Koonts Earns National Board Certification
(December 15, 2010) – Coach Carlisle Koonts, a Physical Education teacher at Hartsville High School, earned his National Board Certification this year, bringing the total National Board Certified Teachers in Darlington County School District to more than 80, according to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement (CERRA) provides support for teachers going through the lengthy certification process. Koonts is among 360 South Carolina teachers to earn the certification this year, according to information released this week by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards ®.
“It is the quality of a teacher that impacts a student’s educational experience the most. Coach Koonts is to be commended for his dedication and his willingness to push himself and his profession to greater heights for his students,” said Dr. Rainey H. Knight, Darlington County School District Superintendent of Education.
The number of teachers to receive the certification is dwindling, though South Carolina now has 8,142 National Board Certified teachers and maintains a third-place national ranking. North Carolina and Florida rank first and second, respectively. The drop in participation follows changes by the state Legislature that decreased supplement amounts for teachers earning National Board Certification. Certified teachers who applied before July 2010 will earn a $7,500 bonus annually for 10 years, while those who applied later will receive $5,000 a year for 10 years.
Certification candidates undertake a two-part process that lasts one to three years. It requires them to reflect on their classroom practices, their understanding of subject material and their preparation techniques. In addition to preparing a portfolio with videotapes of classroom teaching, lesson plans, student work samples and reflective essays, teachers must complete assessment center exercises based on content knowledge to prove not only that they have mastered the subjects they teach, but also that they know how to teach them.
The National Board process defines the knowledge, skills and accomplishments that symbolize teaching excellence. It was created so that teachers – like professionals in other fields – could achieve distinction by demonstrating through a demanding performance assessment that they can meet high and rigorous standards for what they should know and be able to do.
CERRA is the oldest and most established teacher recruitment program in the country. It provides leadership in identifying, attracting, placing and retaining well-qualified individuals for the teaching profession in South Carolina. CERRA’s programs have been adopted at school, district and state levels in more than 30 states in the United States.
##