| By Joanne M. Haas
After Jenny Shore missed earning the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards certification by a mere seven points on her
first attempt, the Hillsboro elementary teacher tossed herself
a safety net and vowed to try again.
And again.
 | | Jenny Shore | And on the third attempt, Shore’s persistence and self-discipline
placed her among the 266 Wisconsin teachers decorated with the
prestigious accomplishment. The Wonewoc resident was among the
63 state educators who earned the title in December.
“You have to be a self-motivator, and set your deadlines,”
Shore said of the countless weekend hours and expense she endured
during her three attempts to earn the certification. “I lived
at school for a while.”
After she learned her first application failed, her response
was to try again. Her safety net was to enroll in the master’s
degree program at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. That
way, she reasoned, if the national certification was not to be,
at least she’d have her master’s degree and a pay increase.
(The contract provides for a pay raise for earning a master’s
degree but does not specify any raise for achieving national certification.)
Going for the master’s and the national certification proved
to be the winning combination. A couple of weeks after she learned
she earned the certification, she graduated with her master’s
degree.
A tough decision
The decision to pursue the certification was not easy for Shore,
one of nearly 50 teachers in the 625-student Hillsboro School
District.
First of all, she was only in her fourth year as a teacher at
the time, barely qualifying her as a candidate for certification.
The National Board certification requires candidates to have three
years of classroom experience, a bachelor's degree, and a teaching
license.
Then, there was the cost. The national certification is valid
for 10 years, but it costs each teacher $2,300 to apply the first
time. Shore was able to resubmit the failing portions of her application
two more times at a less expensive rate. However, had she not
been successful on the third attempt, she would have had to apply
again at the initial higher fee.
The good news is that now that she’s certified, she’s
eligible for up to $2,000 in reimbursement from the Department
of Public Instruction. She’ll also pocket annual stipends
from the state of $2,500 for nine years of the 10-year certification.
Another big advantage to achieving national certification is
that Shore now may apply for the 10-year Master Educator License,
the third and highest category provided under the state’s
new teacher licensing law, known as PI 34. The Master Educator
License is valid for the same 10 years as the national certification,
and negates the need for the licensee to meet the six credit hours
of professional education requirement. The Master Educator License
is renewable.
A family affair
A big consideration in deciding to pursue the certification when
she did was her son, Walker.
“It was really hard to balance things, but easier to do
when he was little,” Shore said, adding he would come to
school with her on the weekends while she worked on her certification
entries.
“He’s 5 now. He knew where I kept the toys and he’d
pull them out of the drawer,” she recalled of their Saturdays
in her classroom. “We’d just pack the bags and we’d
go.”
Of the entire process, Shore said: “It was like having another
full-time job.” And she joked her friends are likely relieved
since she’ll no longer be tapping them as proofreaders.
“This is definitely a group thing. You need friends who
are willing to help you,” she said.
Although the process was grueling, rigorous and time-consuming,
Shore said the time was well spent.
“I look back on things more,” she said, noting “reflection
is probably an overused word” but still an appropriate one.
She constantly catches herself asking why is she using a particular
worksheet or asking her students to do a particular assignment.
She repeatedly asks herself what the students will gain from it.
Beyond the classroom
Her professional growth also has led to places beyond the classroom.
“I’m more ready to get involved in other areas,”
she said. “I am on the technology committee at school now
to help with purchases and procedures.”
Shore also has volunteered with the Friends of the Public Library
of Wonewoc to raise funds for an addition.
Her accomplishment has not gone unnoticed by her educator colleagues
at Hillsboro.
“I’ve already been asked to help in this area, to help
mentor and support others,” Shore said, adding the process
is already under way. “And I do want to help other people
get through it.” Resource Page on National
Board Certification
Resource Page on Teacher
Licensing Posted February 1, 2005 |