New Directors Include Education Advocate Montserrat Garibay; Nevada’s State Board of Education Member Tonia Holmes-Sutton; and Presidential Award Winner Dat Le. All Are National Board Certified Teachers
ARLINGTON, Va. – December 6, 2016 – The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, a nonprofit organization created by the teaching profession to set and maintain standards of accomplished practice, announced the election of three prominent education leaders to its board of directors, all of whom are National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs). Elections were held during the organization’s November Board meeting.
“Our new board members represent the great diversity of thought and perspective in the teaching profession. All three are accomplished practitioners and National Board Certified Teachers; they are also strong advocates for the profession. The new directors are highly skilled, holding leadership roles and serving as great role models,” said Peggy Brookins, NBCT, president and CEO of the National Board. “Our new board members will bring fresh perspective and energy and strong leadership as we advance our efforts to make Board certification the norm in the profession.”
Joining the NBPTS Board of Directors are:
- Ms. Montserrat Garibay, NBCT (Early Childhood/Generalist), taught bi-lingual Pre-K in the Austin, Texas public schools for eight years and was co-founder of the University Leadership Initiative. Ms. Garibay is the vice president for Certified Employees with Education Austin and is a fierce advocate for children and families on issues of access and equity in public education.
- Dr. Tonia Holmes-Sutton, NBCT (Early Childhood/Generalist) is a leader in education advocacy in southern Nevada. A proponent of professional learning communities, Holmes-Sutton leads the Network to Transform Teaching for Clark County, working to embed accomplished teaching along a teacher career continuum and scaling to Board Certification. Her primary service and support has been to children and families of high-needs communities within the Las Vegas Valley, she serves as a Governor-appointed member on the Nevada State Board of Education and in several other education leadership roles.
- Dr. Dat Le, NBCT (Early Adolescence/Science), taught for many years in Arlington County, Virginia and is now the Science Supervisor for the county, serving 26,000 students. He has received several teaching awards including the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). Le has served on standards committees at the district, state and national level and has been an adjunct faculty member at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
The new directors join a prestigious group of education professionals on the NBPTS Board, including former Commissioner of the Kentucky Board of Education, Terry Holliday, who serves as chair, other accomplished teacher leaders, and the presidents of the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association. The majority of NBPTS Board members are NBCTs.
“I know I speak for fellow board members when I say that we are thrilled to welcome new education leaders to the NBPTS Board,” said Dr. Holliday. “In their diverse roles and with their great range of experience – in the classroom and in advocating for accomplished teaching – they are sure to help the National Board team continue its work to elevate the profession and advance accomplished teaching, leading to Board Certification that I know will help teachers and students across the country.”
Retiring members of the Board of Directors include: Mauro Diaz, NBCT, an 8th Grade Science Teacher at Dean Morgan Middle School in Casper, Wyoming; Steve Gardiner, NBCT, 2008 Montana Teacher of the Year and recently retired English teacher at Billings Senior High School in Billings, Montana; Cedrick Gray, former Superintendent of Jackson Public Schools in Jackson, Mississippi; and Christy Levings, vice chair of the NBPTS Board of Directors, former Instructional Resource Teacher Support for Olathe District Schools in Kansas and former member of the NEA Executive Committee.
Nationwide, more than 112,000 teachers have achieved National Board Certification, demonstrating that they have met the profession’s standards for accomplished practice. National Board Certification is available in 25 certificate areas, from Pre-K through 12th grade.