MCEA National Board Certification Support Program

There are 478 MCEA members that have achieved national certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). And the best news? A far higher percentage of MCEA members pursuing national certification actually achieve it, compared to the national average.Why? In no small part it is because of the comprehensive National Board program being coordinated by MCEA’s Center For Teacher Leadership. There are six components to the program:

  1. Scholarships

    2. MCEA administers a scholarship program that provides candidates for National Board Certification with a full $2,500 for the candidate registration fee. The program is funded by MCPS with matching funds from Maryland State Department of Education. For more information on the scholarship program, contact Mary Pat Spon at mpspon@mcea.nea.org .

  2. Take One! Outreach & Support

    3. Take One! is a new NBPTS program that allows those interested in national certification to prepare and submit one portfolio entry in order to become more familiar with the process. If you decide to pursue national certification, you can transfer the score on that entry and use it towards your full National Board candidacy. And to top it all off, MCEA negotiated contract language allowing for use of MCPS tuition reimbursement funds to help pay the costs for Take One!.

  3. Minority Candidate Outreach

    4. Nationally, the data shows that minority teachers do not pursue national board certification at the same rate as white teachers. MCEA has taken the lead in encouraging minority educators to apply for national board certification. With the support of a grant from the NEA Foundation, MCEA’s “Dream Team” organizes targeted outreach to encourage minority candidates. For more information on the Dream Team, contact Leslie Johnson (Leslie_Johnson@mcpsmd.org).

  4. Candidate Support

    5. MCEA and MCPS run one of the most comprehensive NBPTS candidate support programs in the nation. Support sessions are held monthly, on Saturdays at the MCEA Conference Center. National Board Certified Teachers serve as mentors and coaches, and candidates work with one another to develop their portfolio submissions.

  5. Graduate Certificate

    6. MCEA’s Center for Teacher Leadership has established a partnership with the George Washington University Graduate School of Education to offer a graduate certificate program for National Board candidates. You can earn up to 15 graduate credit hours.

  6. National Board Network

    7. National Board Certification is not just a personal and professional achievement; it can be the beginning of new leadership opportunities within public education. MCEA and the Center have helped to organize a National Board Network for NBPTS Certified Teachers. The Network meets throughout the year. They support candidates. And they advise – and represent – MCEA on a range of instructional initiatives within MCPS. MCEA is also in the final stages of negotiating a Career Lattice that will open up and provide a structure for increased leadership opportunities for National Board Certified Teachers.

    National Board Recruitment Meetings

    For more information about the Center for Teacher Leadership and the National Board program, contact Naomi Baden (nbaden@mcea.nea.org).