December 7, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Redmond, Wash. – Twenty-three teachers in the Lake Washington School District achieved National Board Certification®, announced by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. There are now 69 National Board Certified teachers working full-time in the District’s schools. The district continues to have more National Board Certified teachers than any district in the state except for Bellevue School District.

“The rigorous work required by National Board Certification helps not only these teachers but they share it with the teachers around them,” noted Superintendent Chip Kimball. “The effort these teachers have made to achieve National Board Certification benefits many students beyond those directly in their classrooms.”

Teachers earn this prestigious credential through a rigorous assessment that generally takes a year or more to complete. It requires these teachers to demonstrate how their work improves student achievement. As part of the process, teachers build a portfolio that includes student work samples, assignments, videotapes and a thorough analysis of their classroom teaching. Additionally, teachers are assessed on their knowledge of the subjects they teach. It is considered the highest professional certification a teacher can obtain.

Each teacher achieves certification in a subject area and age range, such as Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood. Greg Shelton of Juanita High is one of the first two teachers in the state to achieve National Board Certification in Career and Technical Education.

The new National Board Certified Teachers, along with their field are:

Kirkland
Franklin Elementary: Katherine Berten (Generalist)
Kirk Elementary: Jerry Romano (Generalist)
Muir Elementary: Cynthia Cantwell (Reading-Language Arts), Kathleen Fleming (Reading-Language Arts), Laurie Gogic (English as a New Language)
Finn Hill Junior High: Marion Mays (Exceptional Needs Specialist)
Kirkland Junior High: Carol Hinrichs (School Counseling)
Juanita High School: David Friedman (Mathematics), Meg Lewis (Mathematics), Paul Miller (Social Studies-History), Greg Shelton (Career and Technical Education)

Redmond
Alcott Elementary: Shelly Bean (Generalist)
Audubon Elementary: Debra Ellis (Reading-Language Arts)
Mann Elementary: Shannon Leonard (Reading-Language Arts)
Redmond High School: Ruth Schemmel (English as a New Language)

Sammamish
Smith Elementary: Linda Dauer (Exceptional Needs Specialist)
McAuliffe Elementary: Kristin Ramey (Generalist)
Inglewood Jr. High: Chris Gentes (School Counseling), Ryan Gilbert (Science), Stephen Hynden (School Counseling)
Eastlake High School: Marc Clauson (Science), Bud Peterson (Social Studies-History), Brian Wikrent (Science)

Lake Washington School District is the sixth largest district in the state of Washington. It has more than 23,000 students in 49 schools located in Kirkland, Redmond, and Sammamish, Washington.

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