District 64 is proud to announce that five educators have recently achieved prestigious National Board Certification, which is "an advanced teaching credential that is recognized as the 'gold standard' for professional educators," according to District 64 Superintendent Laurie Heinz.
The five educators congratulated officially at the March 12, 2018 Board of Education meeting include:
- Lindsey Harrington, Emerson Middle School
- Meghan Keefer, K-5 ELA Curriculum Specialist
- Tracie Thomas, K-5 Math Curriculum Specialist
- Kat Walsh, Carpenter School & Franklin School
- Katie Weis, Washington School
"We are delighted that these five individuals will join a small, but growing group of D64 educators who have already received this credential, including Michael O’Malley, Field School, and Natalie Schuetz, Franklin School," Dr. Heinz noted.
"Teachers with National Board Certification provide an inspiring example to their colleagues in the teaching profession, and we thank them for their dedication and perseverance in going above and beyond to obtain this recognition," Dr. Heinz added.
Assistant Superintendent for Student Learning Lori Lopez pointed out that this voluntary certification process is extremely rigorous. "Teachers must demonstrate distinguished practice in content knowledge; differentiation of instruction; use of data and assessments; reflection and continuous learning," she reported.
National Board Standards and National Board Certification give teachers and schools the tools to define and measure teaching excellence, according to Dr. Lopez. Similar to certification in fields such as medicine, National Board Certification is a rigorous, peer-reviewed process that ensures that Board-certified teachers have proven skills to advance student achievement.
As part of this process, teachers must analyze their teaching context and students’ needs, submit videos of their teaching, and provide student work samples that demonstrate growth and achievement. The reflective analyses teachers submit must demonstrate:
- A strong command of content;
- The ability to design appropriate learning experiences that advance student learning;
- The use of assessments to inform instructional decision making; and
- Partnerships with colleagues, parents and the community.
In 2017-18, more than 16,000 teachers pursued National Board certification; only 5,470 earned this exemplary status.
PHOTO: Superintendent Heinz (L) and Assistant Superintendent Lopez (R) congratulated the five educators for their achievement and presented them to the Board for recognition, including: (from L) Lindsey Harrington, Tracie Thomas, Meghan Keefer, Kat Walsh, and Katie Weis.
