News & Media

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Announces Policy Change Allowing Early Career Teachers Access to Certification

September 22, 2022

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is excited to announce a change in policy that will allow early career teachers to begin pursuing National Board Certification as soon as they begin their teaching careers. Previously, educators must have completed three successful years of teaching prior to beginning the National Board Certification process. The policy change now will open access to educators interested in the Board certification process by allowing them to begin the process of Board certification before completing three years of teaching experience. While this change allows educators to begin the process earlier, they still must complete three…

Read More

National Board Networks Honors Program Recognizes 21 Networks

January 28, 2022

Today, the National Board is recognizing 21 National Board Networks that model excellence in support of the National Board’s mission. The 76 National Board networks play a key role in building and sustaining National Board certification, supporting educators who wish to challenge themselves and prove they teach to the profession’s highest standards. The networks also build pathways for National Board Certified Teachers to serve leadership roles throughout their region and state.  “Our staff is dedicated and we push ourselves daily to impact education nationwide. All the networks consistently deliver on the ground in states and districts across the whole country.…

Read More

Calling All California Teachers! Apply for a National Board Certification Grant Today and Receive State Funds!

January 27, 2022

This blog originally published on the Public Advocates website. By Public Advocates and National Board for Professional Teaching Standards  We are delighted that the Governor’s 2021 Budget included a robust investment in the National Board Certification Incentive Grant. National Board certification is the most respected professional certification in education1 and confers innumerable benefits on teachers, students and school communities. These benefits include: Fee subsidy and salary incentives for National Board Certified Teachers Leadership opportunities for teachers, such as mentorship of less-experienced teachers An invaluable professional development experience that connects professional learning with classroom practice An opportunity to positively impact high-needs students,…

Read More

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

January 24, 2022

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards announced today that 2,073 teachers became National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) in the 2020-2021 school year. Showing their deep commitment to student learning and the teaching profession, these teachers represent 49 states plus the District of Columbia.  With the 5,304 teachers 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…

Read More

Two National Board Certified Teachers announced as finalists for CCSSO’s National Teacher of the Year Program

January 22, 2022

The Council for Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) has announced that two  National Board Certified teachers, Whitney Aragaki, NBCT from Hawai’i and Joseph Welch, NBCT from Pennsylvania, have been named as two of the four finalists for the 2022 National Teacher of the Year.  Whitney Aragaki, the 2022 Hawai‘i Teacher of the Year, teaches high school science using cultural and place-based activities to engage students. She also works to provide equitable access to environmental science and computer science courses statewide. She has been National Board certified since 2014.  In a recent social media post, Aragaki said, “It’s been 8 years…

Read More

Midland ISD seeks to recruit, retain and support National Board Certified Teachers

December 16, 2021

District joins National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, Permian Strategic Partnership in efforts across Southeast New Mexico and West Texas. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (National Board) announces today that Midland ISD (MISD) is joining an initiative in which the National Board and the Permian Strategic Partnership (PSP) are working to expand and accelerate the work of ensuring more students in the Permian Basin region are taught by accomplished, National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs). Midland is joining districts in Texas and New Mexico already engaged in this work. More than a decade of research shows that students of…

Read More

Rodriguez-Tovar, Texas Educator, Added to NBPTS Board of Directors

November 10, 2021

ARLINGTON, Va. – November 10, 2021 – The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), announced today the election of Rodrigo Rodriguez-Tovar, a prominent educator from Austin, Texas, to its Board of Directors. “I am thrilled to welcome Rodrigo to our Board of Directors. For years, he has been a champion of our work and a beacon for educators in Austin, in Texas and across the country. His experience and insight will help us advance our mission,” said Peggy Brookins, National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT), president and CEO of the National Board. Rodrigo Rodríguez-Tovar, a National Board Certified Teacher,  is…

Read More

California Acts to Support National Board Certification

November 5, 2021

The California State Board of Education approved elements of a $250 million grant program to increase the number of National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)-certified teachers in high-needs schools. Under the program, any teacher who has attained National Board certification is eligible to receive an award of $5,000 a year for five years if they teach at a high-priority school. In addition, the program provides a $2,500 subsidy to cover the cost of certification for teachers at high-priority school to initiate and complete the program. Read more.

Read More

CMSD offering free National Board training for teachers

October 27, 2021

Julia McDill had decided not to pursue her master’s degree. The seven-year veteran teacher at Franklin Elementary still owes student loan debt from when she earned her bachelor’s in elementary education at the Mississippi University for Women. Adding to that debt just wasn’t feasible. Similarly, McDill had pondered earning her National Board certification, something that would both boost her salary long term and provide her the intensive, reflective teacher training the program’s name implies. But again, entering that program typically takes a pricey $3,000 to $4,000 up-front investment from the teacher. It wasn’t possible for her. Until now. Columbus Municipal…

Read More

Dr. Travis J. Bristol Elected New Chair of NBPTS Board of Directors

September 13, 2021

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards announced today that Travis J. Bristol, PhD, has been elected Chairman of the NBPTS Board of Directors, succeeding Dr. Terry Holliday who served in the role since 2015. Dr. Bristol, whose term will begin in November 2021, comes to the Board with 17 years of experience in classroom teaching and education leadership, including most recently as an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Berkeley’s Graduate School of Education.  “I am deeply grateful to Dr. Terry Holliday for his partnership, mentorship, guidance, insight and his unwavering support and commitment to the National Board’s…

Read More