Nurturing Teacher Leadership

National Board Certification

Nurturing Teacher Leadership (NTL), established in 1997, is the Chicago Teachers Union/Chicago Public Schools 2 year program of FREE professional development and candidate support that prepares Chicago Public School teachers, counselors, and librarians for National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification, the highest credential a teacher or counselor can earn.

Nurturing Teacher Leadership has a success rate of more than 90%, significantly higher than the
national average of 70%.

Did you know that:

1. Our new contract provides a $2142+ pensionable STIPEND for all National Board Certified Teachers, librarians, and counselors (going up to $2295 by the end of the contract).
2. Our 2-year National Board Certification support program (Nurturing Teacher Leadership) is FREE to CTU members.
3. You can earn a Master’s Degree and/or graduate credit while going through the NBC process.
4. You can move to Lane 5 on the CPS pay scale during the program.
5. You earn an ISBE National Board Certification Endorsement on your Professional Educator License – and all the PD Hours you need for your entire re-licensure cycle. And every cycle thereafter National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) only have to complete half the required ISBE PD hours.
6. CNA research indicates that students of NBCTs gain 1 to 2 months of additional learning compared to their peers in other classrooms. The positive impact of having an NBCT is even greater for students of color and low-income students.
7. Paid teacher leadership roles increase after attaining National Board Certification.
8. Research from the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research shows that CPS NBCTs score higher on their REACH ratings than non NBCTs.
9. CTU manages all National Board Certification programming for CPS.
10. More than 2,400 CPS teachers, counselors, and librarians have achieved National Board Certification – earning us the status of being the district with the 3rd largest number of NBCTs in the nation.
11. YOUR STUDENTS ARE THE BENEFICIARIES OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING!

NTL Newsletters

More than 2,000 teachers earn National Board Certification; 130,000 now teach to the profession’s highest standards.

Chicago has the 3^rd highest number of new National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) of any district in the nation, AND the 3^rd highest number of total NBCTs in the country.

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards announced today that 2,073 teachers nationwide became National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) in the 2020-2021 school year.

With the 5,304 teachers across the nation who renewed or maintained their certificate this year, there is now a total of 130,630 teachers from all 50 states who teach to the highest standards in the profession and impact culture and learning for vast numbers of students, schools and communities.

“What a time to be a teacher! Even with the pandemic and other challenges, all Americans should pause to celebrate the new National Board Certified Teachers. They put their teaching to the test, voluntarily challenging themselves, reflecting on their practice and confirming that they are teaching to the highest standards,” said Peggy Brookins, NBCT, president and CEO of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Chicago boasts 58 new National Board Certified Teachers, ranking 3^rd in the nation for both newly achieved and total NBCTs overall. We are proud to announce that 30% of our new NBCTs are Teachers of Color. We encourage teachers of color to pursue National Board Certification and reflect our student population. An additional 83 NBCTs renewed their advanced credential during this cycle.

Through “NBC Chicago”, a partnership between the Chicago Teachers Union and the Chicago Public Schools, the CTU Foundation’s Quest Center, through its Nurturing Teacher Leadership (NTL) program, provides the professional development, candidate support and mentoring for Chicago Public Schools’ teachers, counselors, and librarians pursuing this advanced certification.  CPS funds the programming as well as an annual pensionable stipend for all CPS teachers, counselors, and librarians who become National Board Certified. This structure is codified in the CTU/CPS Bargaining Agreement.

CTU/CPS has produced 2,436 National Board Certified Teachers. Each of these accomplished educators earned or maintained the profession’s highest mark of achievement through a rigorous, performance-based, peer-review process, demonstrating their proven impact on teacher quality and student learning and achievement.

Jesse Sharkey, President of the Chicago Teachers Union, recognized our NBCTs by saying, “My fellow CTU Officers and I are so proud of how hard our newest National Board Certified Teachers have worked to achieve this advanced certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. We recognize the significant impact our NBCTs have on their students, colleagues, and on teaching and learning in our schools. I have seen firsthand how transformative this process has been for our teachers, school counselors, and their students. Their hard work, flexibility, and commitment to the 2-year NBC process in these toughest of times have paid off and their students are the beneficiaries.  The CTU is honored that they have followed in the footsteps of our late President Emerita Karen Lewis, NBCT.  Their leadership has advanced the vision of CTU, the mission of CPS, and our profession as a whole. We look forward to continuing our partnership with CPS in support of National Board Certification. Congratulations to the Class of 2021 and to all the NBCTs who renewed their certificate!”

In a message to Chicago’s new and renewed NBCTs, Lynn Cherkasky-Davis, Director of Teacher Leadership at the CTUF Quest Center, and Manager of the CTU/CPS National Board Certification program, said, “I’m so proud to celebrate our new National Board Certified Teachers who have spent more than 400 hours over two years enhancing their pedagogy; collecting and analyzing student work; creating a portfolio of their practice; partnering with colleagues, parents, and the community; studying videotapes of their teaching in order to improve their instruction; and preparing for content area exams. The new NBCTs are to be applauded for not only meeting the high standards of the National Board but for doing so during the pandemic. This is a great personal accomplishment, but it is more than that – this accomplishment is reason to celebrate the impact Board Certified teachers have on thousands of CPS students and on the teaching profession at large.”

Nurturing Teacher Leadership is celebrating its 25^th year of National Board candidate support this school year.  It has more than a 90% achievement rate, compared to the 70% national average. NTL provides Lane Placement and graduate credits, as well as an optional Master’s degree with our University partner. The program works with all levels of the NBC process from pre-candidacy through initial candidacy, retake support, renewal and maintenance of certification, and support for NBCT leadership. Teachers, school counselors, and librarians interested in seeking National Board Certification may visit www.ctuf.org/NTL for more information and to register for a recruitment meeting, or write to Lynn Cherkasky-Davis at LynnCherkasky-Davis@ctuf.org,

MORE MEANINGFUL METRICS:

• More than 170 CPS NBCTs have worked in district and union leadership positions, including Principals/Assistant Principals, Network Chiefs of Schools, CPS and CTU Program and Project Managers, as well as the CPS Executive Director of Educator Effectiveness, and the former CTU President.
• There are NBCTs in 335 schools in Chicago.
• 36.1% of CPS NBCTs are educators of color.
• CPS NBCTs receive a $2,295+ annual stipend.
• Illinois has the third-highest number of new NBCTs of any state this year, thanks in large part, to Chicago.

Congratulations to our new and newly renewed National Board Certified Teachers. Click here to see who!

NTL Candidate Testimonials

Middle Childhood Generalist mentors Kathy Barabasz, Shauna Edgar, Kathy Kriston, and Tina Franklin-Bertrand

“The National Board Certification (NBC) process, has provided me the extraordinary opportunity to transform my teaching practice through the Nurturing Teacher Leadership (NTL) candidate support program.  I am privileged to be a teacher at a public CPS high school in Little Village and a National Board Certified Teacher.  I firmly believe that quality professional development (PD) creates educators who are attuned to research-based practices which drive highly effective classroom instruction. Educational research in the areas of classroom management, school development, childhood development, instructional practices, curriculum development, and assessment expands daily.  Teachers must have the opportunities to engage with this knowledge and apply these skills within their own teaching context.  This is what my experience with the CTU/CPS NBC program has enabled me to do. I have attended countless PD activities from many different agencies, on top of receiving my graduate degree and endorsement as a transition specialist.

The PD through the NTL program, coupled with candidate mentoring and cohort facilitation through the Quest Center, has exceeded all of these in the amount of knowledge received, opportunities to share experiences with colleagues, support for the implementation of practices that meet high standards,  and opportunities to reflect upon and improve my practice.  I have grown as an effective educator more through the NBC process than through all other PDs combined.  The effect it has had on my students’ achievement is unquestionable. In the year I achieved certification alone my students averaged .5 years of growth in reading, more than in any previous years. All because I was a better teacher. Overall, student growth on interim and performance-based exams also increased. Personally, I improved my organization, efficiency, and relationship with parents. I cannot express enough how essential this program is to the development of teachers throughout the district.  I see the proof in myself, in my students, and I the teachers within my building that have also become National Board Certified. I am grateful for Bargaining Agreement Article 44.27 in which CTU and CPS partner to bring NBC to all district teachers, librarians, and school counselors. The achievement gap cannot be reduced without teachers who are supported and given quality opportunities to grow within their profession. Thank you for this opportunity you provided me as a National Board Candidate, as well as the opportunities I have been afforded since becoming National Board Certified.” – Jennifer Rocque, NBCT, Exceptional Needs Specialist

“Nothing in my entire training and experience as a teacher has pushed me harder to be a better teacher than Nurturing Teacher Leadership/ National Board Certification support. NTL’s NBC candidate support program is the real deal. If you are ready,  peer into the dark corners of your teaching practice and make the changes that your students really need from you.” – Ira Abrams – Adolescent and Young Adulthood English Language Arts candidate

“NTL has provided me with a wonderful learning community within my English Language Arts cohort. Since candidates in my certificate area are from schools all over the city, I have applied what I have learned from their diverse experiences and perspectives to grow in awareness of my own students’ needs and my ability to provide equitable learning experiences to each child. Even after this program is over, I know I will still have a network of teachers there to support me and help me grow.” – Deirdre Littleton, NBCT – Early Adolescent English Language Arts

“I am so happy to be a part of such a wonderful group of educators. I have learned so much not only from my wonderfully supportive and knowledgeable mentors but also from my fellow teachers. We have been able to share ideas in a respected, collaborative space, and I feel like my teaching has already improved since our Summer Institute began in August. Although I know the hardest work is still ahead, I am looking forward to continuing my learning and will remind myself to TRUST THE PROCESS because I know I am in good hands.” – Katherine Young – Early Childhood Generalist candidate

NTL Resources