Like board-certified doctors and accountants, teachers who achieve this certification have met rigorous standards through intensive study, expert evaluation, self-assessment, and peer review. They build a portfolio that includes student work samples, assignments, videos of their teaching, and a thorough analysis of their work. Teachers must demonstrate an ability to meet diverse student needs and show that they collaborate with a learning community outside of their classroom.
National Board Certification also requires several characteristics of its candidates, including that they recognize students as individuals and adjust their teaching methods accordingly, that they treat students equitably, that they master their subject matter, and that they think systematically about their teaching while learning from experience. It is a voluntary program.
All the work submitted by candidates is reviewed by committees of peer educators from across the nation.
Elizabeth MacNab, who teaches second grade at Carver Elementary, says earning the National Board certification was a long process.
“It made me look more closely at my teaching than I ever have before,” said MacNab, who has been teaching for 13 years. “The process makes you so much more aware of what you are doing and why.”
She added, “It’s not about becoming a perfect teacher; it’s about figuring out what works for the students and striving toward your goals.”
The 38 new National Board Certified teachers will be honored at the January 13, 2015 SF Board of Education meeting.
Find out more about SFUSD's National Board Support Program.
Correction: SFUSD now has 252 National Board Certified teachers, as opposed to the previously stated 269.
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