140 Wake Teachers Earn National Board Certification in 2002
December 3, 2002 - 140 teachers from the Wake County Public
School System earned certification from the National Board
of Professional Teaching Standards this year -- the largest
number of WCPSS teachers to earn the honor in the program's
eight-year history.
Superintendent Bill McNeal congratulated the WCPSS teachers
for their hard work in earning certification.
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"These teachers devoted long, hard hours to refining
their craft, improving their skills and meeting the National
Board standards," McNeal said. "It is a process
of self-examination, hard work, and testing that a teacher
chooses to do in addition to his or her classroom instruction.
Teachers tell us this process makes them better teachers."
WCPSS is a national leader in the number of teachers earning
National Board certification. 476 teachers have earned the
honor, including the 140 who were certified this year.
"We are doing everything we can in Wake County to recruit,
hire, and keep the best teachers. There's no question that
the single most important factor in a child's education is
the child's teacher," McNeal said. "Every child
in our schools deserves a quality teacher."
Fifty-one of the WCPSS teachers to earn certification this
year teach at high schools. There were nine from Apex High
and six each from Fuquay-Varina, Leesville, and Wakefield
high schools. East Wake, and Enloe each had four; Cary, Millbrook
and Southeast Raleigh three; Athens Drive and Garner two;
and Green Hope, Middle Creek, and Wake Forest-Rolesville one.
At the WCPSS school with the largest number of teachers to
earn certification this year, Apex High principal Tom Dixon
said his faculty is made up of highly dedicated, professional
teachers.
"The expectations are high and that drives everyone
to strive to be their best," Dixon said. "Students
are the obvious beneficiaries when teachers reflect and look
at what they do and how they do it."
Danita Jones is Apex High's Teacher of the Year and was one
of the school's nine teachers to earn National Board certification
this year. Jones built a portfolio answering a series of questions
posed by the National Board and submitted a videotape of her
classroom instruction. As a math instructor, she had to take
tests in four different areas of mathematics.
"It was a rewarding experience," Jones said. "It
wasn't easy. It is time consuming. You need a lot of support
from family, friends and someone who has gone through the
process. It helped me assess what I do in the classroom and
myself as an instructor."
The school system encourages National Board certified teachers
to serve as coaches for other teachers seeking certification.
Coaches are paid an honorarium. The school system sends some
Wake County teachers to the annual conference of National
Board certified teachers. While the state provides assistance
for state-funded teachers towards the $2,300 application fee,
Wake County provides local assistance for locally- and federally-funded
teachers in Wake County.
"We value teachers who have earned certification and
through this process examined ways to best instruct their
students," McNeal said. "Our children benefit by
having accomplished teachers teaching them."
The certification process is the most accepted symbol of
teaching excellence in the U.S. To earn certification, teachers
must demonstrate teaching practice, content knowledge, and
pedagogical-content knowledge.
North Carolina continues to lead the nation in the number
of teachers who have earned certification. NBTPS began offering
certification in 1994. Since that time, 5,137 North Carolina
teachers have earned certification. That includes 1,469 teachers
who earned certification this year.
North Carolina supports efforts by teachers to achieve National
Board certification by:
· Advance payment of the $2,300 assessment fee. (The
teacher is obligated to teach in the state the following year
whether they achieve National Board certification or not.)
· Three paid release days from normal teacher responsibilities
in order to develop their portfolios.
· A 12 percent salary supplement to the teachers' regular
salary, good for the 10-year life of the certification.
· 15 continuing education units (CEUs) awarded to the
individual for completing the National Board certification
process.
The Wake County teachers who earned certification from the
National Board of Professional Teaching Standards include:
Bergman, Donna Marie Harned - Adams Elementary
Dossenbach, Mary Margaret - Apex Elementary
Winberry, Joette Marie Mello - Apex Elementary
Cherry, Christine W. - Apex High
Derda, Jeffrey D. - Apex High
Devereaux, Amy W. - Apex High
Faircloth, Mary Llewellyn - Apex High
Hill, Jana Kay Bond - Apex High
Jones, Danita - Apex High
Koefler, Leatha L. - Apex High
Moog, Gail Leila Gross - Apex High
Pattison, Linda L. - Apex High
Jones, Leslie Kay - Apex Middle
Ramey, Jane Singleton - Apex Middle
Hinton, Tonya Caudill - Athens Drive High
Partridge, Marta C. - Athens Drive High
Harden, Patricia Ann Smith - Baileywick Elementary
Mobley, Carol A. - Brooks Elementary
Laprete, Maley - Carroll Middle
Shearin, Susan Thomas - Carver Elementary
Horton, Gayle Harrington - Cary Elementary
Trueheart, Nicole Lee - Cary Elementary
Ramirez, Jason Jamond - Cary High
Stewart, Jan Hughes - Cary High
Yasick, Edward T. - Cary High
Powell, Debra Lynne Bryant - Combs Elementary
Beamish, Suzanna M. - Davis Dr Middle
Gibson, Rita Quinlan - Davis Dr Middle
Jackson, Susan W. - Davis Dr Middle
Mueller, Judith W. - Davis Dr Middle
Montague, Shannon - Dillard Dr Elementary
Causey, Heather A. - Dillard Dr Middle
Mann, Sara Catherine - Dillard Dr Middle
Levine, Beth A. - Douglas Elementary
Dooling, Paul D. - Durant Rd Middle
Leary, Libby W. - Durant Rd Middle
Beazlie, Karen Elaine Blake - East Cary Middle
King, Natalie - East Cary Middle
Harris, Deanna R. - East Garner Middle
Hedley, Duane C. - East Garner Middle
Pawlak, Shannon Bree - East Millbrook Middle
Schride,r Pamela J. - East Millbrook Middle
Abbott, Paula D. - East Wake High
Caterer, Laurie Toreson - East Wake High
Comi, Susan Marie Palumbo - East Wake High
Liverman, Addie Denise - East Wake High
Hall, Angela Yvonne W. - East Wake Middle
Carr, Rebecca L. - Enloe High
Clark, Ronald R. - Enloe High
Guardiola, Deborah T. - Enloe High
Robinson, Rebecca Ann - Enloe High
Alston, Sheila Dixit - Farmington Woods Elementary
Williams, Paula Suzette - Fuller Elementary
Caton, Martha Tayloe (Kipper) - Fuquay-Varina Elementary
Braswell, Janet Ives - Fuquay-Varina High
Brown, Karen Berge - Fuquay-Varina High
Cotton, Patricia Looby - Fuquay-Varina High
Crain, Julie C. - Fuquay-Varina High
Hansen, Paula H. - Fuquay-Varina High
Leibu, Bruce E. - Fuquay-Varina High
Berube, Tad Arthur - Garner High
Wriede, Lisa E. - Garner High
Boone, Patricia J. - Green Elementary
Gilchrist, Michael Ray - Green Elementary
Perkinson, Catherine W. - Green Elementary
Williams, June Carol - Green Elementary
Worsham, Frances G. - Green Elementary
Rose, Karen - Green Hope High
Edmonds, Elisabeth A. - Hodge Road Elementary
Powell, Stephanie Ames - Holly Springs Elementary
Woodcock, Rebecca A. - Jeffreys Grove Elementary
Mitchell, Andrea - Jones Dairy Elementary
Obenschain, Carol B. - Jones Dairy Elementary
Diaz, Martha L. - Kingswood Elementary
Graf, Laura L. - Knightdale Elementary
Slais, Deborah - Lacy Elementary
Chern, Krista Russo - Leesville Road Elementary
Beverly, Sheba Lowe - Leesville Road High
Caggia, Matthew - Leesville Road High
Hendricks, Valerie Skinner - Leesville Road High
Schwartz, Madeleine M. - Leesville Road High
Stephenson, Angela D. - Leesville Road High
Wiley, Alison E. - Leesville Road High
Gregory, Steven - Leesville Road Middle
Moser, Carolyn A. - Leesville Road Middle
Lucas, Paul - Ligon Middle
Moore, Melody V. - Ligon Middle
Hoch, Marilyn C. - Lincoln Heights Elementary
Seawell, Karen Bass - Lockhart Elementary
Bliss, Jill T. - Lufkin Road Middle
Pulliam, Amanda Marie - Lufkin Road Middle
Barham, Gail H. - Martin Middle
Hammond, Brenda W. - Middle Creek Elementary
Croutharmel, Lynette P. - Middle Creek High
Behun, Linda Y. - Millbrook High
Christos, Vickie Boykin - Millbrook High
Hawk, Christie C. - Millbrook High
Bunn, Melissa Saunders - Morrisville Elementary
Maynard, Jeffrey E. - North Ridge Elementary
Shamblin, Jeffrey Lynn - Olive Chapel Elementary
Kenjarski, Mark R. - Partnership Elementary
Moore, Emily Chevalier - Penny Road Elementary
Bailey, Leslie Anne - Pleasant Union Elementary
Carruth, Carol S. - Pleasant Union Elementary
Zaccardo, Suzanne L. - Reedy Creek Elementary
Scott, Julie Ann - Salem Elementary
Butler, Marshall E. Jr. - Sanderson High
Peeler, John T. - Sanderson High
Peeler, Susan S. - Sanderson High
Richardson, Linda W. - Sanderson High
Sammons, Carla R. - Sanderson High
Worley, Michael Todd - Sanderson High
Barkan, Nancy A. - Southeast Raleigh High
Harrell, Michelle Hardison - Southeast Raleigh High
Summers, Arthur Clifford - Southeast Raleigh High
Davis, .Jacqueline P. - Stough Elementary
Taylor, Jennifer M. - Timber Drive Elementary
Willis, Susan C. - Timber Drive Elementary
Flood, Lynn E. - Title 1
Hardee, Lisa - Vandora Springs Elementary
Oliver, Michelle Morris - Vandora Springs Elementary
Allen, Lynne Davis - Wakefield Elementary
Kosar, Pamela J. - Wakefield Elementary
Bushey, Marilyn L. - Wakefield High
Jones, Marlin D. - Wakefield High
Lujan, Suzanne M. - Wakefield High
Tharrington, Karen - Wakefield High
Johnson, Natalie S. - Washington Elementary
Lee, Sherri V. - Washington Elementary
Golden, Arris Anne - West Cary Middle
May, Mary Ellen - West Cary Middle
White, Yvonne M. - West Lake Elementary
Lewis, Kelly Smith - West Lake Middle
Rush, Laura Katherine Tredway - West Lake Middle
Somma, Gregory Patrick - West Lake Middle
Wolcott, Bonnie L. - West Lake Middle
Sovich, Cynthia R. - Wake Forest-Rolesville High
Orr, Susan Elaine - Wake Forest-Rolesville Middle
Blackstock, Carrie Nicole - Wildwood Forest Elementary
Powers, Victoria - Wiley Elementary
Please help update this list. If there are additions or corrections, contact Bill Poston at bposton@wcpss.net or call 850-1829.
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