LEONARDTOWN, Md. (Jan. 23, 2010) - St. Mary's County Public Schools announced that two Leonardtown Middle School staff members, Ms. Dawn Pipkin and Ms. Theresa Wood, have been declared National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) through National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). They both earned their national certification in the area of English Language Arts/Early Adolescence. This brings the school system's total of national certified teachers to 34. There are currently 1,669 national certified teachers in Maryland and nearly 82,000 nationwide.
"This accomplishment is the representation of many hours of hard work and going above and beyond the highest level of expectations," said Dr. Michael J. Martirano, superintendent of schools. "I am very proud of both teachers. They are superior educators."
National Board Certified Teachers are highly accomplished educators who meet high standards. Often, one to three years are spent by teachers documenting their work through portfolio and videotape entries, as well as passing several assessments in order to complete this rigorous process.
National certification focuses on the classroom and the techniques that lead to improved learning. In a congressionally-mandated study, National Board Certification was recently recognized by the National Research Council as having a positive impact on student achievement, teacher retention, and professional development. The achievement rate nationally for teachers attempting certification is 40 percent, with St. Mary's County Public Schools' achievement rate at 83 percent.
Ms. Pipkin and Ms. Wood will be formally recognized by the Board of Education of St. Mary's County at its meeting of January 27. For more information on the NBPTS process, visit www.nbpts.org.
Source: St. Mary's County Public Schools