Click here to view 2005 Professional Leadership Conference.

Copyright © 2006 by the

Colorado Network for National Board Certification

The ideas, opinions & views contained herein are those of the individual authors/contributors, and are not necessarily those

of any organization or school district.

~ Forward ~

A Call to Action

Our mission in Colorado sounds much like Barnett Barry’s statement:

“... to craft unique solutions based on learnings and their understanding of the professional work of teachers, prepare informative products, and present their work before influential audiences in the coming year.”

NBCTs, other educators, and stakeholders in America are coming together to discuss and offer ideas on educational topics of high priority for improving the quality of teaching and learning in order to raise student achievement. Likewise, an invitation was sent to all Colorado NBCTs to join the movement across the nation for educational reform. Through this process, Colorado NBCTs were provided with the stage to share possible solutions addressing these issues.

Colorado NBCTs were given the opportunity to be actively engaged in leadership by participating in their very own initiative for impacting and improving their profession, schools and districts in Colorado . Colorado NBCTs made their voices heard at the June 2, 2006 NBCT Professional Leadership Conference in Colorado Springs . The conference included training on teacher leadership and how to apply leadership skills for improving their schools, districts, programs and organizations. NBCTs then compiled and authored the collective responses that will serve as a framework for an action paper addressing quality of teaching and learning in Colorado .

Bringing people together in Colorado can be a challenge. Colorado residents are impacted by the state’s geography as it is a large state with mountain ranges that separate areas and limit direct, passable routes depending on the season of the year. So that all Colorado NBCTs could participate, despite full schedules and travel obstacles, the following model was designed as a framework to connect everyone.

For those who could not attend the conference, e-mail was the perfect form of communication in making their voices heard and for being involved in the mission of the project. Incremental credit was offered through the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs depending on the participation level of each NBCT. Hours for licensure renewal were granted for those who chose not to opt for the graduate credit. Prior to the June 2 conference, a recommended reading list was e-mailed and independent reading to establish background information was required for everyone. Based on the readings and personal experience, NBCTs submitted via e-mail their responses and reactions to the question, “What can we do to ensure all K-12 students in Colorado are being taught by the quality teachers they deserve?” They were asked to embed responses to this question in the context of a variety of educational issues where quality teaching is paramount. The issues were: higher education; induction and beyond; closing the achievement gap; how to attract, recruit and retain quality teachers and especially NBCTs to hard-to-staff schools; and working conditions required to attract, recruit and retain quality teachers in our profession.

It was helpful to consider the following details when framing their responses:

1. The task was to create a collection of ideas for eventual publication as an action paper by compiling collective knowledge, experiences and successful ideas of what we as NBCTs have accomplished as teacher leaders in our various leadership roles.

2. The intended audience was Colorado NBCTs.

3. The purpose, goals, objectives were:

Ø       Build background knowledge and a foundation for responding to our topic by reading current research and professional literature on key issues facing American education

Ø       Capitalize on the expertise of NBCTs Collaborate with other NBCTs to produce an action paper

Ø       Influence change of policy and structures for improvements in order to advance teaching and learning in Colorado

. . . and so this document, The Colorado Network for National Board Certification: A Discussion on Accomplished Teaching was born. The end result reflects the sharing of NBCTs as they reflected on their own opinions and effective strategies that came from their hearts and personal experience. Please enjoy, be inspired, and be motivated to take action by the work contained in this document from Colorado National Board Certified Teachers.

June 2, 2006 NBCT Professional Leadership Conference Participants

Front Row: Mary Ley, Evelyn Cortez-Ford, Mary Ann Garcia-Pettit, Tiffany Trujillo, Shawn Hayes

Back Row: Carla Rupprecht, Edlyn Plute, Crystal Shaw, Mary Buss, Judy Williams, Anne Howard (not in photo)

~ Content Summary ~

This a summarization of the ideas

from NBCTs on quality teaching for all students

Issue 1 – Higher Education

Ideas Shared:

Ø       Reflect National Board Standards in the teacher preparation programs

Ø       Require a Reading Recovery Class in teacher preparation programs

Ø       Encourage the opportunity for pre-service teachers to work with an NBCT or another accomplished teacher

Ø       Develop stronger partnerships with local school districts and higher education programs

Ø       Embed National Board Standards and processes in an Honor Student Teacher Academy, in the programs for alternative licensure programs and in advanced degree programs

Issue 2 – Induction & Beyond

Ideas Shared:

Ø       Team accomplished teachers with veteran teachers who are challenged in their teaching practices

Ø       Develop professional learning communities in schools using the National Board Certification process as a model

Ø       Create a “Teachers Coaching Teachers” Program

Issue 3 – Closing the Achievement Gap

Ideas Shared:

Ø       Formally and systemically, provide for a school level governance and policy structure that allows for the inclusion of quality teachers as building leadership without having an administrator endorsement

Ø       Emphasize differentiation and school/community partnerships

Ø       Provide free breakfast for all students and free/reduced priced enrichment classes before and after school

Ø       Implement Each One Reach One Program

Issue 4 – How to Attract, Recruit and Retain Quality Teachers & Especially NBCTs to

Hard-to-Staff Schools

Ideas Shared:

Ø       Dialogue with professional groups such as CASE for consistent policies in our state for teacher equity and incentives

Ø       List reasons for not being attracted to hard-to-staff schools

Ø       Expedite the hiring timeline and change hiring practices for NBCTs before they accept positions offered in other places

Ø       Equalize salary compensation between small and large, urban and rural districts to attract NBCTs and other accomplished teachers to the smaller and rural districts

Ø       Assure strong principal leadership that enables teacher leadership, generous school and district-wide resources to support initiatives and a stipend to NBCTs

Ø       Attract NBCTs from other areas of the state or country to relocate at hard-to-staff schools

Ø       Grow your own quality teachers with a school’s current staff rather than creating incentives to attract NBCTs and other accomplished teachers to teach in hard-to-staff schools

Issue 5 – What are the Working Conditions required to Attract, Recruit and Retain

Quality Teachers in our Profession

Ideas Shared:

Ø       List preferred working conditions

Ø       Eliminate loss of teaching years when moving from one district to another

Ø       Identify several essentials of my teaching practice that provide compensation beyond money alone

Ø       Require only purposeful data gathering, offer pertinent staff development, create a positive, forward thinking environment and design marketing techniques that highlight district advantages in brochure and CD/DVD formats

Ø       Treat teachers as professionals

Ø       Lower class sizes or provide a teacher’s assistant

Issue 6 – Professional Development

Ideas Shared:

Ø       Offer job embedded professional development such as the National Board Certification process

Ø       Build a National Board Certification Program within a school district’s professional development program

Issue 7 – Accomplishments of NBCTs that Others Could Implement to Improve Their

Teaching Practice and Impact Student Learning

Ideas Shared:

Ø       Host regular times when teachers gather to look at student work and discuss how to improve the learning experiences

Ø       Work collaboratively with the learning community in the school and outside of the school to produce projects that highlight student learning

Ø       Engage students in real-life learning experiences such as an outdoor education event

Ø       Develop a resource bank to promote the leadership skills of NBCTs