News & Media
NBCT 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…
Read MoreOp-Ed: Why the Bureau of Indian Education is partnering with the National Board
July 9, 2014
Ron Thorpe, president and CEO of the National Board, and Charles "Monty" Roessel, director of the Bureau of Indian Education, U.S. Department of the Interior, explain why Board certification will be pivotal in improving outcomes for Native American students. Albuquerque Journal, July 9, 2014. Article
Read MoreEdTalk Radio: Supporting accomplished teaching for Native American Students
July 8, 2014
Host Larry Jacobs explores how Board certification fits with the Bureau of Indian Education’s efforts to improve outcomes for Native American students. Guests include Native American educators Jolyn Rose, NBCT, Kara Bobroff and Anpao Duta Flying Earth, both of the the Native American Community Academy in Albuquerque. Education Talk Radio, Larry Jacobs, July 8, 2014. Listen to the Podcast
Read MoreNational Board Praises TALIS Findings on the Teaching Profession
June 27, 2014
ARLINGTON, Va. — Speaking about OECD’s release today of the Teaching and Learning International Study (TALIS), Ron Thorpe, president and CEO of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, praised the results of the study: “Teachers across the nation have confirmed that professional development is too often disconnected from what teachers do every day in the classroom. What regularly passes for professional development is seldom aligned to any vision for how educators grow in effectiveness, beginning with teacher preparation and extending to standards of accomplished practice that have been established by the profession and maintained by the National Board. TALIS speaks to the need for professional…
Read MoreNational Board Partners with Bureau of Indian Education to Certify 1,000 New Accomplished Teachers
June 13, 2014
ARLINGTON, Va. —The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards today announced a groundbreaking initiative with the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) to boost accomplished teaching in BIE-funded schools. As part of the Obama Administration’s continued commitment to working with tribal leaders to address the challenges facing Indian Country, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and Education Secretary Arne Duncan convened a study group to work with tribes and other BIE stakeholders to identify the causes of low-performance in BIE-funded schools. After numerous listening sessions and tribal consultations, the study group released a “Blueprint for Reform,” a comprehensive plan to redesign the BIE…
Read MoreEdTalk Radio: Increasing teacher ‘Board certification’ in Kentucky
June 12, 2014
Ruth Ann Sweazy, Jeffrey Wright and Donna Brockman discuss the importance of making Board certification the norm for teachers in Kentucky. Education Talk Radio, Larry Jacobs, June 12, 2014. Listen to the Podcast
Read MoreThe National Board Seeks Thousands of Teachers for Field Tests
May 22, 2014
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is seeking thousands of PreK-12 teachers to take part in field tests of the revised National Board Certification process. The field tests begin today, starting with the Content Knowledge component, but enrollment will continue through the fall. Click here to learn more and apply today.
Read MoreU.S. Department of Education to Partner With National Board on Teacher Leadership
March 15, 2014
The following is a statement by Ronald Thorpe, president and CEO of the National Board, on the new teacher leadership initiative announced yesterday by U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan: WASHINGTON – “Today Education Secretary Arne Duncan made a major commitment to elevating the teaching profession by announcing the launch of Teach to Lead, a new initiative to advance teacher leadership in partnership with the National Board. For more than 25 years, the National Board has served as the profession’s vehicle for setting the highest standards for accomplished practice. Through National Board Certification, a process created for teachers, by teachers, we…
Read MoreCongressional Forum Weighs Benefits of “Medical Model” for Teacher Preparation
March 12, 2014
WASHINGTON — Nineteen National Board Certified Teachers travelled from 14 states to Capitol Hill today to meet with their members of Congress who are Board-certified physicians. Together they engaged in a forum exploring ways in which our country’s system for preparing teachers could be vastly improved if it was made to be more similar to graduate school and training in the medical profession. Members of both parties and their aides were planning to take part in the discussion hosted by Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo. “As a Board-certified orthopedic surgeon, I’ve seen how Board certification improves the medical profession and helps…
Read MoreThree Education Champions to Receive Prestigious James A. Kelly Award at Teaching & Learning 2014
February 27, 2014
WASHINGTON — The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards will present the prestigious James A. Kelly Award for Advancing Accomplished Teaching to the Honorable James B. Hunt, Jr., founding chair of the National Board and former governor of North Carolina; the Honorable Richard Riley, former U.S. Secretary of Education and former governor of South Carolina; and Barbara Kelley, former chair of the National Board, and the first teacher to serve in this position. “These incredible individuals have dedicated their life’s work to advance the teaching profession in profound ways,” said Ron Thorpe, president of the National Board. “Each one has…
Read More