CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Sixty-one West Virginia teachers, who earned National Board Certification for 2012, the highest credential in the teaching profession, were honored Wednesday for their achievement. The new additions increase the number of National Board Certified Teachers in West Virginia schools to nearly 700.
"National Board Certified Teachers have demonstrated they know how to bridge the gap between what students learn today and what they need to know to be successful in college and careers," said state Superintendent Jim Phares. "Teachers who receive the national certification are clearly among America's best. They not only have proven they know their subject matter, but also have provided evidence they know how to effectively teach their subjects to students."
Across the country, 102,237 of the nation's most effective teachers have demonstrated that they meet the highest teaching standards by becoming National Board Certified. In West Virginia, Wood County has the most National Board Certified Teachers with 82, followed by Cabell with 56; Berkeley and Monongalia, 44; and Putnam, 32.
West Virginia's 61 teachers receiving national certification in 2012 are:
Founded in 1987, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan, non-governmental organization. Its mission is to establish high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. National Board Certification is a voluntary assessment program designed to recognize and reward great teachers – and make them better.
For more information about NBPTS and National Board Certification, contact Liza Cordeiro in the West Virginia Department of Education's Communication Office at 304-558-2699. Information also is available on the NBPTS website at www.nbpts.org.