Arlington, VA – Dr. Barnett Berry, research professor at the University of South Carolina and Founding Director of All4SC, will receive the National Board’s James A. Kelly Award for Advancing Accomplished Teaching on April 9, 2021. The Kelly Award, named after James A. Kelly, Founding President and CEO of the National Board, recognizes and honors individuals who have contributed to the advancement of accomplished teaching.
Dr. Berry has dedicated his career to empowering highly accomplished teachers to become authentic teacher leaders. His early advocacy and commitment to modernizing the teaching profession and expanding access to quality education led him to create a non-profit, the Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ) more than 20 years ago.
During his time with the CTQ, Dr. Berry organized one of the first virtual teacher networks, now known as the Collaboratory, whose membership initially was dominated by National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs). The Collaboratory launched some of the most important teacher blogs of the past decade and gave many accomplished NBCTs their first opportunities to engage directly with educational policy, including hundreds of teachers researching and creating policy statements on topics ranging from performance pay to hybrid roles for teachers.
“Dr. Berry’s legacy is one that aligns with the mission and values of the National Board and the vision of our founder, James A. Kelly. Throughout his career Dr. Berry has organized teacher leaders and collaborated on some of the most significant educational achievements in the past two decades,” said Peggy Brookins, NBCT, President and CEO of the National Board.
“Honoring Dr. Berry with this prestigious award is a reflection of his commitment to the empowerment and professional development of teachers and a recognition of his significant contributions to the education field,” added Brookins.
- Since its inception in 1999, the James A. Kelly Award has honored individuals who embody the following traits, reflecting the legacy of James A. Kelly:
- A deep-seated belief in the inherent right of all children to a quality education;
- A professional life dedicated to improving education for teachers and their students;
- A passionate commitment to improving teaching and learning in America;
- Unwavering dedication to the professional integrity and competence of teachers;
- Visionary and boundless energy, eternal optimism, and expert leadership;
- An innate capacity to inspire collaboration and mobilize support that enabled unparalleled achievements in the history of American education reform; and
- A clear vision coupled with steadfast commitment and fierce determination which has led to historic milestones in American education and a meaningful impact on teaching and learning.
Past recipients of this award include President Bill Clinton, President Barack Obama, the Honorable Richard Riley, the Honorable Arlen Specter; the Honorable James B. Hunt, Jr. the Honorable Roy Barnes, the Honorable Ted Strickland, Barbara Kelley, Edward Rust, Jr., Linda Darling-Hammond, Mary Hatwood Futrell, and Ron Thorpe.
Read the full remarks of Dr. Barnett Berry here
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About the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (www.nbpts.org):
The founding mission of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is to advance the quality of teaching and learning by: maintaining high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do; providing a national voluntary system certifying teachers who meet these standards, and advocating related education reforms to integrate National Board Certification in American education and to capitalize on the expertise of National Board Certified Teachers. Recognized as the “gold standard” in teacher certification, the National Board believes higher standards for teachers means better learning for students.