The RESPOND framework for mentor and peer-to-peer support guidelines

In this chapter, we introduce a framework for mentor and peer-to-peer support in schools, developed as international guidelines. As a tool, the guidelines focus on the roles of and interactions between different actors in school, with reference to mentors, newly qualified teachers, experienced teachers, and school leaders. These guidelines are prepared against the backdrop of a global recogni tion that, around the world, education systems must be transformed if we are to reach the lofty aspirations set out in Sustainable Development Goal 4 to, “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” (United Nations General Assembly, 2015). This includes a specific recognition that at the heart of any educational trans formation, we must emphasize and prioritize the role that teachers play. If teachers themselves are to be empowered as agents of change, then it is es sential that we lift-up the teaching profession in our societies and ensure that teachers are provided the necessary support for professional development and enabled to take the action within their work to innovate and improve on the status quo.