Over the years Maine has built an important cohort of National Board certified educators. Created for teachers, by teachers, National Board Certification is a voluntary, performance-based, peer-review process that recognizes the complex nature of teaching. The certification process is being revised, while maintaining the integrity and transformative nature of National Board certification.
To date, more than 100,000 teachers in all 50 states have achieved this highest mark of distinction in the profession. NBCTs are having significant impact on student achievement. Research has shown that the students of NBCTs outperform their peers in other classrooms and educators report positively about the professional impact of the process.
The certification process is being revised to remove barriers in the process and ensure the certification process mirrors the evolving nature of the profession and current research on best practices in teaching.
There are more options for educators. While teachers can complete the entire certification process in one year, some may choose to do so over several years if that fits better with other demands on a teacher’s time. The process will now be grouped into four components, each costing $475 and candidates will have the option to pay for and submit each component separately.
Teachers in districts participating in the Maine Schools for Excellence program can utilize funds through the U.S. Department of Education Teacher Incentive Fund grant to pay for certification fees. To see if you teach in a Maine Schools for Excellence district, visit: http://www.maine.gov/doe/excellence/qa/index.html.
Additionally, the Maine DOE provides funding for certification fees to teachers in any district in Maine and provides an annual salary stipend to teachers who achieve certification.
For more information on the National Board Certification Process, please contact Loveen Bains at lbains@nbpts.org or 571-317-6591. To connect with NBCTs across Maine, please visit www.facebook.com/NBCTsofMaine.