Washington state had the largest amount of new National Board Certified Teachers in the country for the second year in a row, according to numbers released by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
On Mercer Island, the number of new Board-Certified teachers grew from 45 to 48 with the certification of Island Park Kindergarten teacher Sharon Jarnigon, Islander Middle School teacher Emily Mills and Crest Learning Center teacher Patrick Rigby.
“Growing teacher practice is one of the most important aspects of our work,” MISD Superintendent Dr. Gary Plano commented in an email. “Students benefit from teachers who are reflective and who continually examine ways to improve instruction. Teachers who achieve national certification have reached a high water mark in their practice.”
Board certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards requires teachers to submit a four-part portfolio and a six-exercise content and pedagogy assessment. The 10 entries document a teacher’s success in the classroom as evidenced by his or her students’ learning. The portfolio is then assessed by a national panel of peers.
“NBCTs are accomplished teachers who have demonstrated their outstanding work in the classroom and through contribution and dedication to the profession,” said Nasue Nishida, executive director at the Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession, in a release. “Growing and reflecting on their practice for the educational benefit of K–12 students is what the National Board experience is all about.”
In 2007, the state Legislature passed a bill that awards a $5,000 bonus to each NBCT. Teachers can receive up to an additional $5,000 bonus if they teach in “challenging” schools, which are defined as having a certain percentage of students qualify for free and reduced-price lunch (50 percent for high schools, 60 percent for middle schools and 70 percent for elementary schools).
“The number of new National Board Certified Teachers in Washington highlights our commitment to quality public education and the success of every child. We are proud to provide the resources and support our teachers need to be successful,” said Kim Mead, president of the Washington Education Association (WEA) in a release. “Congratulations to everyone who participated in this very difficult process.”
