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National Teacher CertificationDid you know... Quick Links:
The Impetus for National CertificationThroughout this century, teachers have watched as profession after profession established its credibility by creating national certification systems through high standards. Then in 1983, with the report "A Nation at Risk," public concern about education was heightened and waves of education initiatives began in many states. Some of these initiatives were education fads and quick-fix proposals, and some were not.In 1986, the Carnegie Task Force on Teaching as a Profession issued a report, "A Nation Prepared: Teachers for the 21st Century." The report called for national professional teaching standards. Then-NEA President Mary Hatwood Futrell was the only practicing teacher on the 14-member task force that issued the report. The Association did not embrace the Carnegie report wholeheartedly; it contained numerous troubling ideas, not the least of which was linking national certification to teacher compensation. In fact, the NEA Representative Assembly passed a new business item in 1987, requiring that NEA work to prevent such linkage, directly or indirectly, in the form of lead or master teacher designations.
The National Board for Professional Teaching StandardsIn 1987, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) was established. Its mission is to set high, rigorous standards for what teachers should know and be able to do, certify teachers who meet those standards, and advance education reforms to improve student learning.The board is an independent, nonprofit organization governed by a 63-member board of directors, the majority of whom are classroom teachers. Two-thirds of the NBPTS board are "teaching professional members," including teachers recognized for excellent teaching, teacher union leaders, and teacher educators. One-third of the board is school administrators, local and state school board members, governors and state legislators, higher education officials, and business community leaders. Of the 63 directors, 20 are NEA members.
Our Association's SupportNEA has endorsed the work of the NBPTS, along with groups such as the National Governors Association, the National Association of State Boards of Education, the Association of Teacher Educators, and the American Federation of Teachers. Several universities, state education departments, and local school districts are involved in the development of the teacher assessments. The NBPTS works closely with disciplinary and subject-matter organizations.
National Certification: A Mark of DistinctionThe goal of national certification for experienced teachers aims at establishing advanced, high, rigorous standards that constitute a mark of distinction.National certification is intended to complement, not replace, state systems of teacher licensure. Teachers who receive national certification will demonstrate that in addition to possessing the minimum requirements for state licensure, they have integrated formal education and classroom practice to become teachers of distinction.
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