In total, New York is home to 2,115 National Board Certified Teachers, who have completed a rigorous performance-based peer-reviewed assessment process that includes a review of teaching portfolios, student work samples, videos and analysis of a candidate’s teaching and student learning. Sixty New York educators had their certifications renewed in 2019.
“New York’s National Board Certified Teachers are shining examples of the outstanding educators across the state who work so hard to help their students achieve their full potential,” NYSUT President Andy Pallotta said. “With inequality in education among the most pressing issues of our time, this diverse group is proof that every corner of the state has dedicated teachers who believe in education and, most importantly, in their students.”
“National Board Certified Teachers show every day how transformative a high-quality education can be for our students,” NYSUT Executive Vice President Jolene T. DiBrango. “To become certified, these teachers have demonstrated not just that they know their subject areas, but that they know their students, the challenges they face and how to help them grow. These educators are proof that teaching makes a difference.”
Achieving national certification is extraordinarily challenging. Candidates typically spend 200-400 hours of their own time having their teaching assessed against rigorous standards through an extensive series of performance-based assessments, including teaching portfolios, student work samples, videos of their lessons, and thorough analyses and reflection of the candidate’s teaching and student learning. The process involves written exercises that probe the depth of the candidate’s subject area knowledge, as well as their understanding of how to teach those subjects.
NYSUT assists national board candidates by offering awareness programs and support through online discussion forums, and conferences and professional development through its Education & Learning Trust. The union also aids state teacher centers in supporting candidates through the challenging board certification process. In addition, a state grant program helps pay the candidates’ application fees and other expenses.
National Board Certified Teachers: New York State's Class of 2019
WESTERN NEW YORK
Brenda Christopher
Cheektowaga Central School District
Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Shannon Ciciotti
Fredonia Central School District
Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Ashli Dreher
Lewiston Porter Central School District
Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Sarah Graham
Fredonia Central School District
Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Susan Hirsch
Kenmore-Tonawanda Union Free School District
Generalist/Early Childhood
Lan Zhang
Buffalo City School District
English as a New Language/Early and Middle Childhood
FINGER LAKES
Catherine Becker
Fairport Central School District
Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood
Ryan DeWolfe
Geneva City School District
English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Jayme Futter
Fairport Central School District
Generalist/Early Childhood
Kathleen Goodberlet
Victor Central School District
Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood
Christina Grieco
West Irondequoit Central School District
English as a New Language/Early and Middle Childhood
Jaime Hochheimer
Livonia Central School District
Generalist/Middle Childhood
Rebecca Horowitz
Brighton Central School District
English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Wendy Kierst
Marcus Whitman Central School Distrct
English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Denise Paley
Marion Central School District
Career and Technical Education/Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Julia Robinson
Lyndonville Central School District
Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Dustin Smith
Fairport Central School District
Mathematics/Early Adolescence
CENTRAL NEW YORK
Christina Castaldo
West Genesee Central School District
Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood
Misty Coller
Chittenango Central School District
English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Catherine Cornell
Syracuse City School District
Generalist/Middle Childhood
Shauna Douglass
Utica City School District
Science/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Machell Jones
Pulaski Central School District
Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood
Denise Kaley
West Genesee Central School District
Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood
Elba Nash
Dolgeville Central School District
World Languages/Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Danielle Ruggiero
Liverpool Central School District
Art/Early and Middle Childhood
Claire Schulz
West Genesee Central School District
Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood
Lindsay Spinks
West Genesee Central School District
Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
SOUTHERN TIER
Belinda Adams
Tompkins Seneca Tioga BOCES
Music/Early and Middle Childhood
Patricia Buhr
Ithaca City School District
Generalist/Early Childhood
Renee Christopher
Newfield Central School District
Science/Early Adolescence
Jennifer Lory-Moran
Ithaca City School District
Mathematics/Early Adolescence
Ann-Marie Thayer
Tompkins Seneca Tioga BOCES
Music/Early and Middle Childhood
NORTH COUNTRY
Melissa LaVallee
Keene Central School District
Generalist/Early Childhood
CAPITAL REGION
Carrie Britt
Schenectady City School District
Social Studies-History/Early Adolescence
Shauna Brown
Fort Edward Union Free School District
Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Karin Canjura
Saratoga City School District
English as a New Language/Early and Middle Childhood
Natalia Carusone
Saratoga City School District
English as a New Language/Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Meghan Chance
Queensbury Union Free School District
World Languages/Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Joshua Conway
Schenectady City School District
Science/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Kelly Egan
Schenectady City School District
Social Studies-History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Kathleen Ferguson
Schenectady City School District
Generalist/Early Childhood
Rachel Fridholm
Stillwater Central School District
Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Heather Gwin
Cambridge Central School District
Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood
Nicole Hannon
Schenectady City School District
English Language Arts/Early Adolescence
Kurt Hassenpflug
North Colonie Central School District
English as a New Language/Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Stephanie MacArthur
Stillwater Central School District
Health Education/Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Christine Neumann
Schenectady City School District
Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Rebecca Oaks
Broadalbin-Perth Central School District
Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Wan Wan Oliviere
Albany City School District
English as a New Language/Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Kathleen Palmieri
Shenendehowa Central School District
Generalist/Middle Childhood
Elizabeth Retell
Stillwater Central School District
Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Bryan Rice
Cobleskill-Richmondville Central School District
Generalist/Early Childhood
Amy Tyler
Schenectady City School District
Social Studies-History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
HUDSON VALLEY
Elizabeth Agarabi
Bronxville Union Free School District
English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Zoe Charitos
Yonkers Public Schools
School Counseling/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Michelle Cordaro
Haldane Central School District
Social Studies-History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Tracey Finan
Croton-Harmon Union Free School Distrct
Mathematics/Early Adolescence
Reba Hekker
Nyack Union Free School District
Mathematics/Early Adolescence
Danqing Li
Windham-Ashland-Jewett Central School District
Science/Early Adolescence
Suzanna Santos
Wappingers Central School District
Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Jacqueline Smith
Yonkers Public Schools
Generalist/Early Childhood
Theresa Smith
Yonkers Public Schools
Science/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Joseph Streany
Croton-Harmon Union Free School District
Social Studies-History/Early Adolescence
Linda Vinti
Newburgh Enlarged City School District
Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Lisa Ward
Newburgh Enlarged School District
Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood
NEW YORK CITY
Rachel Blake
NYC DOE
Social Studies-History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Krystal Brown
NYC DOE
Generalist/Early Childhood
Paul Choe
District 28/Central Queens
Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Danielle Courtney
NYC DOE
Social Studies-History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Geoffrey Enriquez
NYC DOE
Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Danielle Fulton
NYC DOE
Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Sarah Kappler
NYC DOE
Social Studies-History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Christopher Keriazis
NYC DOE
English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Sadie Mcleary
Uncommon Schools
Science/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Teresa Mcnulty
NYC DOE
Generalist/Early Childhood
Teresa Moriarty
NYC DOE
English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Denise Ranelli
NYC DOE
English as a New Language/Early and Middle Childhood
Sonia Rivera-Gomez
NYC DOE
Social Studies-History/Early Adolescence
LONG ISLAND
Christina Arata
Manhasset Union Free School District
English as a New Language/Early and Middle Childhood
Kathleen Auer
Levittown Union Free School district
English Language Arts/Early Adolescence
Eugenia Avgeris
Plainedge Union Free School District
Generalist/Middle Childhood
Carly Bank
Great Neck Public Schools
School Counseling/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Gail Beyrer
East Rockaway Union Free School District
Generalist/Middle Childhood
Andrea Breun
Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District
Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Melissa DiDonato
William Floyd School District
Mathematics/Early Adolescence
Meagan Dissinger
Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District
Music/Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Debra Duckworth
Syosset Central School District
English as a New Language/Early and Middle Childhood
Carole Going
Levittown Union Free School District
Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Carleen Hoahing-Pressley
Sewanhaka Central High School District
Mathematics/Early Adolescence
Elizabeth Kamerer
Port Washington Union Free School District
Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Desiree Karroll
West Hempstead Union Free School District
Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood
Caryl Lorandini
Carle Place Union Free School District
Mathematics/Early Adolescence
Erin McCormack
Manhasset Union Free School District
Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Todd Nussen
Oceanside Union Free School District
Social Studies-History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Ann Posiak
William Floyd School District
Mathematics/Early Adolescence
Susan Shea
Manhasset Union Free School District
Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
Mable Ting
Plainedge Union Free School District
Art/Early and Middle Childhood