Arizona Education Association

Spring 2017

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SPRING 2017 | ADVOCATE 23 Teacher-Led Movement to Strengthen Teaching Continuum and Elevate the Profession Taking Root 10 Arizona Teachers Become Board-Certifi ed, 27 Renew, and More than 700 in Process Congratulations to the New 2016 National Board Certifi ed Teachers Elizabeth Bouwens Tucson Unifi ed School District Shawna Bradley EDUPRIZE Mollie Crouch Tucson Unifi ed School District Amy Hollister Phoenix Union High School District Lauren Hubert Phoenix Union High School District Carrie Jasinski Dysart Unifi ed School District Amee Legarra Flowing Wells Unifi ed School District Rachel Mazzullo Scottsdale Unifi ed School District Katie Piehl Washington Elementary School District Jennifer Sumida Phoenix Elementary School District Professional Development T his past December, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) celebrates 533 new and 3,384 renewed National Board Certifi ed Teachers (NBCT) along with the tens of thousands of teachers currently pursuing Board certifi cation – seen as the profession's mark of accomplished practice. To date, 1,219 Arizona teachers have earned National Board Certifi cation. The Arizona K12 Center provides high-quality professional development and leadership development to educators across the state. Teachers interested in seeking National Board Certifi cation will fi nd an array of resources and statewide support at the center, as well as administrative and technical assistance. Arizona recognizes National Board Certifi cation through its licensure requirements. NBCTs receive the same certifi cate as non-NBCTs, but for many NBCTs, the content knowledge and/or the professional knowledge test is waived. National Board Certifi cation is a means of meeting the professional growth requirement for renewal of the state license. "I couldn't be more proud of our class of new and renewed NBCTs and of all Board- certifi ed teachers. These teachers have proven that they teach to the highest standards – and research makes clear that their students are the ones who benefi t. At the National Board, we've worked to engage more teachers in the process, which has been revised to be more fl exible and affordable, while the standards remain unchanged. In response to these revisions, and with the support of states and districts across the U.S., we've seen signifi cant interest in pursuing Board certifi cation, exhibited by the 20,000 candidates in progress. The future becomes brighter as we all work towards an accomplished teacher for every student across the country," said Peggy Brookins, NBCT, President and CEO of the National Board. In growing numbers across the country, NBCT leaders are advocating for new ways to bring accomplished teaching – and by extension, improved student learning – to scale using National Board Certifi cation as a foundation for job-embedded, relevant and engaging professional learning. One of the most common models taking shape includes teams of teachers, with support from their schools and districts, using components of the revised certifi cation assessment to examine and strengthen their teaching practice. Teachers and administrators alike report positive change in school culture and teacher practice. These collaborative efforts also strengthen the teaching continuum while growing the numbers of accomplished teachers. This work is critical to the long-term success of our schools and to sustaining and elevating the teaching profession. Refl ecting on the organization's recent developments, Brookins added, "We're excited by the progress we're seeing to bring Board certifi cation to scale and that our new process is making it possible for more teachers to pursue the professional standards that undergird certifi cation. With innovative approaches to this work in many districts and states, high-value resources like our ATLAS video case library, and more than 112,000 committed, Board-certifi ed teachers helping to embed this important work, we're moving towards the day that every student in every zip code will be taught by an accomplished teacher. Indeed, that will be a good day for our students, our schools and our communities." For more information about National Board Certifi cation, visit www.boardcertifi ed teachers.org and www.nbpts.org. AEA members listed in bold ■

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