School Board Members Judy Bjarke-McKenzie, Matt Williams and Kevin Honnell honored National Board Certified Teachers at a reception at Fuller Lodge. From left, Tammy Moore, Stephanie Mitchell, Janet Newton, Joline Keeler, Margaret Ritchie, Carolyn Torres, Maria Thibodeau, Lana Martin, Becky Sims, Jenny Diesburg-Lathrop, Brian Easton, Mary Grace, Alisa Rolfe, Laura Gallimore and Debbie Smith. Courtesy photoLAPS News:
The New Mexico Network of National Board Certified Teachers announced that Los Alamos Public Schools will be recognized as the recipient of their 2014 Capacity Building Award at a luncheon ceremony in Albuquerque on Saturday, Feb. 1. Los Alamos will be honored for its efforts to increase the number of National Board Certified Teachers in the district.
Nine Los Alamos teachers earned National Board Certification Teacher status in 2013. Previous to 2013, 12 teachers completed the certification process. Seven more teachers, who enrolled in the 2013 cohort, are nearing completion of their certification process. Fifteen teachers have enrolled in the 2014 cohort group.
National Board Certification is a rigorous process in which teachers analyze their teaching context and student needs. Teachers demonstrate their skills through videos and work samples that show student growth and achievement. In addition, teachers reflect on their pedagogical practices to demonstrate a strong command of content, design appropriate learning experiences that advance student learning, and use assessments to inform instructional decision making. Visit http://www.nbpts.org/national-board-certification for more information.
School Board President Jim Hall congratulated teachers who completed this rigorous process.
“The School Board’s support of the National Board Certification Teacher process was one more indication of the district’s commitment to enhance teaching quality,” Hall said. “Seeing our teachers successfully achieve National Board Certification spoke well of their commitment to reflect on their instructional practices even as they worked to raise student achievement.”
