Wichita Educators Achieve National Board Certification for Second Time

by Terri Kaiser

Emporia, KS (12/05/2019) — Three educators from the Wichita area recently found out they had again achieved the highest credential available to American educators as a National Board Certified Teacher through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).

They were:

• Chele Behrens, Wichita USD 259, English teacher at Wichita Alternative High School; certificate area: early adolescence/ English language arts.
• Wichita-based author and former USD 259 teacher Jesica Glover; certificate area: early adolescence/ English language arts.
• Friends University visiting assistant professor Darla Loggans; certificate area: early to middle childhood / literacy: reading language arts.

There are 42 NBCTs in Wichita USD 259.

"This process of board certification is similar to how a doctor becomes certified in a special area," said Alvin Peters, director of Emporia State University's program which assists teachers working toward national certification. "This is voluntary - no state, school district, or program requires they go through this process."

While state licensing systems set the basic requirements to teach in each state, NBCTs have demonstrated advanced teaching knowledge, skills and practices. National certification takes from one to three years to complete.

A decade ago, Glover and Logans went through the challenging year-long process of becoming a National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT). A year ago, they chose to attempt to renew their certificates as the life of their original 10-year certificates was soon to expire. For Behrens, this was her third time earning certification, as she gained her initial certificate 20 years ago, renewed a decade ago, and now was successful again at renewing her NBCT status.

These educators were among the 13 educators from across the state who went through the challenging process of renewing their certificates in 2018-19. Emporia State's Great Plains Center for National Teacher Certification maintains a 99.5% renewal rate with candidates achieving recertification on their first attempt since 2005.

The process of national board certification is often misunderstood to mean a teacher passed a test or was nominated for the award. Peters adds, "National Board certification is a different kind of honor. Teachers must submit extensive documentation of their instruction, including videos of their students at work in the classroom."

The accomplishment of national board certification benefits the teachers, the schools they work in, and studies have shown NBCTs improve student learning. Guidance for the candidates comes from Emporia State's Great Plains Center for National Teacher Certification. More information about the program can be found at www.emporia.edu/gpcntc.

Is your teacher board certified?

They are among the best teachers in the profession, undergoing a rigorous process taking at least one year to complete. They are told to expect a 400-hour time commitment, and less than half will achieve certification on their first try.

NBCTs represent less than 1% of all educators in Kansas. The voluntary process is the equivalent of national board certification for physicians and other health professions. There are 452 teachers in Kansas who are NBCTs.

To see a list of NBCTs, go to www.nbpts.org/nbct-search.

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