15 more teachers are board certified

Fifteen teachers in Dorchester School District 2 have been notified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards that they have earned their profession's highest credential, National Board Certification.

With the addition of this year's board certified teachers, there are now 149 National Board Certified teachers in district classrooms. This year, 755 South Carolina teachers joined the ranks of South Carolina's National Board Certified teachers bringing the state total to 6,499, third highest in the nation. National Board Certified teachers make up 13 percent of the state's teaching force.

"National Board is a rigorous process that requires dedication, countless hours of hard work and a great deal of sacrifice, not only by our teachers, but by their families as well," said State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex. "Achieving teachers tell me that it strengthens what they do in the classroom and forever changes them. That can only have a positive impact on instruction. I congratulate all of them."

The district's newest certified teachers are Lisa Ammerman, Beech Hill Elementary; Katie Barker, Windsor Hill Elementary; Marcel Brown, Beech Hill Elementary; Tomiko Brown, Newington Elementary; Peggy Derrick, Beech Hill Elementary; Janelle Frisch, Fort Dorchester Elementary; Virginia Fowler, Flowertown Elementary; Keirstan Harris, Fort Dorchester High; Linda Migioia, Beech Hill Elementary; Sandra Millbaugh, Windsor Hill Elementary; Kelly Parker, Eagle Nest Elementary; Jennifer Plane, Summerville High; Jessica Sibert, Alston Middle; Carolyn Thomas, Windsor Hill Elementary; and Jennifer Wilde, Beech Hill Elementary.

Dorchester School District 2 Superintendent Joe Pye praised the dedication and hard work of the new recipients of this outstanding personal and professional distinction.

"Not only is this achievement a reward for hundreds of hours of hard work as teachers go through this process, but it also represents many years of service as master teachers in the classroom," he said.

Teachers seeking certification undertake a two-part process that takes from one to three years to complete. The process requires candidates to reflect on their classroom practices, their understanding of subject material and preparation techniques. In addition to preparing a portfolio with videotapes of classroom teaching, lesson plans, student work samples and reflective essays, teachers must complete assessment exercises based on content knowledge that proves they have mastered the subjects they teach.

The National Board process defines the knowledge, skills and accomplishments that symbolize teaching excellence. It was created so that teachers — just as professionals in other fields — could achieve distinction by demonstrating through a demanding performance assessment that they can meet high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do.