The Newburgh Enlarged City School District recognizes and celebrates 36 current and retired teachers who have achieved National Board Certification and 11 additional candidates who are currently pursuing certification.

National Board Certification is considered the “gold standard” of teaching, and SUNY recognizes those teachers who have achieved National Board Certification as having the equivalent of a Doctorate degree in the pedagogy of their certification area. Once certified, the journey is not over as these teachers need to maintain their certification and renew it every 5 years.

In the most recent cycle (2023-2024), 47 teachers in New York State achieved National Board Certification. The NECSD cohort had great success, as six (6) teachers achieved National Board Certification. This was the highest rate of achievement for any one district (13% of the entire state).

Congratulations to our new National Board Certified Teachers:
Christine Baumann, NFA P-TECH
Katherine DiThomas, Vails Gate STEAM Academy
Jacqueline Hesse, NFA P-TECH
Tara Lapierre, Heritage Middle School
Jessica Torres, Gidney Avenue Memorial School (GAMS)
Sharon Wagner, Heritage Middle School

National Board Certification is a voluntary process designed for teachers to demonstrate, through standards-based evidence, the positive impact they have on student learning as a result of their deep and abiding understanding of students, content knowledge, pedagogical practice, ongoing reflection, and participation in learning communities.

Candidates for Board certification submit evidence through the use of student work samples, lesson videos, written summaries, and reflection, showing that their practice meets the Five Core Propositions and National Board Standards for their content area.

This cohort is a collaborative initiative made possible through a partnership between the Newburgh Teachers’ Association, the Newburgh Teacher Center, and the Newburgh Enlarged City School District. In alignment with the district’s commitment to fostering a community of lifelong learners, and pursuant to the current collective bargaining agreement, the district provides full fee reimbursement for the certification process. Upon successful completion, candidates are eligible for eight in-service credits and/or a $5,000 stipend (for those possessing 120 credits beyond their Bachelor’s degree). Furthermore, teachers who achieve National Board Certification will receive an annual stipend of $2,000 for the initial ten years, and $1,000 annually following recertification.

National Board Cohort facilitators for our district are Melissa Higgins and Sharon Kennedy

More about the National Board Certified Teacher Requirements can be found below.
Teachers who are interested in applying, can contact Mr. G. Pinheiro, at the Newburgh Teacher Center.

Candidates for National Board Certification must submit a body of work in four separate sections, called components. Each component has a specific focus.

Component 1 requires teachers to demonstrate an understanding of content knowledge and developmentally appropriate practices for teaching a full age range and ability level within their specific certification area. Teachers do so by successfully completing a computer-based assessment.

Component 2 requires teachers to evaluate the learning strengths and needs for individual students as the basis for planning and implementing appropriate differentiated instruction to a group of students. They then analyze and modify instructional strategies and materials based on student progress.

Component 3 requires teachers to highlight their teaching practice and learning environment. It captures details about a teacher’s instructional planning and then has them show direct evidence of carrying out their lessons through the submission of video recordings, instructional materials, and a written reflection of their impact on student engagement and progress.

Component 4 requires teachers to demonstrate evidence of being an effective and reflective practitioner through their knowledge of students and the development and use of assessments. Teachers show their collaboration with families, caregivers, colleagues, and community members.  They provide evidence of how these relationships advance students’ learning and growth. 

Story information provided by Mr. G. Pinheiro and Ms. Sharon Kennedy.

RETIRED TEACHERS WHO HELD THE CERTIFICATE INCLUDE: Angela Boone, Danielle Clarino, Judith Cooper, Christine Courtsunis, Richard Durbin, John Eitel, Ellen Hart, Ann Marie Healey, Nickolas Karnavezos, Yvette Lewis, Linda Munro-Apuzzo, Thomas Neppl, Arthur Plichta, Shirley Riefenhauser, Kathleen Young.