A Two-Tiered Profession?

For years, competition has been a hallmark of most occupations and careers—except for teaching. If anything, careers in teaching have been characterized by a lack of competition. In fact, most teachers believe cooperation among teachers is important and shun any competitive model that might destroy that cooperation. With the advent of the NBPTS, however, a new and controversial element of competition has emerged.

How Does It Affect Teachers?

The NBPTS began certifying in 1995, so it is safe to say this type of advanced certification is still somewhat in its infancy. Varying degrees of interest and enthusiasm exist for this innovative staffing designation among different states and school districts. Besides the substantial prestige associated with being board certified, those teachers who achieve this distinction receive salary increases, job flexibility and mobility, and increased opportunities for leadership within the profession. And, of course, those who don't, won't.

What Are the Pros?

Some are convinced that an element of competition, which features recognition and extra compensation for outstanding performance, is needed to attract talented new teachers to the field—and keep them there. Traditionally, a teacher's salary has depended on degrees earned and years of service rather than competence. If a teacher wanted recognition in education, he or she had to move out of the classroom into administration or college teaching.

What Are the Cons?

The overriding question concerning any new program is, "Will it improve the education we provide for our children?" In the case of national board certification, there are a host of other policy questions as well, including the following:

• Who will pay the $2,300 examination fee?
• How will districts foot the bill for salary increases and benefits for certified teachers?
• Will board-certified teachers be assigned to the students in greatest need or to the most advanced and gifted? Or will they decide whom they teach?
• Will this new distinction enhance the career of teaching, making it more attractive, or will it bring into teaching a poisoning division of first team/second team, a new antagonism between the teacher ranks of haves and have-nots?

What Do You Think?

1. In your school experience, have the truly outstanding teachers been adequately recognized and rewarded?
2. Other than those mentioned above, what do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of a two-tiered teaching profession?

For more information on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, visit these web sites, then reflect on the questions that follow.

Web Links

NBPTS Research and Information

http://www.nbpts.org/research/index.cfm

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards sponsors research in several areas related to board certification, such as its impact on students and "adverse effects" of board certification, including disproportionately low numbers of minority teachers being certified.

Earning Board Certification

http://www.ascd.org/readingroom/edlead/0005/jenkins.html

The author of this 2000 article from the journal Educational Leadership tells how becoming certified by the NBPTS has been helpful to her.

National Board Certification Research

http://www.nea.org/nationalboard/research-nationalboard.html

The National Education Association web site includes a section on board certification, which offers research. One study available here found that board-certified teachers scored better on measures of their performance than non-certified teachers, while another report suggests that board-certified teachers might help increase students' performance.

For Further Reflection

1. What can be done to help more minority teachers qualify for national board certification?
2. If board certification is linked to higher pay for teachers, as well as to improved student performance, would poor districts that cannot afford to pay board-certified teachers more suffer? Why or why not? How could this problem be avoided?
3. Do you have an interest in working toward board certification eventually? Why or why not?