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National Board Certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NPBTS) is widely recognized in our schools as the gold standard in teacher certification credentials. With good reason, too: Not only is it a hard-won badge of honor for the teachers who earn it, it also translates into better results for students. A decade of research backs the impact NBCTs have on students: Their students learn more than those taught by non-NBCTs, especially if they are members of a minority group or economically-disadvantaged.

NBPTS has recently released the 2023 class of new and newly-recertified NBCTs, and we want to offer our congratulations to our members who have achieved this milestone in their training and education.

Newly Certified

Jennifer Baitinger          Arlington Education Association
Brandy Bowles              Education Association of Alexandria
Gregory Campbell         Arlington Education Association
Emily Chaumont            Prince William Education Association
Brian Costa                   Prince William Education Association
Andrea Eisenberger       Virginia Beach Education Association
Bethany Farrell              Fairfax Education Association
Rachel Grover               Fairfax Education Association
Tammy Hinkle               Prince William Education Association
Tamara Ingalls               Prince William Education Association
Sonya Kepner                Prince William Education Association
Olivia Lawson                Williamsburg-James City Education Association
Wendy Lucy                  Williamsburg-James City Education Association
Paul Mock                     Fairfax Education Association
Marisa Pappas              Fauquier Education Association
Catherine Reidenbach   Virginia Beach Education Association
Kate Roessler                Williamsburg-James City Education Association
Stephanie Slough          Stafford Education Association
Lauren Paz Soldan         Fairfax Education Association
Luisa Tio                       Education Association of Alexandria
Michelle Weeks             Hanover Education Association

Recertified

Florina Abott                 Fairfax Education Association
Marie Aronson              Virginia Beach Education Association
Megan Bishop               Virginia Beach Education Association
Nicole Boissiere             Prince William Education Association
Danielle Bottesch          Loudoun Education Association
Jennifer Brady               Henrico Education Association
Connie Burgess             Education Association of Suffolk
Tara Cahak                    Loudoun Education Association
Maritza Carpenter         Arlington Education Association
Trisha Christopher         Education Association of Alexandria
Kelly Davis                    Education Association of Alexandria
Tara Dembitz                 Virginia Beach Education Association
Kristine Elsener             Fairfax Education Association
Christine Fasick             Prince William Education Association
Ashley Field                  Gloucester Education Association
Allison Fleming             Hanover Education Association
Jennifer Fortune            Loudoun Education Association
Karen Freeman             Stafford Education Association
Donna Garzione            Prince William Education Association
Catherine Gray              Charlottesville Education Association
Gregory Hackenberg      Martinsville Education Association
Gretchen Hiort              Henrico Education Association
Teresa Jones                 Stafford Education Association
Megan Landmeier         Education Association of Alexandria
Suzanne Lank                Education Association of Alexandria
Larissa Lemp                 Loudoun Education Association
Brandy Loomis              Education Association of Alexandria
Rebecca Madrona         Arlington Education Association
Maren Mapp                 Arlington Education Association
Anne Mooring               Williamsburg-James City Education Association
Kelly O’Boyle                 Loudoun Education Association
Kenneth Parker             Arlington Education Association
Rochelle Peasley           Louisa County Education Association
Tina Pitts                      Williamsburg-James City Education Association
Laura Richardson          Albemarle Education Association
Rosalyn Roberts            Williamsburg-James City Education Association
Andrea Rowanhill          Albemarle Education Association
Adrienne Rozier            Richmond Education Association
Valerie Schwarz             Richmond Education Association
Christina Sienkiewicz     Chesterfield Education Association
Valerie Smith                Williamsburg-James City Education Association
Amelia Snapp                Frederick County Education Association
Elizabeth Snead             Arlington Education Association
Maria Sotomayor          Arlington Education Association
Shannon Speights         Prince William Education Association
Lydia Stewart                Prince William Education Association
Sarah Switaj                  Arlington Education Association
Wanda Taylor                Roanoke Education Association
Christine Thai-Pappa     Prince William Education Association
Elisabeth Thompson      Alleghany Education Association
Amber Tiernan              Prince William Education Association
Casey Tyler                   Henrico Education Association
Schuyler VanValkenburg Henrico Education Association
Lynnmarie Wasinger      Chesapeake Education Association
Kristin Weaver              Loudoun Education Association
Matthew Wester           Richmond Education Association
Valerie Wick                  Stafford Education Association
Meredith Williamson     Louisa County Education Association
James Winterer             Salem Education Association
Laurie Witt                    Martinsville Education Association
Katherine Woodard       Henrico Education Association
Rebecca Woodside        Stafford Education Association
Rashmi Wright              Loudoun Education Association
James Zarro                  Arlington Education Association

National Certification’s Underpinning

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards bases its standards and certification process on what it calls the Five Core Propositions, drawn from a document it created called “What Teachers Should Know and Be Able to Do.” The propositions, similar to the Hippocratic Oath taken by medical professionals, spell out the profession’s vision for truly accomplished teaching. They are:

• Teachers are committed to students and their learning.
• Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.
• Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.
• Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.
• Teachers are members of learning communities.

How VEA Can Help

Your union offers options for teachers considering National Board Certification, including a cohort that meets monthly, one-on-one mentoring, and Jump Start training. To learn more, go to veanea.org/nbct/.