North Carolina was second in the country in the number of public-school teachers earning national board certification this year, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards said yesterday.
State officials said that 1,453 teachers earned certification in 2008.
The state leads the nation in the total number of certified teachers. Nearly 15 percent, or 14,211, of the state's public-school teachers have achieved national board certification, the highest credential in the teaching profession, according to a news release.
"National board certified teachers are recognized across the country as some of the best educators in their profession," Gov. Mike Easley said.
"We are fortunate and honored that almost one-fifth of the nation's 74,000 certified educators are teaching in North Carolina classrooms," Easley said.
Teachers go through several steps in order to be certified. Officials assess teachers' performances through teaching portfolios, samples of student work, videotapes and analyses of the candidates' classroom teaching and student learning.
Teachers also are required to complete a series of written exercises that examine how much they know about the subject they teach and their understanding of how to teach students.
The number of new national board-certified teachers hit record-breaking highs for a second year with the announcement of 9,600 teachers who achieved certification in 2008, according to the teaching-standards board.
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools ranked among the top 20 school systems in the country for its number of certified teachers. Wake County ranked second among all school districts and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools ranked fourth.
Tripp Jeffers, the president of the Forsyth County Association of Educators, said that the organization holds workshops and training for teachers trying to become certified.
Some teachers might not meet all requirements to become certified on their first try, Jeffers said.
Teachers who fulfill additional requirements, have additional training and analyze their teaching skills can only be good for their students, he said.
■ Lisa Boone-Wood can be reached at 727-7232 or at lboone-wood@wsjournal.com.
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