> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Chalk it up to wit - URL: https://www.smdp.com/chalk-it-up-to-wit/ - Published: 2007-02-13T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T00:02:49.000Z - Author: Melody Hanatani - Tags: Education, Malibu, #archive-import *Five teachers put their skills to the test* SMMUSD HDQTRS. A handful of district teachers recently put themselves to the test, and are the richer for it. Five elementary and middle school teachers in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District recently received the holy grail of teaching credentials — certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), known as the highest honor that a teacher could possibly receive. The new inductees —Robert Seymour and Stefanie Suffolk, science teachers at Lincoln Middle School; Adam Panish, a social studies teacher at Malibu High School; Ken Harris, a kindergarten and first grade teacher at Point Dume Marine Science School; and Irma Lyons, the principal at Will Rogers Learning Community — will join the 49 other teachers in the district who have successfully under-gone the rigorous certification process, a process in which just 40 percent of applicants pass on their first try. All of the newly certified teachers have taught in the school district for more than 15 years except for Panish, who has taught in SMMUSD for 10 years. “The process of going through National Board certification is one of the best professional development opportunities available to teachers in our nation,” said Susan Samarge- Powell of Educational Services at SMMUSD. “It provides an opportunity for teachers to reflect both internally, and in a very public way about the work they do with their students, schools, families and community.” The NBPTS is a non-profit and non-governmental agency. Several state Boards of Education offers incentives to teachers who are able to add the certification to their name. In North Carolina, all teachers who receive certification receive a state awarded annual bonus of 12 percent of their salary. In South Carolina, certified teachers receive an annual bonus of $7,500. But in California, only NBPTS teachers from low-performing schools receive a $20,000 bonus over a span of four years. In SMMUSD, teachers are a little bit more fortunate. The district foots the entire $2,500 bill for the certification, regardless of whether or not the teacher passes. Teachers who provide 20 professional development service hours will also net a $5,000 bonus. The teachers completed a time-consuming certification process that involved the compilation of a portfolio and a three-hour assessment exam that tested the teacher’s knowledge in the subject matter they teach. The portfolio includes student work samples, assignments and video footage of the teacher during class. All together, the average teacher applying for certification spends between 200 and 400 hours, including the time it takes to complete the portfolio and take the assessment test. Successful candidates who pass the certification process in their first try can do so in about one year. It took Harris two attempts to pass the certification process. The 15-year district veteran was at a place in his career where he felt comfortable enough with his teaching background to put his skills to the test. Harris, who grew up in the district and graduated from Santa Monica Alternative School House in 1983, came back to the school to teach. The process was grueling, according to Harris, who submitted two tapes of a class he taught and wrote four essays, each of which were about 15 pages long. At the end of his first try, Harris came up six points short of passing, forcing him to retake portions of the test. Applicants who fail the test are allowed to revisit the parts of the test where they were unsuccessful. “I was very pleased they gave me a second chance to go at it without doing the whole process over,” Harris said on Monday. “I felt validated that I am doing good things. “It’s nice to be patted on the back.” In the state of California, 293 teachers passed the certification process this year. A total of 3,659 teachers in California have certification from the NBPTS, ranking the state fourth in the nation in total number of teachers with certification. More than 55,000 teachers nationwide have achieved certification, representing just 2 percent of the total teaching population in the country. “The National Board Certification strengthens and reaffirms quality teaching strategies,” said James Minichello, spokesman for the NBPTS, on Monday. “It adds credibility to the teaching profession... and has a positive impact on student learning.” *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 13, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/021307.pdf?ref=smdp.com)