BA Teachers Become Nationally Certified
Two more current Broken Arrow Public Schools teachers have earned their National Board Certification, the highest credential in the teaching profession according to the Oklahoma State Department of Education. Becoming National Board Certified means a teacher (or counselor) meets the national standards of acceptable classroom practice.
Oak Crest Elementary teacher Terri Dershem and Park Lane Elementary teacher Nan Funderburgh obtained their national board certification this year. 41 BAPS teachers/counselors have completed their National Board Certification since 2001 (seven of those 41 have either retired or left the district).
The two BAPS teachers are among 324 from Oklahoma to certify in this process this year. Oklahoma is now fifth in the nation with nearly six percent of its teachers who are national board certified. Oklahoma ranks 10th national in total number of teachers who are national board certified with 2,307.
The National Board Certification process is a voluntary process established by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Certification is achieved through a rigorous performance-based assessment that takes between one and three years to complete.
“The process of becoming a “Middle Childhood Generalist” National Board Certified Teacher is quite grueling,” Funderburgh said. “We are expected to be quite proficient in knowledge as well as teaching skill for students seven through 12 years old in math, science, social studies, reading, writing, health, and the arts, which including middle school children. I have never taught in the middle school setting. It took me two years to accomplish my goal, but absolutely worth the effort.”
Dershem echoed those comments.
“The process to become National Board Certified is a difficult one; it took me three years from start to finish. I am very excited at having achieved National Board Certification. I first heard about N.B.C. in 2000 while attending college. After researching N.B.C., I decided this is something I wanted to do.”
Updated 03-25-2009
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