Dec. 17, 2004

VCU School of Education helps 38 more teachers receive national certification

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By Mike Frontiero
VCU School of Education

Melinda E. Batalias (left), who teaches math at Lloyd C. Bird High School in Chesterfield County, was one of 38 teachers in the Richmond area to achieve National Board Certification this year. At a VCU ceremony, she received a pin recognizing her achievement from Chesterfield County Public Schools Superintendent Billy K. Cannaday (right). State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jo Lynne DeMary (center) looks on. Photo by Tomaree Porter, VCU School of Education
Melinda E. Batalias (left), who teaches math at Lloyd C. Bird High School in Chesterfield County, was one of 38 teachers in the Richmond area to achieve National Board Certification this year. At a VCU ceremony, she received a pin recognizing her achievement from Chesterfield County Public Schools Superintendent Billy K. Cannaday (right). State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jo Lynne DeMary (center) looks on. Photo by Tomaree Porter, VCU School of Education

Just three years ago, only one public school teacher in the Richmond area held the distinction of being certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Today, 75 teachers in Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover have national board certification thanks, in part, to a partnership those school systems have with Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Education.

In a ceremony at the Eugene P. and Lois E. Trani Center for Life Sciences, 38 Kindergarten through 12th grade teachers received special pins for completing the voluntary, professional development process that recognizes accomplished teachers who meet rigorous standards of performance.

“A National Board Certificate attests that a teacher has met the highest standards established for the profession,” said School of Education Dean William C. Bosher, Ph.D.

The ceremony was sponsored by the Metropolitan Educational Training Alliance – a partnership among VCU and public schools in Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico counties and the city of Richmond. It was formed in 2001 to meet the professional development and training needs of teachers, administrators and other educational personnel.

Over the past year, the teachers attended a series of workshops led by Terry Dozier, alliance coordinator and director of the Center for Teacher Leadership in VCU's School of Education.

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization whose mission is to advance the quality of teaching and learning.

Teachers who seek the certification must complete demanding assessments of their knowledge and skills. They develop a school-site portfolio that includes student work samples, video clips of effective lessons and reflective commentaries about their use of strategies that increase student learning. In addition, candidates are tested on their subject matter knowledge.

Through this year-long analysis of their teaching methods, teachers increase their knowledge of subject matter and become more skilled in daily classroom instruction and student assessment.

The certificate is good for 10 years. Teachers who complete the program receive a $5,000 salary bonus their first year and $2,500 each of the next nine years.