By DAILY PRESS STAFF
SMMUSD HDQTRS A group of teachers in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District recently received certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, earning what is perhaps the highest honor that an educator can achieve.
The seven teachers — Anne Keller from Malibu High School; Judith Anderson and Katie Jaroch of Lincoln Middle School; Martha Diaz Chacon and Geoff Tipper from Santa Monica High School; Margo Dunn of Point Dume Marine Science School and Laila Taslimi from McKinley Elementary School — were introduced during the Board of Education meeting last week.
The teachers underwent a rigorous certification process that involved compiling a portfolio demonstrating their knowledge of the curriculum in which they teach, presenting performance-based assessments such as samples of student work, homework assignments and a video tape of the teacher in class.
The average teacher applying for the certification usually spends about 200 to 400 hours altogether, including the time taken to complete the portfolio and studying for the assessment test.
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, which administers the certification, was created in 1987 and has since certified more than 3,800 teachers in California,making the Golden State the fourth highest in the nation. Approximately 250 California teachers were certified this year.
Several teachers in the local school district are currently undergoing the certification process and will complete the process in June, finding out in December whether or not they passed. School officials say that the certification is a sign of teaching excellence.
“Only about 1 percent of California’s teachers are Nationally Board Certified,” Susan Samarge-Powell, the coordinator of teacher support for SMMUSD, said during the board meeting. “Whereas in our district, we have just over 8 percent of our 624 teachers who are certified.
“We are small, but mighty.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 1, 2008. Read the original PDF.