Twelve APS Teachers Earn National Board Certification Renewal

The National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) announced that 12 Arlington Public Schools teachers successfully renewed their National Board Certification.

National Board Certification is a priority for Arlington Public Schools. To date, there are 143 APS teachers who are a National Board Certified Teacher. Currently there are 134 APS teachers working towards their Board certification. The number of Arlington candidates is more than any other school division in Virginia.

National Board Certification is a voluntary assessment program that recognizes, encourages and rewards teachers to strive for excellence. While state licensing systems set basic requirements to teach, teachers who earn National Board Certification have successfully demonstrated advanced teaching knowledge, skills and practices as determined by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Certification is achieved through a rigorous, performance-based assessment that typically takes one to three years to complete.

APS recognizes National Board Certification as part of the Career Advancement Program (CAP). CAP participants may choose National Board Certification as one portfolio option to demonstrate achievement of advanced professional skills and knowledge. The process requires teachers to build a portfolio that includes student work samples, assignments, videotapes and a thorough analysis of their classroom teaching. Additionally, teachers are assessed on their knowledge of the subjects they teach.

The teachers who successfully renewed their certification are:

• Jennifer Altamirano – Discovery Elementary School, Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
• Donald Bierschbach – Yorktown High School, Social Studies History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
• Nicole Billings – Barcroft Elementary School, Generalist/Early Childhood
• Maria Clinger – Swanson Middle School, Science/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
• Sarah Congable – English Language Arts Office, English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
• Jack Lane – Wakefield High School, English as a New Language/Early Adolescence Through Young Adulthood
• Dat Le – Science Supervisor, Science/Early Adolescence
• Allyson McKowen – Yorktown High School, Science/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
• Michael Palermo – Yorktown High School, Social Studies History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
• Jennifer Shearin – Yorktown High School, Social Studies History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
• Katherine Willet – Williamsburg Middle School, Science/Early Adolescence
• Diane Tan – Williamsburg Middle School, Library Media/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood

In addition, Science Supervisor Dat Le has been named to the board of directors of the NBPTS. Le 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.