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Highlands Today

11 Teachers Earn National Board Certification

Jasmina Meyer/Highlands Today

Susan McCarta shows her third-grade class an example of a previous student's research project on Tuesday at Lake Placid Elementary School.

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By MARC VALERO

Highlands Today

Published: December 10, 2008

SEBRING - Since the first Highlands County teacher earned her National Board certification in 2001, a steady increase of educators has joined the prestigious ranks, which with 11 newly certified teachers this year now totals 57.

About 23 teachers pursued and applied for national certification, according to Human Resources Director Vivianne Waldron. It's a grueling, time-consuming process.

Lake Placid Elementary third-grade teacher Susan McCarta said it was a rewarding process with a lot of hard word.

"It made me truly look at my teaching style and the way I taught my students," she said. "This is something I wanted to do as a challenge to learn about myself.

"A lot of people don't pass the first time, but I did."

Waldron said several teachers who did not qualify already said they are going to do some retakes to hopefully earn the certification.

Waldron believes 11 is the highest number of new board certified teachers the district has seen in one year, eclipsing the previous high of nine last year or the year before.

The district has lost about five or six board certified teachers, due to retirement or relocation, since 2001.

The teachers receive an annual bonus in January of 10 percent of the statewide average teacher salary, which was about $4,700 last year. But, the teachers will no longer receive a mentoring bonus in the spring.

The district's new National Board certified teachers are:

• Brenda Anderson - Park Elementary.

• Samantha Beattie - Lake Placid Elementary.

• Sandra Eidenbarger - Lake Placid High.

• Courtney Floyd - Memorial Elementary.

• Tracy Lee - Park Elementary.

• Erin Longshore - Memorial Elementary.

• Susan McCarta - Lake Placid Elementary.

• Julie Poucher - Park Elementary.

• Andrea Summers - Lake Placid Elementary.

• Rosemary Webb - Avon Park High.

• Kevin Whitney - Lake Placid High.

The teachers will be recognized at the Jan. 20 school board meeting and the annual Summit Awards, which recognizes the district's teachers of the year and support personnel of the year.

Florida added the most national board certified teachers this year (1,826) in the nation and continues to have the second highest total.

National Board certification generally indicates good teaching. A study done in June by the National Research Council found that students taught by board-certified teachers make greater gains on achievement tests, the Tampa Tribune reported.

Getting certified requires teachers to take a series of tests and submit a portfolio with videotaped classroom lessons. The process takes one to three years and fewer than half of those who apply make it.

Highlands Today reporter Marc Valero can be reached at 386-5826 or mvalero@highlandstoday.com

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