APS News Release

14 Teachers Earn National Board Certification

14 additional teachers successfully renewed their certification

Updated Jan. 4: The National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) announced that 14 Arlington Public Schools teachers successfully earned their National Board Certification. National Board Certification is a priority for APS. To date, there are more than 220 APS teachers who are a National Board Certified Teachers. APS ranks second in Virginia for the number of National Board Certified teachers.

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 NBPTS. 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 earned their certification are:

Name School Certificate Area
Brian Bersh Jamestown/Taylor Music
Carrie Cleary Innovation Exceptional Needs Specialist
Angelique Coulouris Discovery Early Childhood Generalist
Kelly Dillon Yorktown English Language Arts
Karina Fasullo Randolph English as a New Language
Meghan Fatouros Abingdon Library Media Specialist
Lindsay Kennedy Yorktown Science
Pam Luhowy Washington-Liberty Exceptional Needs Specialist
Kathleen Moore Carlin Springs Literacy
Brittany Oman Science Focus Exceptional Needs Specialist
Jessica Paz-Soldan Yorktown Science
Erin Smith Washington-Liberty Science
Katherine Stuver Discovery Exceptional Needs Specialist
Rebecca Zimmerman New Directions/Langston Mathematics

The following APS teachers successfully renewed their certification:

Name School Certificate Area
Lisa Blandford Williamsburg Science
Karen Bui Washington-Liberty Mathematics
Susan Carr Washington-Liberty Mathematics
John Croddy Hoffman-Boston Exceptional Needs Specialist
Eileen Colihan Williamsburg Career and Technical Education
Greg D’Addario Barrett Early Childhood Generalist
Laurie Dodson Key School Counseling
Nora Garcia Hoffman-Boston English as a New Language
Julie Hutsell Swanson Mathematics
Elizabeth Lebedeker Claremont Literacy
Julie Huynh Carlin Spring Exceptional Needs Specialist
Joanne Mann Jefferson English Language Arts
Michelle Marrero New Directions/Langston English as a New Language
Anthony McPhee New Directions/Langston Mathematics
Katie Ross Taylor Early Childhood Generalist
Megan Zelasko Campbell Early Childhood Generalist

The teachers will be recognized by the School Board at the Feb. 3 meeting.