Region One ESC and Rural Schools Innovation Zone Launch National Board Teacher Certification Pre-Candidacy Support Together with BloomBoard

EDINBURG, Texas, Nov. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In partnership with BloomBoard, Region One Education Service Center (ESC) and Rural Schools Innovation Zone (RSIZ) have engaged teachers with coaching and competency-based support to prepare their candidacy for National Board certification.

Under the terms of Texas's state approved Teacher Incentive Allotment, educators that earn National Board certification will be automatically designated as "Recognized" teachers beginning January of 2021, and eligible for potential pay increases between $3,000 and $9,000 annually. Exact funding is calculated based on socio-economic status of students at the school where the Board-Certified educator teaches and the school's rural status.

"National Board certification is a viable opportunity for Texas educators to be paid what they're worth by granting them a Recognized designation, but it's more than that," said Michael Gonzalez, Executive Director for RSIZ. "This certification creates a domino effect, first elevating the teacher's expertise, which elevates rigor, which elevates test scores, which elevates graduation rates."

Despite well-documented research suggesting the efficacy of National Board certified teachers and over 300,000 total teachers in the state, there are only around 1,000 National Board certified teachers in Texas. Given the small population of in-state certified teachers, few mentors and coaches are accessible to teachers interested in certification. Most teachers are unaware of National Board certification entirely and the incentives available to those that certify.

"Many certification candidates struggle on their first attempt, and in BloomBoard we found a partner that took the time to understand what teachers need to have the best chance to earn certification," said Dr. Socorro Espinoza, Director of Educator Effectiveness for Region One. "The competencies underlying the micro-credentials they designed for National Board pre-candidates, combined with the National Board-certified coaches they provide, match perfectly with the support we desire for our teachers. After conducting an intensive interview process within our Region, we anticipate great things from the first cohort of our own pre-candidate teachers."

Currently, there are plans for 25 Region One and 30 RSIZ teachers to receive pre-candidacy support and coaching through BloomBoard.

"Texas is one of the states leading the way in providing meaningful incentives for educators to prove their mastery as teachers," said Sanford Kenyon, CEO for BloomBoard. "We at BloomBoard are honored to support the commitment organizations like Region One and RSIZ make to invest in the professional learning and growth of their teachers."

National Board certification pre-candidacy support program information and a calculator to estimate potential salary increases for certifying teachers are available at https://bloomboard.com/program/national-board-texas/.

About Region One ESC
Region One ESC serves 38 school districts and 10 charter school systems in southern Texas by assisting school districts in improving student performance; enabling school districts to operate more efficiently and economically; and implementing initiatives assigned by the legislature or commissioner. For more, visit esc1.net.

About Rural Schools Innovation Zone
Rural School Innovation Zone's vision is to reinvent the rural education experience through our mission to provide rural school students high-quality opportunities for postsecondary success. For more, visit thersiz.org.

About BloomBoard
Founded in 2010, BloomBoard is leading the shift from professional development to educator advancement via micro-certification and partners with states and districts to enable a unique online learning experience where educators improve their instructional practice and advance their careers by earning micro-credentials. BloomBoard aims to help all organizations transition to meaningful, purpose-driven educator development and advancement based on measurable certification. For more information, visit bloomboard.com.

SOURCE BloomBoard

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