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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 20, 2001

Statement

Statement by Bob Chase President of the National Education Association on the Announcement of New National Board Certified Teachers

Today we celebrate the accomplishments of thousands of classroom teachers across the nation who have embraced a major professional challenge by pursuing National Board Certification, the teaching profession's highest credential.

This year, more than 2,800 NEA members and 6,500 teachers nationwide achieved this professional honor by holding their teaching up to high and rigorous standards. They worked for hundreds of hours during the school year to document their content knowledge, teaching strategies, and impact on student learning. They challenged themselves to engage their colleagues and students in new and exciting ways. And this quest for excellence will reap results: research shows that teachers who challenge themselves through National Board Certification improve their teaching - and their students' learning.

Improved teaching practice is what National Board Certification is all about. That's why the NEA and its affiliates have committed organizational resources to help members to pursue the process. This is an investment in quality teaching that the Association is proud to make.

NEA salutes the educators who have achieved the teaching profession's highest form of recognition, and encourages others to aim high and work toward achieving this worthy goal.

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.