Six Knowles Fellows Achieve National Board Certification

MOORESTOWN, N.J., Jan. 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Knowles Teacher Initiative today announced that six of its Fellows achieved National Board Certification, an advanced teaching credential that demonstrates their proven impact on student learning and achievement, in December 2018. Another Knowles Fellow successfully renewed his certification. 

Administered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), National Board Certification involves completion of a rigorous, performance-based, peer-review process. Built upon National Board Standards and the Five Core Propositions, the certification process requires submission of a portfolio that contains evidence of differentiation in instruction, student engagement, and the candidate's ability to act as an effective and reflective practitioner. Candidates are also required to demonstrate content knowledge through the completion of a computer-based assessment.

"Like NBPTS, we understand that teachers play a key role in improving education," stated Nicole Gillespie, Knowles Teacher Initiative, President and CEO. "We encourage our Fellows to explore and refine their teaching practice through National Board Certification, and provide financial and mentoring support for them to do so."

Through the Knowles Teaching Fellows Program, early-career, high school mathematics and science teachers receive five years of support designed to help them develop teaching expertise and lead from the classroom. After completing the fifth year of the Fellowship, Teaching Fellows become Senior Fellows who have the opportunity to remain involved in the Knowles community throughout their careers and be supported in ongoing leadership efforts. Knowles Fellows pursuing National Board certification have access to dedicated funds that can be used to pay for application fees, to purchase a video camera or to cover other relevant expenses.

The following Knowles Fellows achieved National Board Certification: 

• Sarah Berger, Hillsdale High School, San Mateo, California
• Kylie Bertram, Federal Way High School, Federal Way, Washington
• Lindsay McDowell, San Jose, California  
• Andrea Moore, River Bluff High School, Lexington, South Carolina   
• Katrina Stern, Edina High School, Edina, Minnesota
• Katherine Unruhe, Durham, North Carolina

Knowles Fellow Charley Sabatier—Oxford High School, Oxford, Mississippi—who was first Board Certified in 2008, renewed his certification by submitting a Professional Profile of Growth demonstrating how his practice continues to align with the Five Core Propositions.

Nationwide, more than 122,000 teachers have achieved National Board Certification, including 35 Knowles Fellows.

About the Knowles Teacher Initiative

The Knowles Teacher Initiative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit formerly known as the Knowles Science Teaching Foundation (KSTF), was established by Janet H. and C. Harry Knowles in 1999 to increase the number of high quality high school science and mathematics teachers in the United States. Through the Teaching Fellows Program, Senior Fellows Program and the Knowles Academy, the Knowles Teacher Initiative seeks to support a national network of mathematics and science teachers who are collaborative, innovative leaders improving education for all students in the United States. For more information, visit www.knowlesteachers.org.

Media Contact:
Ebony Freeman                                                                                                                            
Knowles Teacher Initiative                                  
856.608.0001, ext. 7029                                                                                                                  
[email protected]

SOURCE Knowles Teacher Initiative

Related Links

http://www.knowlesteachers.org