DE Teachers Receive National Board Certification
Top Honor Brings Total to 205 in First State
Dover, Del.–December 2, 2003The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) has released the names of 8,196 teachers, among them 45 Delaware teachers,who have attained the highest professional credential—National Board Certification—for the 2002-2003 school year.
The 45 teachers, representing 14 of Delaware’s 19 school districts, bring to 205 the total of Delaware teachers who have earned this prestigious honor since the national program began during the 1993-1994 school year.
“I am very proud of the accomplishments of these 45 outstanding professionals,” said Valerie A. Woodruff, Delaware’s Secretary of Education.“Receiving National Board Certification is truly a testament to each teacher’s commitment to hard work and excellence in their subject matter.”Woodruff added, “The success of each of these outstanding professionals is certainly due to their dedication to the teaching profession. The Department of Education is pleased to join with the Delaware State Education Association (DSEA) throughout their journey towardnational certification.”
DSEA, in collaboration with DOE, facilitates a support network for teachers who want to find out just what is involved as well asfor those who decide to undergo the rigors of the process. “We are proud of all of these teachers and congratulate them on thishighest of accomplishments. This is an all-consuming process which can take up to 200 hours to complete,”explains DSEA President Barbara Grogg who is also one of Delaware’s 205 nationally board-certified teachers.“Last year Delaware was fourth in the nation in the proportion of National Board teachers,an impressive achievement which is a testament to the high quality of Delaware’s teachers.As the professional association for our teachers, DSEA is very proud of its members and will continue to do whateverwe can to help those who choose to seek this recognition.”
In order to become National Board Certified, a teacher must complete an innovative two-phase process. The first phase is conducted at the teacher’s school where each teacher builds a portfolio which illustrates evidence ofgood teaching practice as well as demonstrating how their teaching meets the advanced standards in their fields. The portfolio is prepared according to instructions provided by the National Board and contains videotapes of classroom teaching,lesson plans, student work samples and written commentaries by each candidate that explains in detail what he or she is doing and why.
The second phase of the process involves a series of written exercises conducted at an assessment center.Exercises are designed around challenging teacher issues and include simulations of classroom practices,evaluating other teachers’ practices, designing curriculum, assessing student learning and a teacher’s subject matter knowledge.
The entire assessment process takes almost an entire school year, with each candidates spending approximately 120 hours on assessment activities.
A certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is the highest honor the teaching profession has to bestow.The personal and professional rewards are significant, as most National Board Certification candidates attest.National Board Certified Teachers serve as role models and examples of what it means to be an accomplished teacher.In addition, they enjoy one of the biggest incentives: being recognized as a professional.
In Delaware, the Professional Development and Educator Accountability Act of 2000 authorizes a 12% increase in base pay for aperiod of ten years for each teacher who receives National Board Certification.Teachers who re-qualify for National Board Certification will also be given the continuing 12% pay increase.
| District | Name | School | Certificate* |
| Appoquinimink | Ann Baker | Silver Lake Elementary | MC/Gen |
| Laura Grass | Redding Intermediate | MC/Gen | |
| Brandywine | Courtney Fox | Mount Pleasant Elementary | EC/Gen |
| Cynthia Grant | Mount Pleasant Elementary | MC/Gen | |
| Debra Greenstone | Mount Pleasant Elementary | AYA/Science | |
| Kelly McKinney | Mount Pleasant Elementary | MC/Gen | |
| Denise Ann Nuss | Mount Pleasant High | MC/Gen | |
| Mary O’Connell | Concord High | AYA/Math | |
| Mary Pinkston | Brandywine High | AYA/Math | |
| Jonathan Sypher | Springer Middle | EA/Science | |
| Judson Wagner | Concord High | AYA/Science | |
| Caesar Rodney | James Fennemore | W.B. Simpson Elementary | EMC/PE |
| Cape Henlopen | Linda Simpson | Lewes Middle | MC/Gen |
| Capital | Sharon Densler | Central Middle | EA/Science |
| Nancy Raab | Fairview Elementary | ECYA/LM | |
| Christina | Edith Bacon | Thurgood Marshall Elementary | EC/Gen |
| Heather Buchanan | Brookside Elementary | EC/Gen | |
| Gina Marie Dudlek | Delaware Autism Program | ECYA/ENS | |
| Jamett Garlick | West Park Place Elementary | EC/Gen | |
| Mary Jane Papas | Thurgood Marshall Elementary | EC/Gen | |
| David Scott | Glasgow High | AYA/Math | |
| Brooke Yorgey | Jennie E. Smith Elementary | EMC/Music | |
| Colonial | Andea La Combe | William Penn High | EAYA/WLOE |
| Indian River | Cynthia Baker | Sussex Central Middle | EA/SSH |
| Karen Clausen | North Georgetown Elementary | MC/Gen | |
| Georgeann Henderson | Georgetown Elementary | EC/Gen | |
| Lori Ott | Selbyville Middle | EAYA/ENL | |
| Elaine Tingle | North Georgetown Elementary | MC/Gen | |
| Milford | Lisa Eline | Lulu M. Ross Elementary | EC/Gen |
| Kristen Forehand | Milford Senior High | AYA/ELA | |
| Jennifer Nauman | Lulu M. Ross Elementary | MC/Gen | |
| Kelli Palumbo-White | Evelyn I. Morris Early Childhood Center | ECYA/ENS | |
| NCCo VoTech | Sherry Clark | Delcastle Technical High | ECYA/LM |
| Patricia Nauheimer Ekman | Delcastle Technical High | AYA/ELA | |
| Red Clay | Barbara Borleske | Alexis I. Dupont High | AYA/Science |
| Loretta Brown | Brandywine Springs Elementary | EC/Gen | |
| Patricia Cogan | Marbrook Elementary | EMC/Art | |
| Martha Fong | Linden Hill Elementary | EC/Gen | |
| Cynthia Jordan-Barber | Alexis I. Dupont High | AYA/ELA | |
| Margaret Mancini | Forest Oak Elementary | ECYA/ENS | |
| Edward McGrath | Alexis I. Dupont High | AYA/Science | |
| Seaford | Penny Austin-Richardson | Seaford Senior High | AYA/ELA |
| Gayla Sullivan | Frederick Douglass Intermediate | ECYA/ENS | |
| Sussex Tech | Donna Johnson | Sussex Technical High | AYA/Math |
| Woodbridge | Cordelia Harmon | Woodbridge Elementary | ECYA/ENS |
| AYA | Adolescence and Young Adulthood |
| EA | Early Adolescence |
| EAYA | Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood |
| EC | Early Childhood |
| ELA | English Language Arts |
| EMC | Early and Middle Childhood |
| ENS | Exceptional Needs Specialist |
| GEN | Generalist |
| LM | Library Media |
| WLOE | World Language Other than English |
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Delaware's Department of Education is committed to promoting the highest quality education
for every Delaware student by providing visionary leadership and superior service.
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Contact Info.
Alison Kepner Delaware Department of Education 401 Federal Street, Suite #2 Dover, Delaware 19901 Phone: (302) 735-4035 Fax: (302) 739-4654 Email: akepner@doe.k12.de.us |
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