The Flowing Wells Unified School District in Arizona has welcomed 20 new teachers with a bus tour of the district. The tour, which covered 13 miles of the district, aimed to introduce the new teachers to the culture of the district and its schools.

Building Culture and Community

According to Flowing Wells Director of Professional Development Megan Larson, the bus tour is about building culture in the classrooms and the district as a whole. The tour included stops at 11 schools, where the new teachers were greeted by staff and administrators. The district’s small size, with only 5,200 students, allows for a close-knit community and a family atmosphere.

The district has a diverse student body, with over 72% of students identifying as Latino. Despite this diversity, the district has a high teacher retention rate, with 86% of teachers returning in the 2024-2025 school year. The district is also home to several highly-rated schools, including Flowing Wells High School and Sentinel Peak High School, which were both rated A+ by the Arizona Educational Foundation.

New teachers, such as Isabella Olin and Jennifer Winkenwerder, were drawn to the district’s professional development program and its sense of community. Olin, a physics teacher at Flowing Wells High School, was impressed by the district’s high-energy faculty meeting and the welcoming atmosphere. Winkenwerder, a chemistry teacher, was attracted to the district’s focus on teacher development and its supportive environment.

The bus tour is part of the district’s induction program for new teachers, which includes teacher instruction, classroom management, and a chance to see the schools and neighborhoods where their students live. The program aims to connect teachers with their students and the community, and to build a sense of culture and belonging in the district.

Original reporting: Arizona Luminaria — read the source article.