Congratulations to our new and newly renewed 2025 National Board Certified Teachers
Congratulations to our new and newly renewed National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) for meeting the highest standards of our profession.
Congratulations to our new and newly renewed National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) for meeting the highest standards of our profession.
These 63 new NBCTs received their advanced certification this past December from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards after a rigorous 2-year performance-based, peer review process, demonstrating their proven impact on teacher quality and student learning. An additional 67 NBCTs maintained their National Board credential over a 1-year renewal/Maintenance of Certification process. We are proud to announce that Chicago Public Schools continues to boast the 3rd highest number of NBCTs of any district in the country, 38.4% of whom are Teachers of Color.
CTU President Stacy Davis Gates acknowledges the tremendous achievement of the recent teachers, counselors, ad librarians who earned and/or maintained/renewed their National Board Certification. “At a time when public education and the profession of teachers is under attack, Chicago and our educators are demonstrating their love of their students and their craft. We are so proud to lead the NBCT program in partnership with CPS that Board-certifies at a rate nearly 27% above the national average. Because of their hard work and dedication, our city is home to over 2,500 National Board Certified Teachers, more than 38 percent of whom are NBCTs of color. It is a terrific example of what can be done when our union, our district, and our educators partner for what our students deserve.”
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (National Board) honors the accomplished educators who have earned and maintained (renewed) their National Board Certification, our profession’s most rigorous, performance-based credential, created for teachers, by teachers. More than 146,000 teachers nationwide have earned certification from the National Board, including 2,547 teachers, librarians and school counselors who achieved this certification while teaching in CPS, reflecting sustained excellence and a commitment to continuous professional growth. “These numbers represent excellence, perseverance, and educators putting their students at the center of their work,” said Peggy Brookins, NBCT, President and CEO of the National Board. “NBCTs strengthen classrooms, schools, and communities every day.”
Our new and newly renewed NBCTs, who have met this most accomplished mark of achievement receive an annual pensionable stipend and may attain further financial benefits as they move up the pay scale. For more information on becoming National Board Certified please visit www.ctuf.org/NTL or write Lynn Cherkasky-Davis at LynnCherkasky-Davis@ctuf.org
The following educators who have recently achieved their National Board Certification describe the process as transformative, sharpening their practice and accelerating student learning. They have demonstrated that going through the National Board Certification process has an immediate and measurable impact in their classrooms. For educators who maintain their certification every five years, the work reflects sustained excellence and continued reflection as student needs evolve. Our new and newly maintained/renewed NBCTs also lead far beyond their classrooms, serving as mentors, team leads, instructional coaches, and policy advocates at the local, state, and national levels. Congratulations to you all!
NBCT Reflections 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Congratulations to our new NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED TEACHERS:
Mark Ainsworth, Science/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Melissa Albarran, Library Media/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Char-Li Ali, Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood
Brandon Barr, English Language Arts/Early Adolescence
Natalie Blondis Krzeminski, Generalist/Middle Childhood
Acadia Broussard, World Languages/Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Frances Buckingham, Generalist/Early Childhood
LaToya Castelaz, School Counseling/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Johan Cece Castillo, English as a New Language/Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Michael Costigan, English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Adam Davenport, Science/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Tyler Dirks, Science/Early Adolescence
Julia Dubnick, Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Lauren Dunning, Science/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Kathryn Edmonds, Generalist/Early Childhood
Jamila Ellis, Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Gregory Fairbank, English Language Arts/Early Adolescence
Richard Farrell, Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Matthew Francolino, Social Studies-History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Huma Haider, Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Katherine Halpin, World Languages/Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Ashley Harris, Generalist/Early Childhood
Adrianna Imtiaz, Generalist/Middle Childhood
Patrick Kelly, Social Studies-History/Early Adolescence
Edith Keneipp, Generalist/Early Childhood
Angelica Krajewski-Conzen, English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Dawn Labady, Science/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Territha Lee, Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Melissa Lofgren, Generalist/Middle Childhood
Virginia Lopez, Generalist/Early Childhood
Kerry Maloy, Generalist/Early Childhood
Timothy McGovern, Social Studies-History/Early Adolescence
Kathleen McMeans, Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Jessica Meyer, Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Daphne Meyer, Generalist/Middle Childhood
Dominque Morris, Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Jayla Neely, Art/Early and Middle Childhood
Cristina Nunez-Ballesteros, Generalist/Early Childhood
Norah O’Brien, Generalist/Early Childhood
Michelle O’Gara, Generalist/Early Childhood
Jonathan Pardo, Social Studies-History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Jonathan Popowich, Physical Education/Early and Middle Childhood
Cinthya Quintana-Marofske, Generalist/Early Childhood
Barbra Raufmann, Generalist/Early Childhood
Samantha Recknagel, Generalist/Middle Childhood
Rebecca Reddicliffe, Generalist/Middle Childhood
Marco Rodriguez, Physical Education/Early and Middle Childhood
Fannie Rodriguez, Generalist/Early Childhood
Leonard Ruszel, Career and Technical Education/Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Margaret Ryan, Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood
Katherine Sabillon, Generalist/Early Childhood
Elise Scarbeary, Social Studies-History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Nita Sengupta, Mathematics/Early Adolescence
Elizabeth Smith, Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Benjamin Stehley, English as a New Language/Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Amy Stuenkel, Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Ralph Spencer White IV, Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Eileen Whited, Mathematics/Early Adolescence
Rebecca Whitfield, English as a New Language/Early and Middle Childhood
Sarah Willett, Art/Early and Middle Childhood
Quiana Wooding, Generalist/Early Childhood
Wayne Zhang, Social Studies-History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Jerry Zhu, Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
And our Newly Renewed NBCTS:
Robert Albritton, Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Maura Ardam, Generalist/Middle Childhood
Achla Bagga, Mathematics/Early Adolescence
Nicholas Barr, Generalist/Middle Childhood
Lucy Barraza, English as a New Language/Early and Middle Childhood
Colleen Bitar, Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Taura Bivens-Basulto, Generalist/Early Childhood
Conor Cameron, Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Mary Carger, Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Brandon Carr, Physical Education/Early and Middle Childhood
Marilyn Cortes, Generalist/Early Childhood
Jennifer Dao, Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Latisha Davis, Generalist/Early Childhood
Megan Domanski, Generalist/Early Childhood
Theresa Dorsey, English Language Arts/Early Adolescence
Christine Edison, Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Allison Eichorn, Social Studies/History Adolescent and Young Adulthood
Peter Eilrich, Music/Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Yuridia Espinosa, English as a New Language/Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Nicole Flores, Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Jacqueline Gaiser, Mathematics/Early Adolescence
Rula Garduno, Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Lucia Ghillany, Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Emily Hoelter-Harris, English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Joseph Irizarry, Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Maeva Jankovich, Generalist/Early Childhood
Jennifer Gerardi, Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Jennifer Kearns, Generalist/Middle Childhood
Deirdre Kenney, Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Cristina Maldonado, English as a New Language/Early and Middle Childhood
Andrew Martinek, Social Studies-History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Jacqueline Mattmuller, Generalist/Early Childhood
Arlicia McClain, English Language Arts/Early Adolescence
Marguerite Mcquaid, English as a New Language/Early and Middle Childhood
Alex Mendez, Art/Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Patrycja Mietka, Generalist/Early Childhood
Binh Nguyen, Science/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Linda O’Kane, English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Kerrie Orrick, Generalist/Early Childhood
Lidia Ortiz, Science/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Nicole Ortman, English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Anginette Parsons, Mathematics/Early Adolescence
Leslie Perez Romero, Generalist/Early Childhood
Devan Picard, Art/Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Anna Marie Proni, Social Studies-History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Jamie Reis, Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood
Jennifer Rodriguez, World Languages/Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Jessica Rogers, Generalist/Middle Childhood
Jessica Rosenbaum, Art/Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Jeremy Rowland, Music/Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Melanie Ruiz, Generalist/Middle Childhood
Casandra Russell, Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Marisol Salgado, Generalist/Early Childhood
Sheri Sampey, Generalist/Early Childhood
Anna Searcy, Social Studies-History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Tabita Sherfinski, English Language Arts/Early Adolescence
Sandra Slattery, Generalist/Middle Childhood
Derek Smith, English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Amy Tolentino, Generalist/Early Childhood
Siobhan Toler, Generalist/Early Childhood
Jacqueline Travis, Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood
Carla Vides, Generalist/Early Childhood
Diane Villarreal, Generalist/Early Childhood
William Weaver, Social Studies-History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Darnella Wesley, English Language Arts/Early Adolescence
Valerie Willuweit, Generalist/Middle Childhood
Victoria Winslow, Generalist/Early Childhood