Eight LWSD teachers from Redmond achieve National Board Certification

Thirty-six teachers in the Lake Washington School District (LWSD) -- including eight from Redmond -- achieved National Board Certification, as announced by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

This puts the district at No. 17 on the national list of top 20 districts by number of new National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) in 2011. There are now 197 NBCTs working full-time in the LWSD schools.

"Lake Washington School District has exceptional teachers, so it is no surprise that so many are able to achieve this status," said Superintendent Chip Kimball. "The National Board Certification process directly benefits Lake Washington students as it helps teachers take a deeper look at how they can ensure students are learning."

Teachers earn this credential through a rigorous assessment that generally takes a year or more to complete. Teachers are required to demonstrate how their work improves student achievement. As part of the process, teachers build a portfolio that includes student work samples, assignments, videotapes and a thorough analysis of their classroom teaching. Additionally, teachers are assessed on their knowledge of the subjects they teach. It is considered the highest professional certification a teacher can obtain.

Numbers released by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards show that the state of Washington has the second-most new NBCTs with 945, behind only North Carolina, and is fourth overall in the total number of NBCTs with 6,242.

Each teacher achieves certification in a subject area and age range.

The new National Board Certified Teachers from Redmond, along with their field, are:

• Emily Dickinson Elementary School: Karen Kline, Library Media/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
• Norman Rockwell Elementary School: Megan Porter, Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood
• Benjamin Rush Elementary School: Robyn Hodges, Music/Early and Middle Childhood
• Redmond Junior High School: Robert Aguilar, Social Studies - History / Adolescence and Young Adulthood
• Redmond High School: Holly Appelgate, Social Studies - History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood; Patrick Frable, English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood; Robert Miller, Science/Adolescence and Young Adulthood; and Daniel Pudwill, English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood.

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