Fifteen Lake Washington Teachers Achieve National Board Certification

Five teachers renewed their certification

Redmond, Wash. – Fifteen Lake Washington School District teachers achieved National Board Certification®, as announced by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). In addition to the 15 newly certified teachers, five teachers renewed their certification this year, for a total of 20 people completing the process. (Certifications must be renewed every ten years.) According to NBPTS, 246 National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) earned their certification while at work in the district’s schools.

“The National Board Certification process benefits our students as it helps teachers analyze every area of their teaching practice to ensure maximum academic success,” said Superintendent Traci Pierce. “Lake Washington School District prides itself on the caliber of its teaching staff and we’re grateful to have so many teachers commit and re-commit themselves to excellence.”  Read More >>

The National Board certification takes teachers through a demanding process to help further their instructional skills and typically takes more than a year to complete. It requires these teachers to demonstrate how their work improves student achievement. As part of the process, teachers build a portfolio that includes student work samples, assignments, videotapes and a thorough analysis of their classroom teaching. Teachers also are assessed on their knowledge of the subjects they teach. National Board certification is considered the highest professional credential a teacher can obtain.

Numbers released by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards show that the state of Washington is first in the total number of new NBCTs (516), and fourth overall in the number of national board certified teachers in the country at 7,333.

 

Each teacher achieves certification in a subject area and age range. The new National Board Certified Teachers, along with their field, are:

 

Kirkland:

·         Marcee Ben-Menachen, Lakeview Elementary, School Counseling/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood

·         Sara Hay, Bell Elementary, School Counseling / Early Childhood through Young Adulthood

·         Tina Hickcox, Twain Elementary, School Counseling / Early Childhood through Young Adulthood

·         Janelle Jamison, Muir Elementary, Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood

·         Stephanie Marshall, Frost Elementary, School Counseling / Early Childhood through Young Adulthood

·         Jennifer Russell, Kirkland Middle School, English Language Arts / Early Adolescence

·         Natalya Stine, Franklin Elementary, Generalist/Middle Childhood

·         Ashley Wearly, Kamiakin Middle School, Social Studies - History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood

Redmond:

·         Julie Lynd, Redmond Middle School, Physical Education/Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood

·         Michael Pluschke, Redmond High School, Physical Education/Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood

·         Michelle Vallene, Einstein Elementary, Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood

Sammamish:

·         Christina de Vidal, Eastlake High School, English Language Arts / Adolescent and Young Adult

·         Rachel Holland, Eastlake High School, Literacy: Reading-Language Arts / Early and Middle Childhood

·         Rachelle Horner, Eastlake High School, Social Studies-History / Adolescence and Young Adulthood

·         Michelle Toth, McAuliffe Elementary, Generalist / Middle Childhood

 

Teachers renewing their NBCT status:

·         Grace Brady, Redmond High School, Career & Technical Education/Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood

·         Kathy Colombo, Resource Center, Science/Early Adolescence

·         Tonya Erickson, Kirkland Middle School, Social Studies / Early Adolescence

·         Barbara Wendell, Inglewood Middle ,  Sammamish, Science / Early Adolescence

·         Dorian West, Lakeview Elementary, Kirkland, Generalist / Middle Childhood