News Room

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards today released a Spanish version of the foundational Lo que los maestros deberian saber y poder hacer (What Teachers Should Know and Be Able to Do) book — also known as the What book. By translating the What book into Spanish, the National Board has increased access to this essential professional document for Spanish-speaking teachers, aspiring educators, parents, students and others who work to ensure students achieve at the highest levels. With 39 million Spanish-speakers in the United States today, this is an important first step toward ensuring that people who speak the…

Teachers author report calling on CA to support 15% increase in NBCTs by 2030 The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards released a report today that outlines how increasing the number of highly accomplished teachers in California classrooms, particularly in the state’s high-need schools, could help eliminate the state’s growing achievement gap. The report, “One Million More: Building a Workforce of National Board Certified Teachers for California Students,” includes key recommendations for California legislators to implement to increase the number of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) in the state by 2030.    Authored by Bootsie Battle-Holt, NBCT and Lori Celiz, NBCT,…

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Council for Professional Recognition (CFPR) and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) have been awarded a contract from the Early Educator Investment Collaborative to conduct a feasibility study to determine the viability of a National Early Childhood Educator Lead Teacher Certification. The goal of the certification would be to ensure that every child has access to high-quality early childhood education (ECE) programs led by early childhood educators who teach to the highest standards and are well prepared, supported and compensated. It is important to sustain the diversity of the ECE workforce and enable practitioners’ voices to…

ARLINGTON, Va. — October 28, 2019 — The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards has announced that 4,786 teachers have renewed their National Board certification and demonstrated that they teach to the highest professional standards. These renewed National Board Certified Teachers come from from 48 states, many of which provide a salary stipend or incentive for these teachers.  There are currently more than 20,000 teachers pursuing National Board certification, a mark of distinction that recognizes accomplished teaching. National Board standards were created by teachers, for teachers, and National Board certification is a voluntary process that acknowledges that teachers have met…

With teacher shortage and teacher diversity challenges impacting schools across the nation, National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) are leading the field in efforts to ensure that all students have access to accomplished and diverse teachers. Launched in 2018 with generous funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Leading, Empowering, and Advocating for the Profession (LEAP) project has engaged more than 200 teachers as change agents in solving locally-pressing teacher workforce challenges. 171 have backgrounds in Early Childhood. Through boot camps, Capitol Hill visits, virtual and in-person skills-building and collaboration sessions, and the creation of a cross-state virtual community, participants learned and applied…

ARLINGTON, Va. – September 26, 2019. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards unveiled today a program that recognizes school districts across the country that work hard to promote student learning through accomplished teaching. The National Board Accomplished Districts program will initially honor 81 districts in which at least 20% of its teachers have achieved National Board certification,* encouraging teachers to be their best and effectively driving student learning. The 81 Accomplished Districts come from ten states including Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Washington. The top three districts by percent of NBCTs are…

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is proud to announce that two National Board Certified Teachers selected have been named as the inaugural California Advocacy Program fellows. The two advocacy fellows were selected from a highly competitive group of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) from across the state.  Lori Celiz, an NBCT at Ansel Adams Elementary School in the Lodi Unified School District Bootsie Battle-Holt, an NBCT at the Marina Del Rey Middle School in the Los Angeles Unified School District. “Bootsie and Lori are already helping to drive student learning in their classroom and district roles. As National…

World-renowned Educator (member of NBPTS Board of Directors), Astronaut, and Engineer Dr. Mae C. Jemison has encouraged us all to take a moment from the chaos of our everyday lives to pause and look up at the sky above. By doing so we remind ourselves, and each other, that we are all connected as members of the human race living together as one on this fragile, yet beautiful rock we call Earth. Dr. Jemison invites us all to participate in a monumental digital event entitled “Look Up Apollo: Footprints on the Moon, Pathways on Earth” occurring this summer from July…

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is proud to announce our 2019 class of National Board fellows. The five fellows were selected from a highly competitive group of hundreds of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) from across the country: Tammy Kirkland of Mississippi, Matthew Poth of Virginia, Dr. Ann Nkiruka Ifekwunigwe, also of Virginia, L. Juliana Urtubey of Nevada and Ben Lathrop of Minnesota. “These five National Board Certified Teachers are already helping to drive student learning in their classroom and district roles. As National Board fellows, they will expand their reach beyond their local communities to help grow…