Along with the school administration, the main pillars of a school rest on the teachers shoulders. The better and more dedicated the teacher, more the students benefit from her experience. National Board certifications play a huge role in ensuring that higher standards for entry, advancement, and leadership are followed in the teaching profession and recognize accomplished teaching through rigorous personal certification process.
Today, Bellevue School District has now landed among the top ten districts nationwide for numbers of new National Board Certified teachers. Newly released numbers show Bellevue has 34 new National Board Certified teachers in 2012, which lands the district in the top ten nationally and is more than any other district in the state. National Board Certification is the highest credential available to educators. More than thirty percent of all teachers in Bellevue are Nationally Board Certified. “The number of teachers who have chosen to pursue such a high standard is impressive, and directly supports the quality of instruction that all of our educators in the Bellevue district strive to provide to each child in every classroom, every day,” observed Superintendent J. Tim Mills.
Bellevue currently has more than 380 National Board Certified teachers. Bellevue provides a high level of support for teachers who seek board certification by helping them cover the cost of initial registration and assessment fees. In addition, the Bellevue Schools Foundation also provides support to NBCT candidates, investing more than $795,000 in the program since 2003.
Teachers who are Board Certified must complete a rigorous process and meet high standards regarding what educators should know and be able to do. Teachers who undertake that rigorous Board Certification process demonstrate an ongoing commitment to the education of students, as well as their own professional development and growth. The certification process takes one to three years and as many as 400 hours of work.
Applicants must have at least three full years of teaching or counseling experience. In order to achieve Board Certification, teachers must submit a multi-part portfolio that documents teaching practices and assesses content knowledge. A national panel of trained teachers in the applicant’s subject area reviews the portfolio. Board Certification is from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, which sets the bar for what it means to be a great teacher.
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