If you're looking for a professional growth opportunity and want to take the first step toward National Board Certification, there's a special incentive for educators.
Take One! is an introductory professional development offering that could lead to full National Board Certification, an advanced teaching credential. As part of Take One! teachers prepare and submit one pre-selected video portfolio entry from one of the certificate areas. The scores can be transferred later if the teacher decides to pursue national board candidacy within two years.
Between now and Dec. 31, teachers from any school district are eligible to pay a reduced application fee of $215 per participant. This is a savings of $180.
Maureen Shiland, director of the Resource Center for National Board Council, said the Take One! program is completely aligned with New York state's Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) process and some schools are even weaving it into their plans. The score will be banked for two years to be used in the full national board process.
"Teachers who have completed this process and then continue on believe Take One! is the best way to pursue National Board Certification because it is more manageable given the increasing demands on teachers," Shiland said.
The new subsidy is only available to new Take One! participants who have not yet paid. Entrants must go through the registration steps at www.NBPTS.org and submit the attached Take One! registration form to Shiland at mshiland@gmail.com.
To find a Take One! cohort nearby, go to the National Board Council of New York website at http://nbcny.org/candidates/index.htm.