(1) The selection, nature and extent of duties of mentor teachers shall be determined by the school district. The following guidelines shall apply: No teacher shall be designated as a mentor teacher unless willing to perform in that role;
(2) No mentor teacher shall participate in the evaluation of beginning teachers;
(3) Each mentor teacher shall complete successfully a training workshop provided or approved by the Mississippi Teacher Center prior to participating in the beginning teacher support program; and
(4) If a mentor teacher receives additional release time to support a beginning teacher, it is expected that the total workload of other teachers regularly employed by the school district should not increase in any substantial manner.
(5) A district may: (a) compensate mentor teachers from any available funds for additional duties to support a beginning teacher which are performed after regular school hours; (b) grant additional release time to mentor teachers for additional duties to support a beginning teacher which are performed after regular school hours; and (c) employ and compensate substitute teachers from any available funds for assuming the regular teaching duties of mentor teachers who are participating in the beginning teacher program.