More than 50 division administrators, school principals, fellow teachers and families came out for a special celebration last night. Hosted by the Office of Professional Growth and Innovation, the stars of the night were eight Virginia Beach City Public Schools educators who earned National Board Certification and three who renewed their board certification.

Created by teachers for teachers, National Board Certification is a voluntary certification system based on high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. According to teachers, the process – though arduous – is beneficial.

“I have become a better teacher because of taking the time to reflect on how I am teaching concepts and having students learn,” said Birdneck Elementary’s Cheryl Valeriano.

Kelly Boyd, an English Teacher at Princess Anne, agreed.

“The process made me more aware of the value of daily reflection and collaboration with caring colleagues,” she said.

As a symbol of professional teaching excellence, receiving this advanced teaching credential attests that an instructional staff member has been judged by his or her peers to be an accomplished educator who is able to make sound professional judgments about student learning and who can act effectively on those judgments.

“The National Board Certification process has impacted my ability to improve student learning by giving me the tools and guidance to challenge my current understandings and practices and grow as a teacher which ultimately impacts student learning and improves student achievement as seen in student data,” said Donna Revellon, from the Center for Technical and Career Education. “The process brought to light my weaknesses and gave the support to help me embrace the need for ongoing growth and improvement.”

Virginia Beach now has a total of 141 National Board Certified Teachers. If you would like to learn more about becoming a National Board Certified Teacher, ask one of the newest or renewed board-certified teachers or contact Sarah.Payne@vbschools.com in the Office of Professional Growth and Innovation.