Debbie Aldous, National Board Candidate in Early Adolescent Mathematics

I will be 39 years old soon, and am entering my 9th year of teaching. Why is this important? Because I am a mother first. Working with my young colleagues who had as many years of experience as me, but didn't have the same knowledge base had me wondering what was the difference. The difference was that I was on the parent side of the conference table for years before I was on the teacher side. That awareness, that I knew something intrinsically those colleagues without children couldn't know, was the beginning of my reflective journey as an educator.

Do I think you must be a parent to be a good teacher? No way. I work with some amazing people who really know how to reach kids, but I do think being a parent makes it easier to seek out and involve parents. Once I recognized that I was one of four parents on a teaching team of 32 teachers, I knew I had to speak up. Then I discovered my district had received a grant to assist teachers in becoming National Board Certified. The next phase began along with 15 of my colleagues.

I teach middle school math in Tukwila, Washington; an ethnically diverse, socio-economically challenged town just south of Seattle. Our parents have brought their children from Somalia, Bosnia, Mexico, Russia, Iraq, Bulgaria, Sudan, and many other corners of the world. They all wish for their children to have every possible chance in this new world. With 29 languages spoken in a school of about 620 students (with 25% of the students identified as English Language Learners) our challenge as educators seems insurmountable. But it isn't. We have amazing students who have seen more of the world than I have; they have also seen more faces of humanity than I would wish. In Tukwila they come together as a community of learners. It is not often idealistic, but there are true light-bulb moments daily. When our students move on to High School, they are fortunate to enter Foster High School, which is one of the 16 Gates Foundation Schools in Washington State. Every one of my 6th graders has a real chance of going to college thanks to Microsoft. I need to challenge them in every possible way as well as recognize that even math class is a place to solidify literacy skills.

How did National Boards impact me? It challenged everything I believed. It forced me to look in a serious way at what I do every single day. When watching the videos of my class for my Portfolio entry I analyzed every statement and question I made with my students. I was fortunate to participate in a Jump Start conference in August 2004 held by the Washington Education Association that had me specify how my curriculum met Washington State Grade Level Expectations. I know now that I can't open the text and start on page one. I need to really know what my students need, and meet those needs. That means every year will be different; how exciting that is! I await the results of my submissions in November; irregardless of the results, I feel empowered and ready to challenge my new students in September.

National Board Certification has empowered me to work effectively with students and colleagues. One of my personal goals is to be like the honeybee, to leave behind more than I take away. Due to my NBCT experiences and the Washington State facilitation model I am meeting that goal each day I work at Union Gap School.

Debra Rose Howell, NBCT
4-5-6 Multiage Teacher
Granite Falls School District - Washington State
Debrarose8@aol.com

In the spring of 1999, after 15 years of teaching in the public schools of Washington State, and several years of searching for the "right" master's degree, I stumbled upon the National Board Teaching certification. At that time only about two dozen teachers in our state had achieved certification. After much research I found National Board Certification to be the perfect fit for me at this point in my professional career. Earlier I had thought of earning a masters degree in counseling or administration, but in my heart I knew my calling was to continue in the classroom.

The entire process of earning my certification started in the summer of 1999 (with a 6 part portfolio) and concluded in July of 2000 with a 6 hour written exam. During this time I continued to teach full time. That is part of the uniqueness of National Board Certification. Going through this very intense process (over 400 hours) of analyzing my own current teaching practices, viewing video tapes of my teaching, analyzing and reflecting on student work, and comparing all of this against the high standards of NB helped me develop into a much stronger teacher leader in my classroom and in my district. It would be difficult to specifically state just one or two aspects of my teaching that benefited the most from this process. Most importantly the process of analyzing and reflecting on everything I do as a classroom teacher became engrained in me. Now 5 years after earning my certification I carry those reflective skills with me. I am a stronger, more effective teacher from going through this process. My students ultimately are the ones that benefit DIRECTLY from my National Board achievements.

In addition, I have become a more effective leader in my school district, impacting educational change across the state of Washington and beyond teaching about multiage education as well as sharing about the successes we have had in Lesson Study. From the leadership of my fellow NBCT Tom White I have successfully implemented Lesson Study in our district, and we are now starting our 4th year of this important form of professional development. I am also starting my 5th year of facilitating groups of NB candidates as they move through this important journey of earning their certificate. This past year I was named ESD 189 Teacher of the Year and also received a Golden Apple from KCTS. Had I not earned my National Board Certification I do not think I would have stepped forward to become the kind of education leader that I am today and made so many important gains for my students.

I believe very strongly that we must continue to federally fund the National Board Teaching Certification process so that we can continue with scholarship opportunities so that MORE educators can, should they choose, participate in this important professional development opportunity. We now have 579 NBCTs in our state of Washington! There is a direct correlation between NBCTs and their classrooms showing higher achievement on state testing. Our kids, working in the public school classrooms, will be the direct benefactors if you will only continue to fund National Board Certification.

Thank you for taking the time to read about my journey toward National Board Certification. When I first heard about national certification for teachers, I was teaching kindergarten. It was a process that I fervently wanted to attempt. However, the application cost of $2000 was much more than I could bear on a teacher's salary! In the fall of 1998, I heard about a full scholarship that State Farm Insurance was offering one Washington State teacher. At the time I was a Teacher on Special Assignment and working as the Tacoma School District Early Childhood Specialist. My job was to assist struggling teachers in grades preschool through grade three and to offer professional development workshops for all teachers in those same grades. I decided this was my chance!!!

I was awarded the State Farm scholarship that year. The pressure was on! I felt obligated to not only do my best toward gaining National Board Certification, but even more pressure to attain certification since State Farm was picking up my tab. At that time, one either reached standard or did not. One could not bank scores and keep trying for two more years. It was "sudden death."

What a year! I borrowed my former kindergarten-grade one multiage class and team taught part-time with the two teachers there. This was the year in which I became most thoughtful about the lessons I planned, the way I taught and the instruments I used to measure student success. I read professional magazines and books voraciously in order to know as much as possible about the range of ages the certificate covers (ages 3 through 7). Since I had never taught preschool, I felt inadequate with that age group. Did I ever become an expert that year!

The results of this intense year of work (I spent over 200 hours beyond school time) really paid off in the following areas

I no longer teach, but am a school principal. In this role and as a National Board Certified Teacher, I am viewed as a Teachers' Teacher. My teachers are open to my suggestions and constantly work toward improving their practices. Students are the beneficiaries. I also have some influence with other school principals as I talk about my certification and as a result have been asked to present information about the certification benefits and process to many other school faculties.

The process is comprehensive, but the results are immeasurable. Without financial assistance, many good teachers would not have the opportunity to become GREAT teachers. Washington has become a model in providing financial assistance and support for candidates. As a result our candidates have the lowest drop-out rate and the highest attainment rate in the nation! Please help us maintain that record.

Francie Jordan, NBCT Early Childhood Generalist

In 2003, I decided to pursue my National Board Certification. That year I had what teachers call, a "challenging" class. I had 26 fourth graders, 56% were from low-income families. There were 5 boys who were diagnosed in having ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity) and one of whom had Tourettes syndrome and another just recently been diagnosed as having a bi-polar disorder. Every student in the class had a story to tell about his/her life, a story that was filled with sadness and frustration. A beginning of the year assessment revealed 11 out of the 26 students were reading two years below grade level and the 3rd grade state mandated test revealed 10 out of the 26 students scored below the 40 percentile (nationally normed test) in math. I was sure my video entries for my portfolio would be, at the very least, "interesting." After the long and arduous certification process of researching, reflecting, writing my portfolios, video taping my students and studying for my 3 hour exam, I realized that I was not the only one that benefited from this journey. The students showed remarkable growth! The state mandated test, Washington Assessment for Student Learning (the WASL), was given later that year to my fourth graders. 25 out of my 26 students passed the standard in reading. 23 out of my 26 passed the standard in writing and math. 23 of my students passed in ALL areas of the WASL! The few who didn't pass missed the standard by just a few points.

I cannot begin to explain to you what I learned through this difficult task and how it impacted me as a teacher. I am making time to be more reflective in my practice. I am utilizing multiple forms of assessments to measure student learning and the effectiveness of instruction. It is important for me establish a relationship with my students and a partnership with their families. I am using the National and State Standards as guidelines for my instruction. I am constantly reading current research on new best practices in teaching and other innovative theories.

This certification identifies an individual as an Accomplished Teacher, and becoming a National Board Certified Teacher has provided many opportunities for me. Along with teaching 4th grade at a rural school, I am currently working with a local university in helping National Board candidates through the certification process. I am also a Professional Certification facilitator (Pacific Lutheran University and our school district) helping new teachers obtain their Professional Teaching Certificates. And I am also a mentor in my building, being released ½ day a week to help improve instruction for struggling students.

The National Board Certification was the most difficult and yet the most rewarding educational endeavor I had ever pursued.

Jodi A. Kimizuka NBCT
Vaughn Elementary School
Vaughn, Washington
kimizukaj@peninsula.wednet.edu

Claudia M. McBride, NBCT
Union Gap School District #2
Union Gap, WA 98903
cmcbride@uniongap.org
fergiesdun@aol.com

I teach 4th grade in Union Gap School District #2, the second oldest school district in Washington State and the oldest school district in Eastern Washington. Our school demographics include an 80% poverty level and 69% minority students. In short, I work at a school where others often don't expect student success. However, naysayers have never met the dedicated staff (80% Masters Level teachers) and enthusiastic students of our school.

Three years ago two colleagues decided to pursue their National Board Certification. One taught 1st grade and the other 7th grade Language Arts. They convinced me that their team needed to be a triad with a 4th grade linking teacher. I was in the process of completing my administrative credential and really didn't know if National Board Certification was something that I wanted to take on. However, my friends are persistent people. With our Washington State facilitation model, Washington Initiative scholarships, supportive colleagues, and determination we tackled our National Board Certification. After becoming an NBCT, my two original NBCT partners both took positions in other school districts. I still teach 4th grade at Union Gap.

However, during and following my candidacy year, I became a more dedicated, effective teacher. Without changing, my students have changed. My students enjoy coming to class. They come early. They like learning. Their end of the year surveys now list science, reading, math, writing, and art as favorite subjects! (When I first started my student exit surveys 5 years ago favorite subjects were typically recess and lunch.) Our classroom is an exciting, safe place where we learn and work together. How do I know? Our 4th grade state assessment scores have been climbing steadily and in our school there is no achievement gap between the ethnic groups. In the past four years our state scores went from 35% to 80% in Reading, 20% to 80% in Writing, and 15% to 60% in Math.

Now my teaching is focused on changing lives through successful learning experiences. I use the core propositions and national standards for teaching to make learning exciting, interesting, and meaningful for my diverse students; Hispanics, Native Americans, African American, and Caucasian. This past year I taught four of my colleagues about the national board process; the core propositions, the standards, and the portfolio entries. This year I will be their facilitator as they begin pursuing their National Board Certification. They too will be taking advantage of our State Facilitation Model, NBPTS Scholarships, group camaraderie and NBCT facilitator support.

National Board Certification has empowered me to work effectively with students and colleagues. One of my personal goals is to be like the honeybee, to leave behind more than I take away. Due to my NBCT experiences and the Washington State facilitation model I am meeting that goal each day I work at Union Gap School.

Tom White
Third Grade Teacher
Edmonds, Washington
whitetj@comcast.net

Continued support of National Board certification is one of the most important investments we can make in public education. The certification process empowers teachers to improve and grow within their own classrooms and to make a difference beyond those four walls. National Board Certification is school reform focused at the most important level: the teacher.

For the first fifteen years of my teaching career I was constantly learning and improving in my work with students. I had reached a point where I was looking for new challenges. Initially, I was thinking about going into school administration, but I knew that I still had a lot more to give to students and I didn't want to leave the classroom. I heard about National Board Certification, and the more I learned about it the more I began to realize that this was exactly what I was looking for.

National Board Certification is a very simple, yet remarkable powerful, concept. Beginning about twenty years ago, a group of educators and other leaders spent close to ten years articulating what it means to be a good teacher. They spelled this out in five core propositions to which every teacher should aspire. These are differentiated into 27 sets of standards, considering the wide variety of assignments within the teaching profession. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, through a rigorous assessment process, certifies those teachers who can demonstrate that they have reached those standards.

A major part of the assessment process requires teachers to assemble a portfolio representing the work they do in the classroom. This took me approximately 400 hours between September 1999 and April 2000 to complete, on top of my full-time job as a third grade teacher. I then began preparing for a six-hour exam, which I took in late July of 2000.

It was a lot of work, but when it was all over I was a far better teacher. The process forced me to become much more analytical and reflective in regard to my teaching. I learn to spend time evaluating each lesson in terms of its effectiveness before planning the next learning activities. I also learned to study student work much more carefully, looking deeply for patterns of understandings and misunderstandings, as well as ways to improve my craft. Numerous national studies have backed up what I have observed first-hand. A study conducted last year at the university of Arizona found that students working for a year with National board Certified Teachers had the equivalent of an extra month of education. This effect was particularly strong in schools that serve highly impacted populations, as my school does.

An important component of attaining National Board Certification was documenting the extent to which I worked effectively with the families of my students. The process forced me to grow extensively in this regard and it has become one of my strongest assets as a teacher. I believe that this was an important reason why I was selected last year as one of five finalists for the National Education Foundation's Excellence in Education Award.

This powerful process has greatly empowered me to grow as a teacher leader. Since certification, I have done important work at the local, state and national level. My most significant accomplishment has been in the area of Lesson Study, a collaborative professional development tool. I started lesson study in my school four years ago, where it grew to include nearly every teacher in the building. Through my leadership, Lesson Study spread to other schools in my district, as well as around the state of Washington and beyond. This has had a positive effect on dozens of teachers and their students. Since my certification, I have worked as a mentor to new and experience teachers. I have also helped other teachers navigate the certification process.

If we are to continually improve public education in this country, we need to focus our resources at the level closest to student learning. National Board certification empowers teachers to become better, both within and beyond their classrooms. I urge you to continue funding of the National Board and to fully fund the scholarship program, which allows more teachers to take advantage of this opportunity to enrich their careers and improve learning for their students.