More than 60,000 of some of the most effective teachers in the country have demonstrated that they meet the highest teaching standards by becoming National Board Certified. The program began in 1999.
 

“National Board Certification is an extremely rigorous application process that only the highest quality teachers can achieve,” said Education Commissioner Susan A. Gendron. “There is wide agreement among researchers that national certification is good for the climate of schools, good for promoting the profession, and that achievement on most measures is higher among students of these teachers.”

 The 16 teachers are: Sally Plourde, Prides Corner School, Westbrook; Phyllis Jones, Mabel I. Wilson School, Cumberland (MSAD 51); Cynthia Dean, Erskine Academy, South China; Raymond Fox, Falmouth Middle School; Lawrence Jackson, Falmouth Middle School; Randee-Sue Allen, Scarborough Middle School; Sheila Cochrane, Newport Elementary School (MSAD 48); Kathleen Slack, Mt. Desert Island High School, Bar Harbor (Mount Desert CSD); Brian McPherson, Woodside Elementary School, Topsham (MSAD 75); Lucille Bowers, Bonny Eagle Middle School, Buxton (MSAD 6); Rebecca Stern, Deering High School, Portland; Dianne Johnson, Fruit Street School, Bangor; Aimee Lanteigne, Sabattus Central School; Crystal McAllaster, Mt. Ararat High School, Topsham (MSAD 75); Jorma Kurry, Falmouth High School; and Shannon Baker Digiulio, Sylvio J. Gilbert School, Augusta.

Gendron noted that only 40 percent of teachers who apply nationally achieve certification. In Maine, about 60 percent who apply achieve the certification.  Gendron said Maine’s higher rate of achievement is attributed to its strong candidate support program, a joint project of the Department and the Maine Education Association.

Ellen Holmes, a distinguished educator on loan to the Department from the MEA, said the Department provides a $1,250 subsidy that covers half the candidate fee to many applicants.  Some school districts provide part or all of the remainder; some candidates pay the difference.  In 2006, Gov. John Baldacci signed into law a provision for an annual $3,000 salary supplement for national board certified teachers.

 Holmes, herself a nationally certified teacher, helped develop the support program and is the candidate support administrator for the program in Maine, which is run by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

 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.

 “Like board-certified doctors and accountants, teachers who achieve National Board Certification have met rigorous criteria through intensive study, expert evaluation, self-assessment and peer review,” said NBPTS President and CEO Joseph A. Aguerrebere. “Research demonstrates that National Board Certified Teachers consistently outperform their peers in knowledge of subject matter and ability to create challenging and engaging lessons.”

 As part of the process, teachers build a portfolio that includes student work samples, assignments, videotapes and a thorough analysis of their classroom teaching. Additionally, teachers are assessed on their knowledge of the subjects they teach.

 “National Board Certification is part of a growing national movement that advances education reform. It’s a movement that improves teaching, advances student learning and makes schools better,” said former Georgia Governor Roy E. Barnes, chair of the NBPTS Board of Directors. “National Board Certified Teachers are leading the way in preparing America’s diverse student population with the skills it needs to compete in the 21st century.”
 National Board Certified Teachers consistently receive top teaching honors while representing less than two percent of the nation’s teaching population. For example:

·     Four of the last seven National Teacher of the Year recipients are NBCTs.
·     Nearly a quarter of the 2007 state Teachers of the Year are NBCTs.
·      Nearly one-third of the recipients of the 2006 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching are NBCTs.

All 50 states, the District of Columbia and more than 700 local school districts recognize National Board Certification as a mark of distinction and excellence. These municipalities provide valuable incentives to keep our most accomplished teachers in the classroom.

For more information about NBPTS and National Board Certification, visit the NBPTS Web site at www.nbpts.org.