Chicago Public Schools (CPS), Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) Celebrate National Board Certified Teachers

CHICAGO—City of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) CEO Pedro Martinez, CPS Chief Education Officer Bogdana Chkoumbova, Chicago Board of Education President Jianan Shi, and Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) President Stacy Davis Gates joined National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Vice President Tamara Dudley and Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) President Dan Montgomery, educators, school leaders and families tonight at Chicago Teachers Union Center for a District-wide celebration of educator excellence. The celebration of the National Board Certification, the country’s highest teacher certification, honored 119 CPS educators who have earned (45) or renewed (73) their National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) credential in the past year.

“I am so proud of all those who took the time to review and improve their teaching practice as they earned or renewed their National Board Certification,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “I am even more excited for those students who are fortunate enough to learn from one of these dedicated professionals because I am certain that the experience will have a lasting positive impact.”

National Board Certification is a rigorous, voluntary certification program for educators to develop and enhance their teaching practice and ultimately improve student learning that is developed by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The program requires educators to adhere to “Five Core Propositions,” including commitment to students and their learning, knowledge of the subject matter and how to teach it, managing and monitoring student learning, practicing and learning from experience, and recognizing that educators are a part of learning communities.

“Our District is honored to have such a highly-committed group of educators earning this top professional credential within our school communities,” said CPS CEO Pedro Martinez. “The National Board certification is yet another feather in the cap of our already-amazing teachers.”

In 2023, CPS and CTU honored 532 District educators who earned or renewed their National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) credential for the years 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. Since 1997, CPS and CTU have produced more than 2400 NBCTs, the third highest number of NBCTs of any district in the nation. In partnership with CTU, CPS has made intentional investments in educator professional development, including the rigorous National Board Certification.

The Nurturing Teacher Leadership (NTL) program, another partnership between the District and CTU, enables CPS educators to earn National Board certifications. Since 1997, the two-year program consists of free professional development and support that prepares CPS teachers, counselors, and librarians for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).

“Our program continues to lead the nation for newly credentialed National Board Certified Teachers of color, and we know firsthand that highly qualified educators are critical to ensuring that our students and their families get the school they deserve. Everyday, these highly accomplished educators empower our young people, unlock their potential and ensure a more equitable school system and city,” said CTU President Stacy Davis Gates. “As we work to certify more of our educators, we know this professional development tool will play a critical role in giving Chicago’s families the schools they deserve.”

To recruit new candidates, the CTU Quest Center hosts information sessions and more information about the program is available here. In addition to the CTU program, CPS teachers can also access support through Illinois State University’s National Board Resource Center.

Felicia Daniels, a special education teacher at South Shore Fine Arts Academy, says the NBCT program has been an immense boost to her career. She aims to share her experiences with her students.

“My goal of becoming an NBCT was to be an outstanding exceptional needs teacher to empower my students to reach their academic, language, and social-emotional potential,” said Daniels. “Going through this process taught me how to accept constructive criticism. Before going through NTL, I had difficulty accepting criticism. But now I am accepting of both professional and personal feedback and corrections that will empower me.”

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About Chicago Public Schools

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is dedicated to providing a high-quality education to all students, beginning with the District’s free full-day preschool programming for four-year-old scholars and continuing through neighborhood, magnet and selective-enrollment elementary schools that provide a rigorous K-8 education with schools that specialize in the fine arts, world language and culture, dual language, STEM, International Baccalaureate (IB), classical programs, and more. The rising District-wide freshmen-on-track and high school graduation rates reflect the hard work of the CPS community, including families, staff, and students across 635 schools. CPS celebrates the diversity of its more than 323,000 students who cite 182 home languages. Learn more about CPS at www.cps.edu and connect with CPS on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

About Chicago Teachers Union

The Chicago Teachers Union represents nearly 30,000 teachers and educational support personnel working in Chicago Public Schools, and by extension, the more than 300,000 students and families they serve. The CTU is an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers and the Illinois Federation of Teachers and is the third-largest teachers local in the United States. For more information please visit the CTU website at www.ctulocal1.org.