Tennessee last in South for national teacher certification

As a result, Tennessee is last among Southern states in the number of teachers who have earned National Board certification.

In 2003, just 28 teachers were certified, bringing the state’s total to 91. In Georgia, 513 teachers earned certification from the National Board during 2003, bringing that state’s total to 1,321.

Georgia is ranked seventh nationally and fifth among Southern states. Alabama is ranked 10th nationally with 633 board-certified teachers.

Linda Cheek, a third-grade teacher at Ingleside Elementary in Athens, became the only teacher in the Athens City School District to become certified when she completed the rigorous process in 1998.

“I have a (bachelor of science degree), a master’s and an education specialist degree, and I’ve been Teacher of the Year. Then, I thought, ‘What can I do to keep improving my methodology?’ and National Board certification was logically the next step to take,” Cheek told the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

Certification by the National Board is one of three ways to become “highly qualified,” as defined by federal guidelines in the No Child Left Behind Act. The act requires that all teachers must meet the guidelines by 2006.

Being certified by the National Board, an independent, nonprofit education organization, means a teacher has successfully completed a 13-month assessment process that includes submitting portfolios of students’ work and videotapes of classroom instruction.

“Let’s just say, it’s not a multiple choice test,” said Nancy Duggin, a Tennessee Education Association representative.

Duggin, a manager in the TEA’s instruction and professional development division, in 1997 became the first teacher in the state to earn National Board certification.

Some school district administrators said teachers do not attempt certification because the process is lengthy and expensive. It costs $2,300 to participate in the board’s review process, and there is not guarantee a teacher will pass. There also is an extra $300 charge for any part of the process the teacher has to repeat.

Georgia education officials believe an incentive program that gives teachers a 10 percent raise after certification is responsible for that state’s success. Alabama teachers who are certified receive a $5,000 salary increase.

There are no direct financial rewards for certified teachers in Tennessee, said Bob Taylor, director of Bradley County schools.

“In Tennessee, all you get is the self-satisfaction of knowing that you’ve grown professionally,” Taylor said. “But you can do that and earn a couple of thousand dollars more a year by getting a master’s degree or a specialist’s degree.”

Duggin agreed that teachers in many parts of the state see few reasons to become nationally certified in Tennessee.

“If a teacher can drive 20 minutes more to Georgia and have somebody pay for their costs and make $10,000, $12,000, $15,000 more a year, they’re going to do that,” Duggin said.

Four school systems in the state provide small reimbursements or raises to teachers who go through the certification process, and two other systems are considering offering them, Duggin said.

Cost is the main problem to instituting rewards, two state legislators said.

Two bills in the state General Assembly would provide yearly cost reimbursement and salary increases for teachers who complete the certification process. One bill would reimburse teachers up to $2,000 if they achieve certification. The other would provide teachers with a $4,000 salary increase lasting 10 years.

Rep. Chris Newton, R-Benton, and Rep. Dewayne Bunch, R-Cleveland, said they support teachers achieving National Board certification and rewarding them for their success. But they said both bills cost the state too much money, and neither is likely to pass this year.