Be Informed, Feel Empowered, Get Active
As a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT), you are part of a community of accomplished teachers nationwide who have a unique and influential voice in education. You have important talents that can advance your own professional growth, leadership and education reform efforts as well as support for National Board Certification. We hope the information below will help you have the greatest impact as an NBCT. We look forward to supporting you.
Spread the Good News
- Use the NBCT designation with your name, display your NBCT certificate in your classroom or office and include “NBCT” when reporting educational experiences and receiving honors.
- Encourage your principal, school and school district to share news about National Board Certification with colleagues, parents, district administrators, school board members and elected officials.
- If you are a new NBCT, publicize your achievement. Access the secure score reporting site, retrieve the online customized press release and submit it to your district public relations or communications office as well as local newspapers, college alumni and other professional publications.
- Share your personal National Board journey and stories with us at www.nbpts.org/mystory.
- Visit the NBPTS online store at www.nbpts.org/store.
Continue Your Professional Growth
- Join your NBCT colleagues on NBCTLink, an online community exclusively by and for NBCTs. Visit nbctlink.org for more information.
- Become an assessor for National Board Certification.
- Receive a recommendation for graduate credits for achieving National Board Certification.
Support Educational Leadership and Reform
- Stay up to date on news about education practice and policy. Subscribe to our free daily news summary, Accomplished Teacher® by SmartBrief.
- Engage colleagues, school officials, community members and policymakers in conversations about how we can improve our schools.
- Share research about the positive impact of National Board Certification on student achievement, teacher retention and professional development. The National Research Council of the National Academies found that students taught by NBCTs make higher gains on achievement tests than students of non-certified teachers.
- Become a mentor or coach—help teachers understand and apply NBPTS Standards in their practice.
- Serve on committees where your expertise as an accomplished teacher is needed.
- Seek ways to collaborate with institutions of higher education to improve teacher preparation and professional growth.
- Review and comment on NBPTS Standards in your field when they are updated and inform your community about how the standards improve schools.
- Contribute articles about teacher quality to education journals and magazines.
Encourage and Support National Board Certification
- Recruit teachers in your school district to pursue National Board Certification, and support them as candidates. By obtaining an NBPTS Recruitment Packet, you will receive a presentation template, posters, flyers and other resources to help you hold successful meetings.
- Lead workshops and make presentations at state and national conferences to inform others about the value of National Board Certification. Help staff conference booths for NBPTS. If you are attending a conference and would like to find out if NBPTS has a booth, inquire at outreach@nbpts.org.
- Provide policymakers with examples from your classroom as to how National Board Certification makes a difference in student achievement and learning. Invite an elected official to your classroom.
- Learn more about legislative issues affecting the National Board and NBCTs. Use NBPTS AdvocacyLink to inform legislators and reporters about the difference NBCTs make in the classroom.
- Become an NBCT advocate.
Know Your Regional Outreach Director
- Visit the interactive map or send an e-mail to outreach@nbpts.org to reach the NBPTS regional outreach director in your area. Be sure to indicate your specific interests.