The Carson City School District is pleased to announce three more National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) who have earned recognition from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). The teachers were recognized in Tuesday’s school board meeting. NBCT is widely considered to be the highest professional recognition for educators and includes a five percent state pay increase in acknowledgement of accomplished teaching.
The teachers earning certification are Shelina Bouthillier, fifth grade teacher at Bordewich Bray Elementary, NBCT for Generalist, Middle Childhood; Sarah Quisenberry, third grade teacher at Fremont Elementary, NBCT for Literacy: Reading and Language Arts and Laura Ricks, TOSA-Instructional Coach at Empire Elementary, NBCT for Literacy: Reading and Language Arts. These accomplished educators earned the profession’s highest mark of achievement through a rigorous process, demonstrating their proven impact on student learning and achievement.
Additionally, three teachers renewed their certification through the Maintenance of Certification process. Jennifer Chandler, American Government, World History teacher at Carson High School, NBCT for Social Studies-History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood, Pamela Shank, fifth grade teacher at Fremont Elementary, NBCT for Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood and Joanna Kaiser, TOSA/Implementation Specialist (GATE), NBCT for Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood.
Carson City School District, Northwestern RPDP and the Nevada State Education Association have partnered together to encourage educators to be a part of the National Board Certification program. National Board Certification was developed by teachers to retain and recognize accomplished teachers and to generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide.
Rachel Croft, NBCT and fourth grade teacher at Bordewich Bray Elementary, said she recommends the process to any teachers considering it.
“While pursuing National Board certification was the most demanding thing I have done in my teaching career, it was also the most rewarding and fulfilling,” she continued.
These teachers join 18 other board certified teachers in the district (alphabetically by last name): Patricia Ababio, Graphic Arts teacher in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program at Carson High School; Katheryn Brown, Special Education teacher at Bordewich Bray Elementary School; Linda Belnap, English as a Second Language teacher at Eagle Valley Middle School; Christina Bourne, Music teacher at Mark Twain Elementary School; Lacey Carey, Literacy Specialist ELA at Fritsch Elementary School; Jenny Chandler, Social Studies teacher and department chair at Carson High School; Rachel Croft, fourth grade teacher at Bordewich Bray Elementary; Debra Crozier, first grade teacher at Mark Twain Elementary School; Jessica Daniels, Principal of Carson Montessori School; Leah Hampton, Math teacher at Carson High School; Rhonda Holloway, English teacher at Carson Middle School; Alyssa Jensen, kindergarten teacher at Mark Twain Elementary School; Nicolas Jacques, Music and Band teacher at Carson High School; Joanna Kaiser, GATE Implementation Specialist; Molly Martin, first grade teacher at Mark Twain Elementary School; Nicole Medeiros, second grade teacher at Bordewich Bray Elementary; Jennifer Palmer, Special Education teacher at Eagle Valley Middle School; and Pamela Shank, fourth/fifth Grade teacher at Fremont Elementary.
It is also important to note that Carson City School District currently has a cohort of additional teachers who are pursuing board certification this coming year.
Certification is a one-to-five-year process that includes taking an assessment and assembling three portfolios. According to the NBPTS, each of these accomplished educators earned the profession’s highest mark of achievement through a rigorous, performance-based, peer-review process, demonstrating their proven impact on student learning and achievement. Completing the certification shows that each teacher knows and practices “the definitive standards of accomplished teaching.”
The Carson City teachers are among 1,317 National Board Certified educators in Nevada and nationwide, there are 133,500. In the next year, National Board is hoping to grow those numbers to over 150,000 educators. More than a decade of research from across the country confirms, students taught by Board-certified teachers are one to two months ahead of their peers taught by non-board-certified teachers.
Nicolas Jacques, NBCT and Music and Band teacher at Carson High School, credits National Board Certification as one of the best professional development processes available.
“After going through the National Board certification process, I often find myself trying new ideas and techniques with students that would have never crossed my mind in the past,” he said. “I also find myself adjusting lessons more immediately and adapting based on how students respond. This process has helped me help students more effectively.”
The National Center for Education Statistics projected that more than 3.6 million teachers are employed in public and private elementary and secondary schools. Carson City teachers interested in pursuing board-certification are invited to contact Candidate Service Providers Rachel Croft, [email protected], Christina Bourne, [email protected] and Jenny Chandler, [email protected].