Speaking of Education Backwaters...
If you consider Washington State one of those (as the ed reformers in our state like to do), then how is this true? (from SPS Communications and OSPI):
For the fourth consecutive year, Washington state has placed second in the country in new National Board Certified teachers.
Numbers released today by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards show that Washington has the second-most new NBCTs (575), behind only North Carolina, and is fourth overall in the total number of NBCTs (6,817).
At Baker Middle School in Tacoma, the entire teaching staff – 35 teachers – participated in the certification process: Twelve completed the process and are now NBCTs and 23 were TakeOne! candidates. According to Jillene Partrick, a social studies teacher at Baker, the team atmosphere helped everyone. “We were able to support one another or at least listen to one another with a greater sense of understanding about what we were all talking about,” she said.
Now that's collaboration.
Four school districts in Washington state are in the top 20, nationally, in new 2012 NBCTs:
“I’m proud of the educators across Washington state who have stepped up to the rigorous National Board Certification process,” said Mary Lindquist, president of the Washington Education Association. “Those newly certified join an impressive group of other NBCTs who are active leaders in improving public education, including many serving as association leaders. Washington is a widely recognized leader in the National Board Certification movement, and WEA is a committed partner in that effort.”
Board certification requires teachers to submit a four-part portfolio and a six-exercise content and pedagogy assessment. The 10 entries document a teacher’s success in the classroom as evidenced by his or her students’ learning. The portfolio is then assessed by a national panel of peers.
In 2007, the state Legislature passed a bill that awards a $5,000 bonus to each NBCT. Teachers can receive an additional $5,000 bonus if they teach in “challenging” schools, which are defined as having a certain percentage of students qualify for free and reduced-price lunch (50 percent for high schools, 60 percent for middle schools and 70 percent for elementary schools).
More than 30 percent of new Washington NBCTs teach in challenging schools and 25 percent of all NBCTs are teaching in a challenging school.
Where are all those lazy, low-performing teachers that are regularly decried at the Times and other media outlets? Because if Washington State keeps this up, we will have very, very few left here (which is likely the case right this minute and all this "teacher crisis" stuff is overblown.)
Good training, good mentoring, good principals and collaboration - let's trust our teachers. Many of them are reaching higher and doing it on their own.
Good job Washington State teachers!
For the fourth consecutive year, Washington state has placed second in the country in new National Board Certified teachers.
Numbers released today by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards show that Washington has the second-most new NBCTs (575), behind only North Carolina, and is fourth overall in the total number of NBCTs (6,817).
At Baker Middle School in Tacoma, the entire teaching staff – 35 teachers – participated in the certification process: Twelve completed the process and are now NBCTs and 23 were TakeOne! candidates. According to Jillene Partrick, a social studies teacher at Baker, the team atmosphere helped everyone. “We were able to support one another or at least listen to one another with a greater sense of understanding about what we were all talking about,” she said.
Now that's collaboration.
Four school districts in Washington state are in the top 20, nationally, in new 2012 NBCTs:
- 10th - Bellevue: 34 new NBCTs
- 12th - Federal Way: 30 new NBCTs
- 13th - Seattle: 28 new NBCTs
- 16th - Lake Washington: 25 new NBCTs
There's the entire country and four of the highest ranking districts are in Washington State.
“I’m proud of the educators across Washington state who have stepped up to the rigorous National Board Certification process,” said Mary Lindquist, president of the Washington Education Association. “Those newly certified join an impressive group of other NBCTs who are active leaders in improving public education, including many serving as association leaders. Washington is a widely recognized leader in the National Board Certification movement, and WEA is a committed partner in that effort.”
Board certification requires teachers to submit a four-part portfolio and a six-exercise content and pedagogy assessment. The 10 entries document a teacher’s success in the classroom as evidenced by his or her students’ learning. The portfolio is then assessed by a national panel of peers.
In 2007, the state Legislature passed a bill that awards a $5,000 bonus to each NBCT. Teachers can receive an additional $5,000 bonus if they teach in “challenging” schools, which are defined as having a certain percentage of students qualify for free and reduced-price lunch (50 percent for high schools, 60 percent for middle schools and 70 percent for elementary schools).
More than 30 percent of new Washington NBCTs teach in challenging schools and 25 percent of all NBCTs are teaching in a challenging school.
Where are all those lazy, low-performing teachers that are regularly decried at the Times and other media outlets? Because if Washington State keeps this up, we will have very, very few left here (which is likely the case right this minute and all this "teacher crisis" stuff is overblown.)
Good training, good mentoring, good principals and collaboration - let's trust our teachers. Many of them are reaching higher and doing it on their own.
Good job Washington State teachers!
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