A total of 31 teachers in the Issaquah School District have received National Board Certification (NBC).
“This certifies that a teacher is among the best in the nation,” said Superintendent Steve Rasmussen. “These educators spent hundreds of hours reflecting on and demonstrating their skill, and I am proud to have them in Issaquah classrooms. Students here are the ultimate beneficiaries of such deep, research- and community-based instruction.”
NBC is a voluntary assessment program designed to recognize and reward great teachers—and make them better. While state licensing systems establish a baseline of requirements for teachers, certified teachers have successfully demonstrated advanced teaching knowledge, skills, and practices.
NBC is the only credential process that compares a teacher’s knowledge and skills with a national set of professional standards. The process requires teachers to reflect on how they form and deliver lessons and demonstrate leadership in their schools and communities.
The application process is intense. NBC candidates average about 400 hours throughout the school year putting together a two-part submission package that includes: 1. A portfolio with a lesson plans, student work samples, and a videotape of live classroom teaching, all of which demonstrates the teacher’s impact on student learning; and 2. A written assessment that shows the teacher’s mastery of subject-area knowledge, classroom practices, and curriculum design.
A national panel of teachers either approves the submission or returns it to the applicant for further development.
The district’s 2010 National Board Certified teachers are:
Alice Badgley, music, Grand Ridge Elementary
Kimberly Bailey, math, Pacific Cascade Middle School
Patricia Banashak, science, Issaquah Middle School
Josh Berg, humanities/technology, Beaver Lake Middle School
Kelly Brunell, third grade, Maple Hills Elementary
Shona Campbell, language arts, Pacific Cascade Middle School
Larissa Davis, fourth grade, Cougar Ridge Elementary
Shelly Dolen, kindergarten, Grand Ridge Elementary
Ellen Ferrin, second grade, Challenger Elementary
Patricia Foryan, fourth grade, Sunny Hills Elementary
Laura Gacayan, fourth grade, Clark Elementary
Heather Greninger, humanities, Beaver Lake Middle School
Olga Haider, science, Issaquah Middle School
Kristin Johnsen, humanities, Issaquah Middle School
Jessica Johnson, social studies, Liberty High School
Carrie Junke, science, Maywood Middle School
Mary Jo Keller, fourth grade, Newcastle Elementary
Julie Larsen, English, Liberty High
Anna Loftis, humanities, Pacific Cascade Middle School
Laura Matheny, language arts, Skyline High School
Ross Matheny, humanities, Maywood Middle School
Joshua Moore, social studies, Issaquah High
Darrel Nichols, fifth grade, Grand Ridge Elementary
Erin Perea, fifth-grade Science/Tech, Cascade Ridge Elementary
Michelle Pickard, science/ASB, Issaquah Middle School
Benjamin Reed, math, Issaquah High
Tonja Reischl, English, Liberty High
Jeremy Ritzer, social studies, Issaquah High
Carolyn Santos, humanities/art, Beaver Lake Middle School
Jessica Sullivan, fifth grade, Creekside Elementary
Stephanie Tolonen, humanities, Maywood Middle School
The group is the district’s largest NBC class ever and brings the district’s total number of NBC teachers to 81.
Nationwide, Washington state ranks fourth for total number of NBC teachers (5,232), and it ranks second among all states for the largest number of newly certified teachers in 2010 (1,272).
Locally, the Issaquah Schools Foundation and the Issaquah School District support NBC candidates by awarding grants of $1,500 to $3,000.
