Nine District 214 teachers board earn National Board Certification

Nine teachers from Northwest Suburban High School District 214 recently received National Board Certification, granted by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

The prestigious certification, considered the gold standard of teaching credentials, is awarded to highly accomplished educators who have met rigorous criteria through intensive study, expert evaluation, self-assessment and peer review.

Jackie Ballarini, Amy Barfield, Jaime Burns, Melissa Drapatsky and Kristen Spiering of John Hersey High School; Leigh Sapp of Prospect High School; Lee Ann Haralambakis and Tim Waters of Rolling Meadows High School; and Amanda Baran of Elk Grove High School were all designated as National Board Certified Teachers for 2011.

The process for National Board Certification is a rigorous, voluntary endeavor, in which teachers demonstrate accomplished teaching via an extensive portfolio the includes student work, videotapes, analysis and reflection, as well as performance on six content-specific assessment exercises.