News & Media
Coalition Launches Roadmap for Transforming the Teacher and Principal Professions
October 7, 2014
WASHINGTON — More than 100 national, state and local civil rights, disability, rural, youth, higher education, principal and education advocacy organizations under the banner of the Coalition for Teaching Quality went to Capitol Hill today to urge Congress to push a comprehensive roadmap for ensuring students in every community have access to well-prepared and effective educators. At House and Senate briefings the coalition will press the importance of profession-ready and effective teachers and principals as key to advancing educational opportunity. “One of the most critical investments we can make is in high-quality education for our children, and that starts with…
Read More31 Organizations Pledge Support for Teach to Lead
October 6, 2014
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards announced today that 31 organizations have joined the Teach to Lead initiative as supporters in the effort to advance student learning by expanding opportunities for teacher leadership. Supporters include the National Education Association (NEA), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and the National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY). Each organization pledged to help engage the field and their members in various ways, including through social media, summits,…
Read MoreUS News: Americans want a bar exam for teachers
September 16, 2014
This article examines the results of a national opinion poll by PDK and Gallup, which found strong public support for Board certification for teachers. US News, Allie Bidwell Article
Read MorePDK/Gallup Poll Finds Strong Public Support for Board Certification for Teachers
September 16, 2014
ARLINGTON, Va. — More than 80 percent of Americans agreed that teachers should achieve Board certification in addition to be being licensed to practice, similar to professions like law and medicine, according to results from a national poll by PDK International and Gallup released today. The statement garnered the most positive overall response from respondents among the survey questions included in the 46th annual Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, published in the October issue of Kappan. In addition, 70 percent agreed that “new teachers should spend at least a year practicing under the guidance of a…
Read MoreResidency: Can it transform teaching the way it did medicine?
September 1, 2014
In this compelling article in PDK’s Kappan magazine, Ron Thorpe explores how the teaching profession can learn from the medical profession by adopting the residency model. Kappan, September 2014 issue. Article
Read MoreNew Online Community Seeks to Crowdsource Teacher Leadership to Improve Education
August 28, 2014
WASHINGTON — As students and teachers across the country head back to school, the U.S. Department of Education and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards today unveiled “Commit to Lead,” a new online community that makes it easy for educators to share ideas for teacher leadership and collaborate to bring them to fruition. The community enables educators everywhere to provide feedback and vote on each other’s ideas, allowing the most talked about ideas to rise to the top so they can gain traction and prominence in the field. Commit to Lead is the online platform of Teach to Lead,…
Read MoreRon Thorpe expands on medical residency analogy in Kappan
August 20, 2014
The September 2014 issue of Kappan magazine features a compelling article by National Board President and CEO Ron Thorpe titled, "Residency: Can it transform teaching the way it did medicine?" In the piece, Thorpe explores complex questions, including: Should the education profession push for universal residency for teachers? What would it look like? How would it affect student learning and the basic culture of the teaching profession? Given that residency would substantially raise the bar for entry into the profession, what effect would it have on the workforce? How would we pay for it? Read the full text and let us know your thoughts by…
Read MoreHow National Board Certification Helped Me Turn Around A Failing School
August 12, 2014
Dr. Kiela Snider, NBCT, shares the story of how she led her entire teaching staff through the National Board Certification process as principal at Julius Corsini Elementary in Desert Hot Springs, Calif. The results were a dramatic boost in student achievement, lower teacher turnover and increased parental involvement. Snider is now principal at the Palm Springs Unified School District. The Edvocate, August 12, 2014. Article
Read MoreNEA Appoints National Board COO Andy Coons to Lead Policy and Teacher Quality Division as Senior Director
August 6, 2014
WASHINGTON – The National Education Association (NEA) announced today that it has hired Andy Coons, chief operating officer of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, to join its leadership team as senior director of its Center for Great Public Schools. In his new role, Coons will continue his work to elevate the education profession by directing the NEA’s efforts in several key areas, including: education policy, teacher quality, products and resources, education support professionals and research. He will begin his new role this fall. A National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) and 13-year teaching veteran, Coons taught middle school math in…
Read MoreNBCT Mary Cathryn Ricker Elected as AFT Exec. Vice President
July 14, 2014
ARLINGTON, Va. — Today the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) announced the election of Mary Cathryn Ricker, a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) from St. Paul, Minnesota, as the association’s executive vice president, its third-ranking leadership position. Ricker, who also serves on the NBPTS Board of Directors, previously served as an AFT vice president and announced that she will step down as the president of the local St. Paul Federation of Teachers. She will serve under AFT President Randi Weingarten, who was re-elected to a third term. Applauding the news, Ronald Thorpe, president and CEO of the National Board, issued…
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