Houston Chronicle
March 6, 2007, 9:44PM
Teachers go for A+ with national certification
Nearly two dozen Houston-area educators are undergoing an arduous challenge to join the elite ranks of their profession
By JENNIFER RADCLIFFE
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
As a trained scientist and former archaeologist, assignments like "reflective writing" make Grady Middle School teacher Michael Perez a little squeamish.
Yet, he's willing to stomach the challenging task for the good of his students — the main force driving him to tackle the grueling National Board Certification process.
"I want to have better learning going on in my class," said Perez, a 48-year-old who has been teaching for 13 years. "There are students that are disengaged in the classroom and I need to hook them in. I need to find the tools to hook them in."
Perez is among nearly two dozen Houston-area teachers enrolled in the nonprofit Houston A+ Challenge's new program to help teachers earn the elite certification that's granted by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, a coalition of educators formed 20 years ago to develop higher standards for the profession.
Certification — which can take up to 400 hours to earn — requires candidates to assemble portfolios and pass a series of tests.
Texas teachers have typically shied away from the process, mainly because there aren't many state or local financial incentives for those who complete the process. Only 317 of the nation's 55,300 certified teachers are from Texas, according to 2005-06 statistics.
Just a handful of those work in the Houston area, a disparity some educators hope to rectify.
Leadership training
"It's important for a city this size, for the integrity of the city," said Houston Independent School District administrator Vivian Fridley-Hereford, co-chairwoman of the project's steering committee. "This is the epitome in professional development."
While some studies draw no link between teachers' National Board certification status and student achievement gains, supporters of the program laud the growth opportunity, saying it rewards educators who stay in the classroom and transforms teachers into campus leaders.
"It develops the teacher as a person who's very reflective about his or her practice," said Louise Deretchin, director of higher education for Houston A+ Challenge, which is paying about $2,500 in testing fees for each candidate. "They're looking at and examining their work so they can constantly improve their teaching."
Candidates videotape their classroom practices and conduct case studies on some of their students.
Houston A+ leaders hope that gathering a group of candidates will increase the teachers' odds of success. As part of the program, the Humble school district has agreed to pay any of its 10 candidates who succeed an extra $5,000 a year.
Opportunity for validation
Timberwood Middle School Kimberly Mouser said she's thrilled Humble is willing to reward her achievement.
"It's a validation to us as teachers who are willing to put in the extra hours and work," said Mouser, an English teacher with 16 years of experience. "This is an opportunity to prove to myself and my district that I have those national standards in my classroom."
After just a few months of delving into the required reading and attending semi-monthly meetings with other candidates, the 38-year-old said she's already noticed improvements in her teaching.
Mouser said she hopes to earn certification on her first try — most likely by March 2008.
"I feel like a pioneer since National Board Certification is a relatively new endeavor for many Texas teachers," she said. "I am thrilled to be on the threshold of this new process."
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FACTS ABOUT CERTIFICATION
• Growing: Nearly 7,800 teachers earned certification in 2006, raising the total to more than 55,300.
• Rare: Less than 2 percent of the nation's teaching population holds this certification.
• Seven leaders: Certification rates are increasing the fastest in North Dakota, Utah, Texas, Colorado, South Dakota, Arizona and Wyoming.
• Meeting needs: Roughly 40 percent of National Board certified teachers work at high-poverty schools.
• More needed: Only 10 percent of board certified teachers teach math or science.
• Recognized: Board certified teachers represent 20 percent of the 2006 State Teachers of the Year.
Source: National Board for Professional Teaching Standards