in the same field, your mentor may be assigned from a different content area or a neighboring school.

Common First-Year Requirements Beyond ATMP

ATMP is the mentoring component, but first-year teachers on alternative credentials face several concurrent requirements:

1. Coursework completion — PCTF holders must start their four required pedagogy courses. CCTF holders continue their ATPO program. TSEC holders must be enrolled in at least one of five required special education courses. IEC holders continue their master's coursework
2. Ethics training — for certificates expiring on or after June 30, 2027, the state requires 10 clock hours of professional learning in educator ethics as a renewal condition. First-year teachers should begin accumulating these hours early
3. PowerSchool schedule verification — your district must upload your active teaching schedule to confirm you're assigned in-field for the majority of the instructional day
4. Praxis and edTPA deadlines — if you haven't already passed your required assessments, the ALSDE's six-month testing deadline starts ticking from your eligibility letter

Balancing full-time teaching, program coursework, ATMP participation, and test preparation is the central challenge of the first alternative-certification year. Planning the sequence before your contract starts — rather than figuring it out mid-semester — makes the difference.

The Alabama Teacher Certification Guide includes a cost-timeline planner and testing logistics tracker that maps all first-year obligations against the school calendar, helping you hit every deadline without surprises.

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