Area teachers high achievement means better education for area students
Ten area teachers have joined the ranks of those who pursue excellence for themselves and the students they teach.
These ten were included in the 86 teachers commended by State Superintendent Tony Evers for earning National Board Certification in 2009 for their commitment on behalf of Wisconsin’s children.
“National Board Certification requires teachers to deepen their content knowledge and improve their professional practice,” Evers said. “The rigorous process of earning national certification has a positive impact in the classroom and on student learning. I commend these educators for their commitment to teaching excellence.”
“Wisconsin teachers are committed to the success of their students, and that is illustrated by the latest group of educators who have completed this rigorous, challenging process,” said Mary Bell, a Wisconsin Rapids teacher and president of the Wisconsin Education Association Council. “The benefits National Board Certified Teachers bring go far beyond individual classrooms, as these educators serve as mentors and resources to their school districts, creating highly effective schools. The state’s union of educators applauds these teachers for their accomplishment and for their dedication to Wisconsin’s students.”
The state’s newly board-certified teachers were among 8,900 nationwide who achieved certification in 2009. With 676 board-certified teachers, Wisconsin ranks 19th in the nation in the number of teachers achieving certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The five Wisconsin districts with the highest number of board-certified teachers are: Milwaukee, 52; Madison, 30; Manitowoc, 24; Eau Claire Area, 16; and Sheboygan Area, 16.
National Board Certification is a voluntary program designed to develop, recognize, and retain accomplished teachers. The process, which takes from one to three years, requires teachers to take performance-based assessments that include written exercises that probe subject-area knowledge and understanding of how to teach those subjects to students.
Additionally, candidates submit a teaching portfolio of student work samples and video recorded lessons that demonstrates their classroom teaching practice and levels of student achievement.
In Wisconsin, teachers can receive up to $2,000 to reimburse the cost of earning National Board Certification and nine annual stipends of $2,500 if they remain employed as educators. Teachers who work in high-need, high-poverty schools can receive an additional $2,500 annually.
“We want and need our very best teachers in high-needs schools,” Evers said. He noted that National Board Certification is the highest level of certification in the teaching profession. It corresponds to Wisconsin’s 10-year master educator license, the highest level in the state’s three-tiered licensing system.
A congressionally mandated report by the National Research Council confirmed that National Board Certified teachers stay in the classroom longer, support new and struggling teachers, and assume other school-based National-Board Certified Teachers – leadership roles. Most importantly, students in classrooms taught by board certified teachers make higher gains on achievement tests than students taught by non-board certified teachers.
“Dedicated educators are the heart of any educational change,” Evers said. “Research shows that teachers who earn National Board Certification make a real difference in their classrooms and in their school community. I encourage educators to seek this credential and to volunteer to work in the toughest teaching assignments. Our students need highly qualified teachers to help them graduate ready for the workforce or further education.”
Nationally, more than 82,000 teachers have earned National Board Certification since the board was created in 1987.
Those receiving National Board Certification in 2009 were:
Christine Ahrens
of Sheboygan Falls Cooper Elementary School, Generalist/Middle Childhood
Kim Cline
of James Madison Elementary School, Sheboygan, Exceptional Needs Specialist / Early Childhood
through Young Adulthood
Mark Ellis
of Farnsworth Middle School, Sheboygan, Career and Technical Education /Early Adolescence
through Young Adulthood
Kevin Formole
of South High School, Sheboygan, School Counseling / Early Childhood through Young
Adulthood
Jay Johnson
of North High School, Sheboygan, Social Studies-History / Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Julie Koleno
of Longfellow Elementary School, Sheboygan, Generalist / Early Childhood
Rebecca Letter
of North High School, Sheboygan, Social Studies-History / Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Christine Thiel
of Longfellow Elementary School, Sheboygan, Exceptional Needs Specialist / Early Childhood
through Young Adulthood
Therese Urben
of James Madison Elementary School, Sheboygan, Generalist / Middle Childhood
