Nearly 200 WCPSS Teachers Earn National Board Certification
December 9, 2008 – Nearly 200 Wake County Public School System educators earned certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards this year, making WCPSS one of the nation’s leaders in the certification program.
WCPSS had 197 educators earn certification this year. This is the fourth largest number of educators to earn certification of any school district in the nation and the largest in the state. With a total of 1,487 National Board certified teachers, WCPSS employs the second largest number of National Board certified teachers in the nation behind Broward County, Florida.
“We value learning in the Wake County Public School System. We support our teachers as they seek certification or return to the college classroom,” said Superintendent Del Burns. “The number of our teachers earning certification reflects our support of their efforts. By modeling their interest in learning and the process of self-examination of their teaching, these teachers strengthen our schools and better serve our students.”
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards began its certification program 14 years ago. The process requires teachers to undertake a vigorous self-examination over the course of up to three years, complete an extensive portfolio and take computer-based assessments required by the National Board. The Wake County Public School System and the state of North Carolina support and encourage teachers to earn certification.
Top WCPSS Schools
Two WCPSS schools had eight teachers earn certification this year, the most of any Wake County school. Millbrook Elementary and Wake Forest-Rolesville High each had eight teachers earn National Board certification.
Seven teachers earned certification at Lufkin Road Middle and Holly Springs High this year. Six earned certification at West Cary Middle and Wakefield High. Five earned certification at Garner High and Green Hope High.
WCPSS had 96 elementary, 39 middle, 61 high school and one Title I teacher earn certification this year.
Certification has Benefits
At Millbrook Elementary, a learning team of teachers was formed to help teachers tackle the year-long work of earning certification. Principal Paula Trantham says her teachers worked through the process together.
“Going through the certification process gives teachers a chance to reflect on their instruction,” said Trantham. “The careful self-examination of their teaching and the way it influences their students helps teachers continually improve their classroom practice.”
At Wake Forest Rolesville High, principal Tina Hoots said the school recognizes teachers who earn certification by displaying their names in the main lobby of the school. They are also congratulated at staff meetings.
"We encourage teachers who have earned certification to mentor other teachers,” said Hoots. "It is imperative to prompt and solicit their involvement in leadership roles and on the school’s improvement team."
WCPSS Teachers Begin Certificate Renewal
WCPSS had 19 teachers successfully renew their certification from the National Board this year. The 19 teachers include Teresa Banks of Baileywick Elementary; Paula Barnes Cardinale of Durant Road Middle; Alison Carlson of Salem Middle; Sandra Childrey of Dillard Drive Middle; Helen Cole of Garner High; Pamela Hedley of Garner High; Dianne Jones of Wiley Elementary; Gene Kikolski of Millbrook High; Susan Lobasso of Title I; Virginia Merritt of Jeffreys Grove Elementary; Laura Moore of Wildwood Forest Elementary; Barbara Nichols of Broughton High; Rhonda Rhodes of Knightdale High; Andrea Spaulding of Panther Creek High; Sandra Still of Garner High; Rebecca Subat of Fuquay-Varina High; Donald Thomas of Cary High; Paul Trogdon of Cary High; and Carolann Wade of WCPSS Human Resources.
After 10 years, National Board certified teachers must submit a portfolio of their accomplishments as teacher leaders to maintain the distinction. Teachers typically begin the renewal process in the eighth year of certification. As in the initial certification, impact on student achievement remains the focus. Renewal candidates complete the National Board’s Profile of Professional Growth and submit videos demonstrating their teaching.
Certification is Symbol of Excellence
Ten National Board certified teachers from across the United States wrote the report, “Measuring What Matters: The Effects of National Board Certification on Advancing 21st Century Teaching and Learning” for the Center for Teaching Quality, which includes a call to action urging National Board Certified Teachers to build the profession by:
- Establishing and growing local and state networks dedicated to educational problem-solving and innovation.
- Adding to the knowledge base about effective teaching through classroom-based research that documents and spreads ideas about practice.
- Becoming informed and active participants in the discourse about educational policy matters, from the building level to the national arena.
- Serving in mentoring, peer coaching and other instructional leadership roles that support colleagues who are striving to improve their practice.
- Speaking out on key questions and issues, from a teaching perspective.
- Designing collaborative experiences for professional learning and leadership development, creating a robust vision of what it means to be an effective teacher leader and pursuing that vision together.
National Board Certification is a voluntary assessment program designed to recognize and reward great teachers—and make them better. While state licensing systems set basic requirements to teach in each state, National Board Certified Teachers have successfully demonstrated advanced teaching knowledge, skills and practices. Certification is achieved through a rigorous, performance-based assessment that typically takes one to three years to complete.
Created by educators and policymakers in 1987, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards advances the quality of teaching and learning by developing professional standards for accomplished teaching; creating and administering National Board Certification, a voluntary system to certify teachers who meet those standards.
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