On May 6th, 2021, The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) announced that Juliana Urtubey, NBCT from Clark County, Nevada, has been named the National Teacher of the Year. Urtubey, a National Board Certified Teacher in Early Childhood/Young Adulthood Exceptional Needs Specialist earned certification in 2018.
“Juliana is an exception educator, a remarkable leader, and I’m proud to say, an advocate and supporter of National Board certification,” said Peggy Brookins, NBCT, the president and CEO of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. “We congratulate her and look forward to the year ahead as she serves as a national ambassador for the teaching profession.”
Urtubey currently sits on the Board of Directors for the National Board and has further supported Board certification in myriad ways. She was a member of the 2019-2020 class of National Board Fellows; she is a leader in the Network of Accomplished Minoritized Educators; has contributed to the Standard blog; and was recently interviewed on the National Board Conversations Podcast on which she shared her inspiring life story and discussed why she is such a champion for teachers, students, and their families.
“As the pandemic wanes and schools look ahead, I can think of no brighter light for our profession than Juliana. She will carry a strong torch, helping to advocate for teachers and for students of all backgrounds. I’m excited to continue to be her partner,” said Brookins.
The National Board further recognizes these National Board Certified Teachers who were named their State Teacher of the Year this year:
- Andrew Jackson, Alabama
- Sara Wyffels, Arizona
- Nathalie Roy, Louisiana
- Jennifer L. Wolfe, New York
- Sarah Schumacher Gams, South Carolina
- John Arthur, Utah (Finalist for National Teacher of the Year)
- Alexis J. Barney, Wyoming, candidate pursuing National Board certification
About the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (www.nbpts.org):
The founding mission of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is to advance the quality of teaching and learning by: maintaining high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do; providing a national voluntary system certifying teachers who meet these standards, and advocating related education reforms to integrate National Board Certification in American