Press Release –April 17, 2017
Philadelphia, Pa
Created by teachers, for teachers, National Board Certification is the profession’s mark of accomplished teaching. The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) and the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) are pleased to announce they are collaborating to reestablish the National Board Teacher Support Program at Temple University. The program will provide multifaceted support to teachers going through the certification process. This effort is made possible by a four-year grant from the William Penn Foundation to Temple University College of Education. According to Temple University College of Education Dean Gregory Anderson, “This partnership and the support of the William Penn Foundation recognizes the strength of the college in its preparation of educators to the highest standard who are equipped to make a difference in the lives of students in Philadelphia.”
“The Federation fully supports the efforts of this program. Earning National Board certification is a prestigious accomplishment and this program will assist many of our educators on their journey toward certification,” said Jerry Jordan, PFT President.
The collaboration aims to support wide dissemination of this program to embed National Board certification across the district. Special attention will be paid to teachers in SDP Academic Priority Schools. The District’s Superintendent, Dr. William Hite recognized the importance of this collaboration. “National Board Certified Teachers are highly accomplished, passionate advocates for our students, and we look forward to this exciting partnership that will help even more teachers in Philadelphia to obtain this significant distinction.”
The program will strive to improve student achievement in Philadelphia by supporting more than 300 teachers pursuing National Board certification. The support will include mentoring to support candidates, scholarships to cover fees and networking opportunities for candidates and current National Board Certified Teachers. Additionally, a course which will enhance content knowledge in early grade literacy and provide proportional alignment to citywide early grade literacy efforts will be offered. Candidates will be offered workshops to develop an understanding of the certification process. The program will utilize innovative recruitment approaches including cohort-based support for teachers.
“We know that having groups of teachers working together to achieve Board certification has an immediate impact on teachers, schools and communities. It impacts culture and drives all teachers to set higher standards for their work. Extensive research shows the impact of Board certification on student achievement; it also shows that Board-certified teachers are more likely to remain in the teaching profession than if they had not certified,” said Peggy Brookins, NBCT, President and CEO of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
“Our team at the National Board will work side by side with the Philadelphia team to help build this program as we work in parallel with others around the country. We want this program to succeed because we know it will have a positive impact on students. I look forward to seeing the results from Philadelphia,” added Brookins.
The first cohort of candidates will be formed during Spring 2017, with support beginning during the summer. Information sessions for potential and current candidates and current NBCTs who would like to mentor new candidates will begin in March. For more information about the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, please visit http://www.nbpts.org/