Forty-three Lake Washington School District (LWSD) teachers have achieved or renewed their National Board certification, as announced by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).
Twenty-four teachers were certified for the first time and 19 teachers renewed their certification this year; certifications must be renewed every 10 years. Teachers from around the district completed the process and will be recognized at a future school board meeting in 2019.
According to NBPTS, 336 teachers working in LWSD schools have earned their certification. National Board certification is considered the highest professional credential a teacher can obtain.
“National Board certification represents a strong commitment to pursuing a high standard of excellence as an education professional.” Dr. Jane Stavem, LWSD superintendent, said in a release. “We know that excellent teaching is the No. 1 factor in ensuring student success and we’re proud to have so many teachers in Lake Washington who have achieved this national recognition.”
Certification is a one- to five-year process that includes taking an assessment and assembling three portfolios. According to the NBPTS, completing the certification shows that each teacher knows and practices “the definitive standards of accomplished teaching.”
Numbers released by NBPTS show the state of Washington is third overall in the number of National Board certified teachers in the country at 10,859.
Each teacher achieves certification in a subject area and age range.
The new National Board certified teachers in Kirkland are:
Emerson High School
Andrea Frankenfeld – English language arts/adolescence and young adulthood
Finn Hill Middle School
Ashley Rowe – social studies-history/early adolescence
Juanita High School
Theresa Vasquez – world languages/early adolescence through young adulthood
Kamiakin Middle School
Rachael Perkins – art/early adolescence through young adulthood
Keller Elementary School
Mary Binder – generalist/early childhood
Courtney Kirkpatrick – generalist/early childhood
Lake Washington High School
Heidi Menzenberg-Zvilna – music/early adolescence through young adulthood
Ryan O’Connor – social studies-history/adolescence and young adulthood
Bethany Shoda – social studies-history/adolescence and young adulthood
Teachers renewing their NBCT in Kirkland status are:
Juanita High School
Steven Juzeler – exceptional needs specialist/early childhood through young adulthood
International Community School
Nancy Sullivan – mathematics/adolescence and young adulthood
Lake Washington High School
Jill Johnson – mathematics/early adolescence
Lakeview Elementary School
Rachel Brackett – music/early and middle childhood
Northstar Middle School
Robert Herold – social studies-history/early adolescence
Vincent Noto – English language arts/adolescence and young adulthood
Sandburg Elementary School
Barbara Roy – generalist/early childhood
