Teachers earn national board certification

State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster commended 73 Wisconsin educators who earned national certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

“Educators who pursue national certification have demonstrated that they know their subject area, and they are effective in teaching all children,” Burmaster said. “They are deserving of recognition for their professional accomplishments and for their commitment to education.”

Wisconsin teachers earning national certification in 2006 are among more than 7,700 who earned the credential nationwide. The state now has 402 teachers who hold a 10-year national certificate. The state’s nationally certified teachers are eligible to apply to become master educators under Wisconsin’s Quality Educator Initiative—PI 34, the highest level of Wisconsin’s three-tiered certification program. They can receive up to $2,000 to reimburse costs associated with earning national certification, and may receive nine annual stipends of $2,500 if they remain employed as educators.

“We know the classroom teacher is the single most important variable in the academic success of students,” Burmaster said. “Wisconsin leads the nation in having highly qualified teachers in every classroom, however, we do have some disparity in the distribution of experienced teachers, especially in our high-poverty urban and rural schools. To encourage our most experienced educators to teach in our high-needs schools, my 2007-09 budget proposal would provide an additional $2,500 per year, or a total $5,000 annual incentive grant, for nationally certified or state-level master educators employed in schools in which at least 60 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price school meals.

To earn national board certification, teachers complete two kinds of assessments: a classroom-based portfolio of practice and a set of assessment center exercises. The process requires educators to examine every aspect of their practice of teaching. They document their knowledge of the subject they teach, provide evidence that they know how to teach effectively, and demonstrate their ability to manage a classroom and measure student learning. The assessments are based on standards developed by the national board that describe accomplished teaching in particular grade levels and subject areas. The Department of Public Instruction funded a workshop, conducted by Alverno College in Milwaukee, to help educators learn about and prepare for national board certification.

National board certification is a voluntary process, described by many educators as “the most important and valuable professional development of their careers.” The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is an independent, nongovernmental organization. Its mission is to establish standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. It is governed by a board of directors, most of whom are classroom teachers.

A list of teachers earning Ntional Board Certification in 2006 is available following the complete news release.

Last updated on 1/16/2007