By Sarah Jancich
Assistant Editor

When Linda Brokish, a library media specialist at Lodi Middle School, saw the subject line of an e-mail sent by a colleague, she knew instantly the day she'd be waiting for had arrived.

It said simply, "I passed."

Brokish was attempting for the second time to earn the prestigious National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification. On her first try, she missed passing by the razor-thin margin of two-tenths of a point.

After receiving the e-mail, she immediately opened her Internet browser and pulled up the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Web site, where candidates could see whether they passed, to see if she was successful this time.

Her colleague, the sender of the e-mail, "probably heard my reaction all the way down the hall," Brokish said. Her reaction? "Ah yes!" She passed.

In 2003, more than 130 Wisconsin teachers attempted to achieve their profession's highest honor, National Board of Professional Teaching Standards certification. Brokish is among the 70 teachers who were successful.

A rigorous process
Teachers seeking one of the National Board's 24 certificates must meet three criteria before beginning the process. They must possess a valid teaching license, have three years of experience and be currently employed as a classroom teacher.

Then teachers complete a series of six written assessments to demonstrate depth of knowledge in their subject areas, and submit a portfolio documenting their practice. The portfolio contains three entries that illustrate classroom teaching methods and student learning. A fourth entry requires teachers to document their work outside of the classroom with families and the community, and with colleagues and the profession as a whole.

For each portfolio entry, candidates submit "evidence" -- student work samples or videotapes of themselves teaching. Then they write a 10- to 12-page commentary that describes, reflects upon and analyzes that evidence.

A group of teachers who have received special training by the National Board serve as assessors and evaluate the work of certification candidates. The group assigns point-based scores for each assessment and the portfolio entries. Teachers who earn at least 275 points out of a possible 400 points achieve certification.

Candidates, like Brokish, who are not successfully certified on their first attempts can "bank," or save, their scores for up to three years. They can retake one or all of the assessments, and rework their portfolio entries in an attempt to earn enough additional points to become certified.

Safety in numbers
Brokish said it's important to seek support from other teachers going through the certification process. She teamed with three teachers from the Lodi School District.

The teachers helped each other by proofreading portfolio entries, bouncing possible assessment questions off each other, and making sure all of the required elements were present.

"Everything has to be in the right spot. Working together provided a safety net for me," 3rd- and 4th-grade multilevel teacher Chris McNeill said. McNeill is in his eighth year at Lodi Elementary School.

High school English teacher Jacqueline Martindale was also part of the group. Like Brokish, McNeill and Martindale didn't pass on their first attempts, but earned certification this fall. "I think part of the reason why I didn't pass the first time is because I didn't make time to connect with my peers," she said. "I think I may have missed insights that might have helped me."

Family ties
Brokish, McNeill and Martindale agree they couldn't have survived the process without the support of their families. The teachers estimate they spent 300 to 400 hours working on their portfolio entries and assessments, and more than $2,000 in application fees.

McNeill said he spent most of his school holidays working on certification instead of staying at home with his young daughter. "It was very difficult," he said. "There were times when I wondered if I was doing what was best for my family."

"My wife was my biggest supporter," he said. When he didn't earn certification on his first try, his wife encouraged him to try again. But "it was very tough on her and my daughter."

McNeill borrowed money to cover the $2,300 in application fees he paid during his initial attempt at board certification from the National Education Association's National Board Certification Loan Program. When he didn't pass, he increased the loan to cover the costs associated with trying again. Candidates who have banked scores pay $300 per assessment or portfolio entry to resubmit them to the National Board.

Martindale said she incurred more costs than just the application fees. She also needed to purchase a new computer so she could work on her portfolio entries from home, and videotaping equipment. "Luckily, my children are out of college," she said. "I was able to wing it without borrowing money."

State, district and WEAC support
Wisconsin's Department of Public Instruction reimburses teachers who successfully complete board certification up to $2,000. Board-certified teachers can also apply to DPI for annual grants of $2,500. National board certification is valid for 10 years, and certified teachers are eligible to receive the grants during the second through tenth years.

Under the new teacher licensing law, PI 34, teachers who achieve certification may apply to receive the state's highest level of teaching license, Master Educator. Like the board certificate, the Master Educator license is valid for ten years and can be renewed.

WEAC Teaching and Learning Consultant Ron Jetty said the DPI recognizes a teacher's completion of the certification process -- whether a candidate certifies or not -- as equivalent to completing six credit hours. In other words, currently licensed teachers can renew their teaching licenses while pursuing National Board certification. "Some universities and colleges are also looking for ways to integrate the certification process into the curriculum," he said.

The Lodi teachers also had the support of their school district as they sought board certification. Thanks to special contract language bargained by the Lodi Teachers Association, the district provides two paid days out of the classroom for board candidates. Lodi is one of only a handful of districts in Wisconsin that provides a benefit to teachers seeking board certification.

Brokish used a portion of the time at the start of the certification process to get organized and start on her first portfolio entry. "It was a good way to kick-start the process," she said. She used the rest of the time near the end to edit her entries and fully focus on writing her fourth portfolio piece.

Jetty said WEAC offers training to teachers seeking certification during its annual convention. "We'll continue to examine other ways to provide support to candidates through cooperation with UniServ offices," he said.

'Best professional development I've ever done'
Though the Lodi teachers characterize the certification process as difficult and emotionally trying, they agree they've benefited from the process.

Martindale, who is eligible for early retirement in two years, said she attempted certification at the height of her career to validate her practice. "I have always done a lot of self-reflection," she said. "But the process, especially the videotaping, gave me a chance to really analyze my practice in-depth."

She said the process helped her discover who she is as both a teacher and a learner.

Brokish agreed. "This has been the best professional development I've ever done," she said. "You have to reflect on how you're impacting student learning. You have to ask yourself, 'what effect am I really having on students?'"

McNeill decided to seek board certification because he thought it would make him a better teacher and an asset to his district, and he said that to a certain extent, it has. It's changed the way he teaches and communicates with parents.

Most of all, he sought certification because he wanted a challenge, and the process delivered. "I have never gone through anything like this," he said. "This was the most challenging thing I've ever done: professionally, intellectually and emotionally."

"It was helpful to know I wasn't going through it alone."

• Record number of Wisconsin teachers earn NBPTS certification
• List of teachers who earned board certification in 2003
• OnWEAC resource page on NBPTS

Posted December 10, 2003