11 TPS teachers achieve highest certification
12/15/2008Eleven of Ohio's newest 175 educators to be certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards are from Toledo Public Schools.
Certification in the voluntary assessment program is the highest credential in the teaching profession.
The process usually takes one to three years. Teachers achieve certification through a rigorous, performance-based assessment.
To become eligible, candidates must have at least a bachelor's degree and three or more years of classroom experience.
The portfolios they submit include student work, classroom videotapes, evaluations, and other documentation. The process also includes a comprehensive exam focusing on classroom practices, student assessment, and the teacher's subject areas.
Since Ohio joined the program in 1993, more than 2,900 teachers from the Buckeye State have been certified. Currently, 2,802 National-Board-certified teachers are working as full-time educators in Ohio schools; 44 teach in Toledo Public Schools.
Certificates are awarded by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Teachers accepted into the program are eligible for various financial incentives.
Those most recently certified in the Toledo district include Mona Al-Hayani, social studies/history-adolescent young adult, Early College High School; Kristie Gibbs, exceptional needs specialist, Waite High School; Catherine Hernandez, middle childhood generalist, Whittier Elementary School; Cynthia Madanski, middle childhood generalist, Whittier Elementary School; Geraldine Mowery, literacy/reading/language arts, Navarre Elementary School; Sandra Murphy, early childhood generalist, McKinley Elementary School; Kristi Omey, early childhood generalist, Lagrange Elementary School; Sandra Orth, literacy/reading/language arts, Riverside Elementary School; Vandita Prasad, career and technical education, Byrnedale Middle School; Angela Wielgopolski, early adolescent mathematics, Start High School, and Shannon Wittenberg, middle childhood generalist, Raymer Elementary School.
Contact James Joyce III at:
jjoyce@theblade.com
or 419-724-6076.