What an exciting time for sure! NYSUT applauds New York's 51 new NBCTs and 83 NBCTs who successfully renewed/maintained their National Board certification. This brings our state total to 2,224 NBCTs and over 130,000 nationally.

The top school districts by total number of certified NBCTs are:

1. New York City Department of Education (299)

2. Schenectady City Schools (77)

3. Arlington CSD (71)

4. Wappingers Falls CSD (57)

5. Rochester City School District (45)

A virtual NYSUT and NYSED recognition event for new NBCTs is being planned for Spring 2022. The date will be announced shortly. The next issue of NYSUT United will also feature a list of the newest NBCTs and a story that will highlight several teachers who recently achieved.

NYSUT is partnering with NBPTS for #TeamNBCT Week by recognizing and celebrating NBCTs as well as providing updated data.

• A personal congratulatory letter from Executive Vice President Jolene DiBrango is being sent to every new NBCT NYSUT member. Included in the envelope are a NYSUT/NBCT pin and bumper sticker.
• NYSUT will congratulate our newest NBCTs with a story this week on the NYSUT website with a list of those who achieved.
• NYSUT's National Board Fact Sheet has been updated and will be posted shortly.
• NYSUT's National Board webpage will house the updated Fact Sheet, the current NBPTS NY state profile and links to candidate support provided by Teacher Centers.
• Social media posts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

There are almost 700 National Board candidates and first-time applicants currently pursuing certification in New York. There is no denying the benefits of a supportive community for getting questions answered, reviewing component drafts, and receiving tips and recommendations from NBCTs who successfully completed the process.

Each Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET, the National Board will host a candidate webinar. Focusing on both Maintenance of Certification and first-time candidacy, all webinars are posted here. Candidates must register and, even if they can’t attend live, they will receive the recording and resources in a follow-up email.

NYSUT's National Board Certification webpage will promote NBC candidate support groups offered through the NYS Teacher Centers. Bookmark this page and return frequently as we will keep the information and links updated.

NBPTS is excited to share the new National Board Cohort Planning Toolkit. This free resource is for anyone interested in designing a cohort program to help educators pursuing National Board Certification. You have access to planning tools to help in program design and facilitation, as well as resources like component planning guides and graphic organizers for candidates. In addition, there’s more information on funding opportunities to support professional learning for Board certification and the value of investment in Board certification for teachers, students and schools. These ready-made resources are not intended to be prescriptive, but rather to give leaders a starting place for designing a program and adapting as needed based on local context.

The New York State Albert Shanker grant was established to defray the costs of National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification to eligible New York State public school teachers. The New York State Education Department administers the grant program to support eligible New York State public school teachers seeking their first National Board Certification.

To be eligible for the Albert Shanker Grant, candidates MUST:

1. be employed as a full-time teacher in a NYS public school;
2. hold a valid New York State teaching certificate;
3. hold tenure in his/her current position;
4. commit to and actually complete the entirety of the initial NBPTS candidacy effort;
5. continue to be employed as a full-time teacher in a New York public school for at least one full school year following completion of the initial grant period;
6. apply for NBPTS certification and pay for the first component selected; and
7. apply for the Albert Shanker Grant.

Candidate reimbursement for those who completed in December 2021 will open AFTER February 2022. Information will be posted on the webpage when requests for reimbursement will be accepted. Please note: Reimbursement is currently open ONLY for candidates who completed the National Board certification process in 2019 and 2020.

It is my pleasure to announce that 43 of the Class of 2021 NBCTs are Shanker grant awardees! If you know someone who is is interested in pursuing National Board Certification, let him/her know that the New York State Education Department will accept applications through Feb. 28, 2022 or until all funds are exhausted.

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