Dozen District 155 Teachers Achieve National Board Certification

A press release from Crystal Lake High School District 155:

Twelve D155 Teachers Earn National Board Certification

Twelve District 155 teachers have earned their National Board Certification by completing a rigorous performance-based assessment of their skills and knowledge.

The National Board recognizes this certification as a gold standard for teaching that benefits student learning. The following recipients include:

  • Missy Berg – Counselor – Prairie Ridge
  • Aaron Cummins – Art – Prairie Ridge
  • Danica Esquivel – Science – Cary-Grove
  • Devin Hester – English – Cary-Grove
  • Kristine Hester – Music – Cary-Grove
  • Matt Rogers –Science – Cary-Grove
  • Melissa Shasteen – Special Education – Prairie Ridge
  • Stephanie Sukow – English – Cary-Grove
  • Elizabeth VandeMoortel – English – Cary-Grove
  • Karah Veldhoff – English – Cary-Grove
  • Andrew Wagner – Science – Cary-Grove
  • Patrick Whalen – Music – Cary-Grove

“The National Board Certification process challenged me to be more reflective in my practice and examine student growth from a variety of perspectives,” said Stephanie Sukow, National Board Certification recipient.

First row, left to right: Melissa Shasteen, Danica Esquivel, Karah Veldhoff, Stephanie Sukow and Andrew Wagner. Second row, left to right: Steve Olson, Amy Blazier, Aaron Cummins, and Matt Timmerman.

Board-certified teachers must complete four components; assessment of knowledge, reflection on student work samples, video and analysis of teaching practice and documentation of the impact of assessment and collaboration on student learning. This certification identifies qualified teachers in their field, much like the certifications earned by experts in law and medicine.

“I really enjoyed self-evaluating what I was currently doing in groups, in the classroom and with individual students and making changes I felt would better engage my students,” said Missy Berg, Prairie Ridge High School counselor.

Illinois is ranked sixth in the nation for the total number of National Board Certified Teachers. In District 155, a total of 19 teachers and staff have earned this certification.

“At times, I would equate this experience to pursuing a Master’s degree. The time and commitment to completing components felt similar to taking courses. Again, working with colleagues made the time commitment more meaningful because I had people to encourage me along the way. I am grateful to D155 for putting together this program,” said Sukow.


Comments

Dozen District 155 Teachers Achieve National Board Certification — 25 Comments

  1. It sounds like total bs, like the vast majority of certifications.

    I wonder how much this cost D155.

    They probably had to pay for the certifications and give raises to the teachers for getting them.

    Suckers.

  2. Tom? And you know this program is good because? You have no ability to see propaganda? Shoveling BS is the way the world has run for a very long time.

  3. Nice job teachers! Hope you get a pay raise to go along with it.

  4. Nice job teachers!

    I hope you get a nice pay raise to go along with it.

  5. As expected, reactionary, family values, God fearing, gun clinging compassionate conservative, sunshine commenters, react negatively to any achievement from public school teachers. See a teacher? Thank and hug a teacher! 160 days…tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock, meow, meow, meeeeeoooooowwwwwwwww…

  6. Unfortunately our teachers are made to teach garbage.

    Can you imagine if the technology of today was used to teach the basics.

    It’s very sad working with college graduates today who can barely read or write and cannot not find China on a map.

  7. CP? Or do practical things, like read a ruler? I kid you not. They are totally stumped.

  8. Yes, I once lived in the liberal wasteland of Champaign-Urbana and was married to one of these Certificate seeking, getting pay raise for nothing animals.

    But I won’t speak of that unfortunate time.

  9. That explains everything; this sunshine blog also serves as cyber-therapy for frustrated losers in life. See a public school teacher? Hug and thank a public school teacher! 160 days…tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock, meow, meow, meeeeeoooooowwwwwwwww…

  10. According to the D155 teacher’s contract, receiving this certification results in the teacher moving lanes on the salary table.

    The lane movement will result in an annual increase in salary of roughly $3,000/year.

    So, the financial impact for these 12 teachers alone increases the district’s operating expense base by $36,000 annually and continues to grow for the life of their employment.

    Here is the relevant contract language:

    Acquisition of National Board Teacher Certification (NBCT) will be acknowledged by awarding 15 hours of
    graduate course credit toward salary lane advancement. Association members at MS+60, who acquire NBCT
    and, therefore are not eligible for further advancement on the salary schedule, will be granted a one-time
    payment of $2000 in lieu of the aforementioned 15 hours credit.

  11. Gawd… more built in ways to increase salary that has nothing to do with how well you actually do your job. Union values in a nutshell.

  12. “more built in ways to increase salary that has nothing to do with how well you actually do your job.” Again the public education experts on this sunshine blog enlightening us with their union-hating garbage. Do they have a clue about the intensity level of training and the amount of hours this certification requires? Of course not. Do they have a clue about how this newly acquired expertise by these educators will benefit students? Absolutely not. They are only capable of spewing resentment and jealousy disguised as fiscal and budgetary awareness. Their minuscule capability of reason combined with their anti-union fanaticism make them unable to fathom the concept of salary advancement based on experience and skills. Oh wait! This is unless you work on the private sector, because their little mind only tolerates the idea of public employees making less money as they gain years of experience and additional training and skills. See a teacher? Thank and hug a teacher! Stay tuned…tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock, meow, meow, meeeeeoooooowwwwwwwww…

  13. If public school teachers are willing and able to complete the program, it’s unlikely to be particularly onerous.

    If it were, the teachers would opt to take more junior college level ‘graduate’ courses in education to achieve their lane advancement.

  14. Think I’ll go down to the Halloween Store and try on one of those fat suits, to understand better, what it takes to be a teacher

  15. Please open up and share your personal grievances about living with a teacher. Feel better taking full advantage of the cyber-therapy on this sunshine blog. See a teacher? Thank and hug a public school teacher! Tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock, meow, meow, meeeeeoooooowwwwwww…

  16. “If it were, the teachers would opt to take more junior college level ‘graduate’ courses in education to achieve their lane advancement”. More clueless commentary from a sunshine commenter who has no idea what the majority of public school teachers do for salary advancement. See a teacher? Hug and thank a teacher! Tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock…

  17. Stop interfering with Natural Selection.

    This Public Sector species of Nitwit Schoolteacher, has been pre selected by the tax environment, for extinction.

  18. See a private sector taxpayer?

    Grovel at the feet of a private sector taxpayer and give thanks to him.

    Because of him and others like him, you don’t have to go out and get a real job.

  19. The arrogance and fanaticism of these compassionate conservative sunshine commenters seem to be endless. Their vitriolic hatred toward labor unions makes them believe teaching is not a “real job.” Relax my friends, it will not be long before our sunshine blogger posts a negative story about a teacher and you will get your chance to vent all your anger and frustration about your pathetic life. See a public school teacher? Hug and thank a public school teacher! Tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock…

  20. Started at 12:40 P.M. and just finished getting my University of Phoenix Certificate.

    The best part was,, I still took calls and didn’t even have to leave the house.

    Now, where’s my raise?

  21. Have had experience with certifications for my profession. For my profession, very rigorous exams, written and oral. Could not discern, by going to the teacher website involved, of what kind of exams teachers must pass to get the certification. Is there any currently employed teacher reading my comment that can provide info?

  22. True “professionals” – architects, professional engineers, accountants, etc – do not need a union to represent them. Only those with a crutch or deficiency need a union. Never understood why pilots and those in radio broadcasting need a union. Unions protect the lowest performing employees who otherwise would be fired for incompetency.

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