HCG Sponsors Policy Summit for National Board Certified Teachers
August 5, 2006

Education Leaders Look for Ways to Recruit, Retain High Quality Teachers in S.C.'s Most Challenged Schools

COLUMBIA, S.C.--Education leaders joined forces with the state's top teachers today for a first ever education policy summit dedicated to creating solutions to one of the state's most pressing educational issues—how to attract and retain high quality teachers in schools that are struggling with teacher turnover and poor student achievement.

More than 450 of the state's National Board Certified Teachers^® (NBCTs) participated in the daylong summit, sponsored by a coalition of education groups which was held at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center in Columbia.

"Building a critical mass of accomplished teachers in high-needs schools is essential if we are going to guarantee a quality education for every child in the state," said former U.S. Secretary of Education and former South Carolina Gov. Richard Riley. "By coming together at this summit, the input from our National Board Certified Teachers attending will be invaluable as we work to build the best possible learning environment for South Carolina's students."

The summit generated ideas on ways to increase the supply of quality teachers in South Carolina's high-needs schools. The suggestions and recommendations will be shared with state and local policymakers in a bold effort to address this critical issue.

"Here in South Carolina, we are committed to seeing that every child has a competent, caring teacher, and this summit proves that we are on the right track," said State Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum. "The discussion here today is an example of how our National Board Certified Teachers are at the forefront of education reform."

"National Board Certified Teachers are among the most effective teachers in our classrooms today, and I am proud that they were able to step forward and make their voices heard," said Sheila C. Gallagher, president of The South Carolina Education Association. "By soliciting the advice of the state's National Board Certified Teachers, we're truly getting frontline perspective that will benefit our students."

Conference sponsors include: BellSouth; Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA); Center for Teaching Quality; GlaxoSmithKline; Hodges Consulting Group; National Bank of South Carolina; National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS); National Education Association; SERVE Center at UNC Greensboro, South Carolina; Association of School Administrators; South Carolina Department of Education; and The South Carolina Education Association.

National Board Certification^® is the highest credential in the teaching profession. A voluntary process established by NBPTS, certification is achieved through a rigorous, performance-based assessment that typically takes more than a year to complete and measures what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. This process requires teachers to demonstrate how their activities, both inside and outside of the classroom, improve student achievement.

"We cannot turn away from the challenge of transforming high-needs schools by defining it as merely one of the many inequities within the education system that cannot be solved," said NBPTS President and CEO Joseph A. Aguerrebere. "National Board Certified Teachers are constantly looking to create new roles for themselves inside and outside of their classrooms. They want to be part of the solution in improving the American education system."

Currently, there are nearly 50,000 NBCTs in the United States. With more than 4,400 NBCTs teaching in South Carolina's schools, the state ranks third in the country in the number of teachers who have achieved National Board Certification.

"Anytime we can bring professional educators and policymakers to the same table with the same goals in mind of educating every child in the state and giving every child the best possible education we can is an invaluable experience," said NBCT Jennifer "Buffy" Murphy, the South Carolina Teacher of the Year who is a fifth-grade teacher at Irmo Elementary School. "I was honored to work with my fellow National Board Certified Teachers on this important issue."

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