Nationally certified teacher surge continues in Louisiana
A total of 207 Louisiana teachers from 44 school districts achieved rigorous National Board Certification in 2006, according to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
Louisiana has 1,032 teachers with national certification, ranking it 10th in the nation. The district with the highest number of teachers to achieve National Board Certification this year is East Baton Rouge with 26.
“Study after study has shown that a quality teacher has an enormous impact on the success of students in the classroom, and I am gratified that Louisiana now has more than 1,000 teachers who have made the commitment to become the best in their field,” said Board of Elementary and Secondary Education President Linda Johnson. “We will continue to promote the programs that support teachers who want to become nationally certified because it is important to the board that we have the best possible teachers in every classroom in Louisiana.”
During the 2005-06 school year, 49,399 teachers were employed statewide in Louisiana public schools. Fewer than 1 percent of Louisiana’s teachers have achieved this distinguished credential.
Another 333 Louisiana candidates are working to become nationally certified. It takes teachers nearly a year to complete the performance-based assessment. Overall, Louisiana ranks No. 14 in the nation for the number of certified teachers, which has increased more than 12-fold over the past five years.
“I am particularly proud of the teachers who didn’t let the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita stop them from joining the ranks of other elite educators across the nation,” said State Superintendent of Education Cecil J. Picard. “This process isn’t easy but the dedication of these teachers is inspiring, and their students will certainly benefit from the time and effort they have invested in themselves and their careers.”
National Board Certification requires teachers to document their knowledge of subject matter, provide evidence they know how to teach students and demonstrate the ability to manage and measure learning. The nonprofit NBPTS was founded in 1987.
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