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EP educators earn national certification Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Seven-year-old Cameron Callahan is happy over the recent achievement of her teacher, Shirley Blanchard of Glenn D. Hale Elementary School. By Jonel Aleccia EAGLE POINT � First-grader Cameron Callahan may not understand the concept of national teacher certification, but she does know Mrs. Blanchard worked very hard to achieve it. "That was amazing!" said the grinning 7-year-old, one of several Glenn D. Hale Elementary School students whose work helped Shirley Blanchard attain the nation�s highest level of teacher recognition. What is national teacher certification? National Board Certification is a voluntary process established in 1986 by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. It is achieved through a rigorous, performance-based assessment that takes nearly a year. Through the process, teachers document their competency with subject matter and effective teaching strategies and their ability to manage and measure student learning. The board has set a goal of having 100,000 certified teachers by 2006. Last week, the board certified 4,694 primary and secondary teachers from 49 states and the District of Columbia, bringing the total to 9,498. In Oregon, Gov. John Kitzhaber has said he would like to see 500 certified teachers by 2004. Blanchard, 47, and three fellow Eagle Point teachers are among 17 Oregon educators to achieve national certification, and the first in the state to do so. The four learned of their achievement late last week, when the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards announced the results of the rigorous process. "I have several degrees and a master�s, and this is by far one of the most difficult things I have ever done," said Blanchard, who has spent more than 20 years in the classroom. "I know I�m a good teacher, but this knocked me to the ground." Blanchard�s views were echoed by teachers Lori Evans, Richard Taylor and Carol Schaefer-BeBell, all of whom said they were both thrilled and relieved to pass. "I truly did not know if I would," said Taylor, 47, who teaches fifth and sixth grades at Little Butte Intermediate School. "I had a good enough understanding of where the bar was that I thought I had a fair shot at it, but I did not feel especially confident." Of the nation�s 3 million teachers, fewer than 10,000 have achieved national certification, including 4,694 this year. More than half the teachers who seek certification fail in their first attempt. In Oregon, 26 teachers applied this year; 17 made it. "I think it�s the equivalent of a doctoral dissertation," said Larry Austin, spokesman for the Oregon Department of Education. "It�s not just passing a test. And it�s not like an awards program, where people write a couple of letters, either." To earn certification, teachers must prepare portfolios demonstrating their work through videotapes, samples of student progress and written analysis of their teaching strategies and results. The process takes 200 to 300 hours, includes an eight-hour exam and results in portfolios that are sometimes inches thick. The application fee is $2,300, though teacher�s unions, organizations and some districts provide subsidies that defer a large part of the costs. "I�ve never cried so much in my life," said Evans, 37, a kindergarten teacher at Glenn D. Hale. "This was a real stretch for me personally and professionally." Eagle Point�s strong showing can be attributed in part to the fact that the district is one of only three in the state that offers financial incentives for national certification. Certified teachers can earn a $5,000 annual bonus. But the newly certified teachers said professional pride, not extra money, prompted them to tackle the project. These teachers made it Seventeen of the 26 applicants for national teacher certification in Oregon achieved their goal, which is higher than the national passing rate. Oregon�s nationally certified teachers are Christopher F. Kuka, Bend-LaPine School District; Penny Patrick, Beaverton School District; Shirley Blanchard, Lori Evans, Carol Schaefer-BeBell and Richard Taylor, Eagle Point School District; Jorie Luetkebuenger, Michael Mann, Richard Norris, Tiffany Pate, Samantha Salvitelli, Pat Scherler and Bruce Schmidt, Gresham-Barlow School District; Jill Campbell, Kathleen Farrell, Suzanne Germaneri-Clarkson and Anne Ryan, Portland School District. "The incentive is a nice add-on, but it�s not the reason I did it," said Schaefer-BeBell, a special education teacher at Elk Trail and Shady Cove elementary schools. "I really was interested to see whether my standards and my techniques were comparable to those across the nation." Unlike advanced degrees, which simply require completion of coursework, national certification mandates that teachers prove their skill in the classroom. "It is the only measurement I know of which is intended to be a measure of professional competence," said Taylor. "I was curious to know if I could rise to that level." Experts believe that improving teacher performance is vital to boosting student achievement. The national standards board recently released a study that showed certified teachers performed better than noncertified teachers in 11 of 13 aspects of teaching practice. All of the newly certified local teachers said they gained valuable insights into their craft and formed new goals for the future. Schaefer-BeBell plans to improve how the school reaches lower-functioning students. Evans hopes to expand her role as a mentor teacher and consultant. And Blanchard plans to advocate for a pet cause: full-day kindergarten. "Achieving national certification gives me a new voice," she said. "I�ve got my slogan: �Half day is half the way.� This is my new major project." Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.