Story sent in by: Natasha Couoh | April 26, 2024
Clarksdale, Mississippi – Teachers across Clarksdale, and Coahoma County are submitting recordings of their instruction this month as part of their applications to receive national recognition and a big pay raise. Their efforts are part of a special program focused on supporting teachers in Coahoma County in gaining certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
National Board certification is designed to develop, retain, and recognize accomplished teachers and generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide. In addition to the distinction of national certification, teachers who complete the program will receive an additional $6,000-$10,000, provided by the state, and hopefully help address teacher retention challenges in the Delta.
Mississippi is ranked fourth in the nation in the 2023 state rankings by percentage of Board-certified teachers at 15.21 percent. However, only two of those 4,811 Board-certified teachers are in the Coahoma County School District.
A grant from the Home Region of the Walton Family Foundation is trying to increase representation in Coahoma County. After the state of Mississippi passed a law in 2021 boosting pay, especially for certified teachers, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards learned that more than 50 percent of teachers in Coahoma County were unaware of its certification program. Many teachers also expressed concerns about the fees necessary to complete the process. The Walton Family Foundation grant addresses these concerns by covering the fees and adding support for the teachers.
Dr. Daphne Brown is the Senior Manager of Strategic Partnerships for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. She is based in the Delta and supports the 15 teachers in the group supported by the Walton Family Foundation grant. She helps the teachers complete the multi-year process of collecting artifacts from their classrooms and recording themselves teaching; these resources are submitted to the National Board for review.
“The goal is to get as many teachers National Board-certified as possible,” said Dr. Brown, “because it helps to improve student achievement and increase teacher pay. There’s a really positive trickle-down effect on the students when teachers get certified.”
Keelandra Holden teaches at the 9th-grade academy in Clarksdale. She’s part of the cohort currently going through the process of earning Board certification.
“I feel rejuvenated because this is new and exciting for me,” said Holden, who graduated from Clarksdale schools. “Every student learns differently, and this process is helping me learn different ways to keep them engaged.”
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About the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards:
The founding mission of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is to advance the quality of teaching and learning by: maintaining high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do; providing a national voluntary system certifying teachers who meet these standards, and advocating related education reforms to integrate National Board Certification in American education and to capitalize on the expertise of National Board Certified Teachers. Recognized as the “gold standard” in teacher certification, the National Board believes higher standards for teachers means better learning for students. Learn more at www.nbpts.org.
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