DCPS is now home to 23 new teachers with certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, more than doubling their ranks since 2007. This is a big deal, and good news for the District, where, according to a NBPTS release, only 47 teachers have ever received the honor.

National Board certification, unlike generic teaching certification, is the closest thing the teaching profession has to a bar exam – it’s an advanced teaching credential with an application process that can take years to complete, and even high-performing teachers sometimes require two or three tries before being granted the designation. The more NBCTs we have in District schools, the better, as studies have demonstrated that National Board certification improves both student achievement and teacher retention.

D.C. has been a frustrating place for teachers to apply for National Board certification. It can be an expensive process, and while the majority of states and districts offer extensive financial and professional incentives for earning the certification, in 2007 DCPS offered only a one-time, $4,000 stipend. Compare that to a NBCT in Fairfax County, who receives a one-time stipend of $1750 (plus an additional $1750 if they teach in a “high-risk school), in addition to an initial bonus of $5000 for the first year and $2500 annually for the next nine years from the state of Virginia.

DCPS needs to do more to support other teachers interested in applying, and offer more to recognize those who are successful, especially if, as Chancellor Michelle Rhee has said, DCPS is going to be among the “best of the best” in the next five years.