Most Americans Want to See Teachers Achieve Board Certification

Board certification improves learning and advances your teaching career.

No matter their political leanings or social background, there is one thing that most Americans can agree on: Teachers should be National Board Certified.

Teachers who earn Board Certification from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards have to complete a rigorous series of tasks to illustrate their teaching expertise. These tasks demonstrate that a teacher has five core competencies, including:

• Teachers are committed to students and their learning.


• Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.


• Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.


• Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.


• Teachers are members of learning communities.

All of this work is not simply for a certificate. Research proves that students with Board-certified teachers obtain an additional one to two months more of instruction over the course of a school year. Furthermore, teachers who have achieved National Board Certification outperform other teachers, even when they have similar levels of experience.

While we know you love your students, you should know that you can benefit too. There are a number of opportunities for you to get funding for the certification and some schools may pay you more once you obtain your certificate. Score!

Want to set yourself apart? Check out the requirements and learn more about the ways the Arizona K12 Center can support you in pursuit of becoming a National Board Certified Teacher.