The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is excited to announce a change in policy that will allow early career teachers to begin pursuing National Board Certification as soon as they begin their teaching careers. Previously, educators must have completed three successful years of teaching prior to beginning the National Board Certification process. The policy change now will open access to educators interested in the Board certification process by allowing them to begin the process of Board certification before completing three years of teaching experience. While this change allows educators to begin the process earlier, they still must complete three successful years of teaching employment to become Board-certified. This policy change goes into effect today, September 19, 2022.
The teaching profession is facing many challenges today, including growing shortages and urgent pressure to diversify. This change contributes to solving these challenges, as it provides a clear pathway for early career teachers to accelerate their professional learning and grow their compensation, two critical factors that enable retention and effectiveness. Other professions have built clear, supportive pathways for new practitioners from preparation to accomplished practice. Teaching can and must do the same.
“This policy change will open doors, allowing more teachers to access the transformational impact of National Board Certification, and is another step in our efforts to make the process more accessible, diverse, and centered on the needs of our teachers and students,” Said Peggy Brookins, President and CEO of NBPTS. “We are excited to begin working with teachers earlier in their practice, and to support educators as they deepen their teaching practices and become Board-certified!”
For general program information, please contact Lisa Clarke, Vice President, Experience & Activation at Lclarke@nbpts.org. For media inquiries, please contact Tamara Dudley, Vice President, Advocacy & Communications at Tdudley@nbpts.org.
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.
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