March 7-13 presents an opportunity to celebrate Mississippi ranking seventh nationally in both the number of newly Board-certified teachers and the total number of National Board Certified Teachers
Jackson, Mississippi-The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards joins Governor Tate Reeves in honoring National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) in Mississippi for their attainment of an advanced teaching credential achieved upon completion of the National Board’s assessment, designed to recognize effective and accomplished teachers who meet high standards. Recent research makes clear that a Mississippi kindergarten student taught by a NBCT is 31% more likely to achieve a proficient score on the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment than other students.
“Especially during a pandemic that has limited the ways teachers are able to interact with students, the additional rigorous assessment and training NBCTs receive helps them to better serve students in communities across Mississippi,” said Peggy Brookins, NBCT, President and CEO of NBPTS. “We look forward to collaborating with teachers, school districts, community and Legislative leaders, and the Governor to continue to grow the number of teachers in Mississippi who are Board certified. This week and every week, we celebrate educators who have deepened their commitment to their profession and their students in pursuit of academic progress in their classrooms and continued professional innovation and growth despite the COVID crisis,” she added.
“Governor Tate Reeves’s proclamation emphasizes some facts that we know – the Board certification process is valuable and important for students, teachers and the state of Mississippi. The intrinsic value to educators coupled with the state’s financial incentive make Board certification attractive in our state and I encourage educators to consider this as their next personal and professional challenge,” said Barbie Ferguson, NBCT, Deputy Director, Mississippi Professional Educators
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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.