GCS Educators Earn 2017 National Board Certification and Renewal
Tonia Bauer, a fifth grade teacher at Thomas E. Kerns Elementary, has earned 2017 National Board Certification, and 35 additional teachers have met NBCT renewal requirements. National Board Certification is one of the teaching profession’s most respected achievements.
With 684 teachers who have achieved National Board Certification, Greenville County Schools ranks 13th in the nation out of more than 14,000 school districts for total number of NBC teachers. GCS also has more NBCTs than 24 states. South Carolina ranks third in the nation with 8,928 NBC teachers, behind North Carolina and Florida.
“National Board Certification is considered the gold standard in teacher certification,” said District Superintendent W. Burke Royster. “I commend these educators for completing this rigorous process that results in bringing instructional excellence into the classroom.”
Teachers seeking National Board Certification undertake a two-part process that takes from one to three years to complete. The process requires candidates to reflect on their classroom practices, assess their understanding of subject material and examine their preparation techniques. In addition to preparing a portfolio with videotapes of classroom teaching, lesson plans, student work samples and reflective essays, teachers must complete assessment center exercises based on content knowledge that prove they have mastered the subjects they teach and also possess the skills to teach them.
Candidates consistently report that collaboration with other NBCTs and candidates eases the burden of the process. To this end, the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement (CERRA) has created an infrastructure of support that includes a district liaison in each of the state’s 84 school districts and a National Board Toolkit comprised of PowerPoints, handouts, and activities to assist candidates as they move through the certification process. CERRA also collaborates with other state agencies including the State Department of Education, The South Carolina Education Association, and Palmetto State Teachers Association to provide workshops and awareness sessions for candidates.
2017 National Board Certified Teachers (New)
Thomas E. Kerns Elementary - Tonia Bauer
2017 National Board Certified Teachers (Renewals)
Alexander Elementary - Stacie Campbell
Beck Middle Academy - Michael Daugherty
Berea High - Robert Lyons
Brook Glenn Elementary - Loren Pessolano
Bryson Elementary - Ruthanne Gable Coggins
Chandler Creek Elementary - Jennifer Kauffman
East North Street Elementary Academy - Kurt Blocher
Eastside High - Jennifer Hutchinson
Eastside High - William Steadman
Gateway Elementary - Nichole Leopard
Gateway Elementary - Renee Fleming
Heritage Elementary - Amy Reeves
Mauldin High - Adam Scheuch
Mauldin Middle - Vanessa Rhodes
Mitchell Road Elementary - Angela Cooley
Mitchell Road Elementary - Chappell Hughes
Mitchell Road Elementary - Elizabeth Koontz
Mitchell Road Elementary - Jennifer Neubauer
Monaview Elementary - Jody Reed
Mountain View Elementary - Amber Barnette
Northwest Middle - Nora McMillan
Pelham Road Elementary - Tracy Winetroub
Riverside Middle - Pamela Varner
Skyland Elementary - Kenna Brannon
Sterling School - Constance Gordon
Sterling School - Fran Emmel
Stone Elementary Academy - Eric Benjamin
Sue Cleveland Elementary - Jodi Cowart
Tigerville Elementary - Lisa Hansen
Travelers Rest High - Timothy Brown
Wade Hampton High - Anjail Salahudin-Bolden
Wade Hampton High - Meredith Smith
Westcliffe Elementary - Sarah Penny
Woodland Elementary - Lisa Allison
Woodland Elementary - Melissa Pitts