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The Arizona K12 Center is proud to announce that Arizona is home to 49 new National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs). These teachers have earned the highest certificate an educator can achieve in the United States through a process that enhances their teaching practice, ultimately better supporting Arizona’s students.

Administered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, National Board Certification is a rigorous and reflective process that requires teachers to showcase the National Board Standards in their practice. Teachers often take three to five years of continual work to achieve certification. In Arizona, the Arizona K12 Center is the home for support and resources for teachers seeking National Board Certification.

Here are the just-announced 2020 National Board Certified Teachers in Arizona:

Brianne Aaker Chandler Unified School District
Michelle Ang Kyrene Elementary School District
James Archambaulta Gilbert Public Schools
Katherine Baker Washington Elementary School District
Leonora Baltazar Osborn Elementary School District
Michelle Bordonaro Higley Unified School District
Christina Cimino Deer Valley Unified School District
Leah Clark Glendale Union High School District
Chelsea Cloonan Mesa Unified School District
Shawna Collins Deer Valley Unified School District
Elizabeth Cook Paradise Valley Unified School District
Anne Coulthard Marana Unified School District
Susan-Marie Flanigan Sunnyside Unified School District
Elzbieta Galek Avondale Elementary School District
Kerri Glover Gilbert Public Schools
Laurie Gowin Safford Unified School District
Kelly Gragg Dysart Unified School District
Claren Gustkey Scottsdale Unified School District
Nina Hipps Tucson Unified School District
Marian Johnson Amphitheater School District
Kelda Kastner Lewis Mesa Unified School District
Cotylee Kendall Laveen Elementary School District
Cindy King Phoenix Union High School District
Sarah Kirchoff Higley Unified School District
Elizabeth Kreitinger Chino Valley Unified School District
Devin Mann Lake Havasu Unified School District
Jill Menaugh Amphitheater School District
Haley Mercy Gilbert Public Schools
Faith Meyer Mesa Unified School District
Bridget Montoya Flowing Wells Unified School District
Theresa Nigg Lake Havasu Unified School District
Jennifer Perry Glendale Union High School District
Jillian Powers Flowing Wells Unified School District
Kristin Rebb Phoenix Union High School District
Rachel Redman Simms Sahuarita Unified School District
Samantha Reynolds Flowing Wells Unified School District
Kathryn Rizzo Gilbert Public Schools
Jesica Roehm Dysart Unified School District
Carly Schoettes Avondale Elementary School District
Nicole Speece Paradise Valley Unified School District
Carol Spenik Paradise Valley Unified School District
Jillian Stumpf Balsz School District
Danielle Swartz Amphitheater School District
Barbara Tingle Sahuarita Unified School District
Kelsey Tomlinson Tempe Union High School District
Jean Vogel Dysart Unified School District
Anne Waddington Scottsdale Unified School District
Virginia Wheeler Sunnyside Unified School District
Stephen Wilding Deer Valley Unified School District

Along with the usual rigor of the National Board Certification process, these 48 new NBCTs also faced additional challenges from both teaching and documenting that teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The unique piece about National Board is that it is totally focused on a teacher’s practice. A teacher must provide clear, consistent, and convincing evidence of the National Board Standards in their teaching,” says Dr. Kathy Wiebke, NBCT, executive director of the Arizona K12 Center. “Teachers choose to seek National Board Certification. There is no guarantee they will achieve and yet they persevere. What I admire most about this group of teachers is they chose to continue during a pandemic. They were given the option of deferring and they did not do that. They are a testimony to the great teachers that can be found throughout Arizona.”

Research shows that students of NBCTs have improved learning outcomes. “The positive impact of having a Board-certified teacher (NBCT) is even greater for minority and low-income students,” according to the National Board. Find more data about research on the effects of NBCTs at nbpts.org.

This year, about a quarter of this group of new NBCTs received funding for the process through the state’s new Arizona Teachers Academy, a budget appropriation from the Arizona State Legislature under the direction of Gov. Doug Ducey. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards also announced earlier this fall that 25 Arizona teachers successfully renewed their National Board Certification this year. Altogether, Arizona is home to 1,576 NBCTs Arizona with another 656 teachers currently pursuing National Board Certification. Nationwide, there are 127,781 NBCTs. Due to the impact of COVID-19, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards provided candidates multiple due dates for National Board component submission. As a result, another round of NBCTs will be announced in a few months.

If you are interested in pursuing National Board Certification, the Arizona K12 Center's next Pre-Candidacy Class starts January 6! This online course will help you build a system of support and understand the foundation and process of National Board Certification before committing to candidacy. You can find more information about that at this link and information about funding support for National Board Certification at this link.