Chicago Board of Education Celebrating National Board Certified Teachers
On May 25th, the CPS Board of Education issued a Resolution to honor the 58 new NBCTs and the 143 newly Renewed NBCTs. New NBCTs Conor Cameron (Adolescent through Young Adulthood Mathematics), and Hillary Munoz (Exceptional Needs Specialist), as well as newly Renewed NBCT Shirley Roberson (Middle Childhood Generalist) addressed the Board of Ed and CPS senior staff describing the impact of NBC on their students’ learning, school climate, and professional growth.
Click here to read the speeches!
What a time to be a teacher! And yet these new and newly-renewed Board Certified Teachers being honored for their excellence by CPS put their teaching to the test by voluntarily challenging themselves to go through this process, reflecting upon and improving their practice daily, and confirming they are teaching to the highest standards in our profession. In order to become Board-Certified, these teachers completed a two year performance based, peer-reviewed process, demonstrating their proven impact on student learning.
Showing their deep commitment to personal and professional growth, student learning, and the teaching profession, there are NBCTs in every network. Sixty-six percent of CPS schools have NBCTs on staff.
- In our newest class 54% are elementary teachers, and counselors; 46% are high school teachers and counselors.
- 18.5% are middle and high school STEM teachers.
- 29.7 % are Teachers of Color bringing our pool of NBCTs of color to more than 36%.
And now a little bit about the certification and our program itself –
The CTU/CPS National Board Certification professional development and candidate support program, otherwise known as Nurturing Teacher Leadership (NTL), is committed to providing equitable learning for all students, and we know that this learning starts with accomplished educators. We know our National Board Certified Teachers value their students’ individual differences, help students consider their role in a diverse world, and believe in the power of the teaching profession to defend and fight for what is right and good for ALL people.
National Board Certification is about elevating the teaching profession; and it is about helping children achieve at higher rates. The National Board certification process impacts teaching and learning well beyond an individual teacher’s classroom. Recognized as the Gold Standard, research on this advanced certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards has proven that higher standards for teachers means higher achievement and better learning for students.
In order to achieve National Board Certification, NBCTs must master a set of high and rigorous Standards, not just those addressing pedagogy and content knowledge but those dealing with family and community involvement, and standards supporting whole child development, management and assessment of learning, reflection, differentiation of instruction, collaboration with colleagues, and mastering standards that ensure they develop and maintain a healthy learning environment while practicing equity, diversity, fairness and equality in their teaching.
Our Board-certified teachers are equipped to support the next generation, to advocate for those whose voices are silenced and misunderstood, and to rally against bias and stereotypes. Board-certified teachers are committed to social justice, and adaptation in the face of adversity and trauma – all the while counseling and teaching reading, math, science, physical education, both English and world language acquisition, social studies, the arts and supporting students with diverse and Exceptional Needs.
I am proud that Chicago’s National Board Certified Teachers embody the highest standards for accomplished practice. The two-year process our teachers went through wasn’t easy but it has strengthened their individual practice, their schools, our district, and the teaching profession as a whole.
The Nurturing Teacher Leadership program acknowledges that CPS’ continuing investment in our teachers and their professional growth is essential to student success. This can only lead to good things for our students and our city.
https://www.cps.edu/sites/national-board-certified-teachers/
For more information about becoming National Board Certified visit www.ctuf.org/NTL or contact Lynn Cherkasky-Davis at LynnCherkasky-Davis@ctuf.org.