Sixty-one Lake Washington teachers achieve, renew National Board Certification
Published 9:30 am Friday, February 23, 2018
Sixty-one Lake Washington School District (LWSD) teachers achieved or renewed their National Board Certification, as announced by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Forty-four teachers were certified for the first time and 17 teachers renewed their certification this year; certifications must be renewed every 10 years. Teachers from around the district completed the process and were recognized at the Feb. 5 school board meeting.
According to NBPTS, 313 teachers working in Lake Washington schools have earned their certification. National Board certification is considered the highest professional credential a teacher can obtain.
“We are pleased to have so many teachers accomplish and sustain this significant level of excellence,” noted Dr. Traci Pierce, superintendent. “The National Board Certification process helps teachers ensure academic success for students by analyzing every area of their teaching practice.”
Certification is a one- to five-year process that includes taking an assessment and assembling three portfolios. According to the NBPTS, completing the certification shows that each teacher knows and practices “the definitive standards of accomplished teaching.”
Numbers released by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards show the state of Washington is third overall in the number of National Board Certified Teachers in the country at 10,135.
Each teacher achieves certification in a subject area and age range.
The new National Board Certified Teachers from Redmond are:
• Alcott Elementary School: Jessica Lynn – Generalist, Early Childhood
• Evergreen Middle School:
Kerry Hanson – Science, Early Adolescence
Angela Kasper – Science, Early Adolescence
Meghan Palmer – Science, Early Adolescence
• Mann Elementary School: Kayce Gehring – Generalist, Middle Childhood
• Redmond High School:
Amy Chackel – Art, Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Lesley Cordel – Social Studies-History, Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Jeff Gehring – Science, Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Liesl Neubert – Mathematics, Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Jordan Swain – Art, Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Macy Zwanzig – Science, Adolescence and Young Adulthood
• Redmond Middle School: Elizabeth Dunsire – Social Studies-History, Early Adolescence
• Tesla STEM High School: Melissa Wrenchey – Career and Technical Education, Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Redmond teachers renewing their NBCT status:
• Mann Elementary School: Shannon Leonard – Literacy: Reading-Language Arts, Early and Middle Childhood
• Redmond High School:
Sandra Hoffman – World Languages other than English, Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Gregg McDonald – Social Studies-History, Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Ruth Schemmel – English as a New Language, Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
• Rush Elementary School: Jayme Branagh Landon – School Counseling, Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
• Tesla STEM High School:
Kate Allender – Science, Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Peter Saxby – Science, Adolescence and Young Adulthood
