Here's a funny blog post that may resonate with you. It's titled "You Might Be In The First Week Of School If ..." and can be found at http://transformed.teachingquality.org/blogs/08-2012/you-might-be-first-week-school-if. Have fun reading!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
National Support Awareness and Support Sessions
NB Candidate Support Workshops
In collaboration with National Board District Liaisons, the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement conducts informational workshops aimed to assist and guide National Board Candidates through the process of completing and submitting all portfolio entries and to help prepare candidates for the assessment center.
As workshops are scheduled throughout the year information will be posted on this page. For more information contact your local district's National Board Liaison.
CERRA Online Awareness, Support & Renewal Sessions
CERRA is proud to host a series of FREE online National Board awareness and support sessions. The sessions will be facilitated by Jenna Hallman, NBCT and CERRA Program Director for National Board. The session descriptions and meeting dates are listed below. All sessions will be held online. Please click on the link listed for the session you wish to attend. You will be redirected to the GoToWebinar registration page. You will receive the login instructions for your webinar once you complete the registration. Please check your spam folder if you do not receive a confirmation email within 24 hours. There is no need to register for multiple sessions on the same topic. The information presented in each session will be the same.
National Board Awareness and Support Sessions:
National Board Awareness- Are you interested in learning more about the National Board process? If so, this session is for you. During our time together we will discuss the requirements of the process, the current legislation governing National Board supplements, the financial assistance available, and answer any questions you may have.
- September 6th (4:00 - 5:15 pm) - Awareness: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/412882296
- October 4th (4:00 - 5:15 pm) - Awareness: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/987885880
National Board Renewal Workshop - This session is designed for NBCTs completing their 7th or 8th year of certification. During our time together, we will discuss the renewal process including timelines for registration and entry submission and the current legislation governing renewal.
- September 18th (4:00 - 5:15 pm) - Renewal: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/902432233
- October 11th (4:00 - 5:15 pm) Renewal: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/664035049
Analyzing National Board Standards - The professional teaching standards for each NB certificate explain what an accomplished teacher knows and is able to do. This includes work in the classroom with students and work with parents, other professionals, and the community. During this webinar, we will discuss strategies for analyzing the NB standards and applying them to your portfolio work. Please have your NB standards available during the webinar.
- September 13th (4:00 - 5:15 pm) - Analyzing Standards: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/152882001
Take One! The National Board Take One! program allows educators to sample the National Board process by completing one pre-selected, video-based entry and submitting it to be scored. Candidates can bank their scores for up to 3 years and apply these scores towards full certification. All teachers are eligible for this process! During the webinar, we will discuss the requirements of the process, the timelines, the CERRA statewide cohort option, and the fees associated with Take One!
- September 27th (4:00 - 5:15 pm) Take One! Overview: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/200928992
- October 10th (4:00 - 5:15) Take One! Overview: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/891501896
Last Year for Federal Subsidy Funds
South Carolina teachers have been fortunate enough to have financial assistance available to hep offset the cost of the NB process for a very long time. When the SC General Assembly made the decision to end the NB loan program, we were able to collaborate with NBPTS and develop plans for providing Federal Subsidy grant and Friends of South Carolina scholarship funds to interested teachers. We were aware that the Friends of SC funds were more than likely a one-time offer. What we did not expect, was the end of the Federal Subsidy program.
Recently, CERRA was informed by NBPTS that the 2012-2013 NB cycle would probably be the last time Federal Subsidy funds would be offered to candidates. There will be no subsidy funds available for candidates during the 2013-2014 cycle and future funds from this source are unlikely (at this time).
What does this mean?
Financial Assistance for NB Certification
Effective August 2010, National Board initial candidates are eligible to apply for Federal Subsidy Funds to help offset the costs associated with the National Board Certification process. South Carolina has been given a limited amount of Federal Subsidy money for initial candidates during the 2012-2013 National Board cycle. Initial candidates may request $1250 which will be applied towards their National Board Certification fees. The application for Federal Subsidy Funds is only available online through CERRA. Federal Subsidy Funds are available on a first-come/first-served basis. Candidates who have received Federal Subsidy Funds to cover any previous certification attempts are not eligible for additional funds. Candidates who use Federal Subsidy money for initial certification will not be eligible to apply for Federal Subsidy Funds to cover the costs of any necessary retake entries. Candidates must have applied with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and have paid the $65 application processing charge and the $500 initial application fee before applying for the scholarship.
PLEASE NOTE: FEDERAL SUBSIDY FUNDS WILL NOT BE OFFERED FOR THE 2013-2014 NATIONAL BOARD CYCLE.
The application for Federal Subsidy funds is available on the CERRA website at https://cerra.wufoo.com/forms/z7s9p9/.
Recently, CERRA was informed by NBPTS that the 2012-2013 NB cycle would probably be the last time Federal Subsidy funds would be offered to candidates. There will be no subsidy funds available for candidates during the 2013-2014 cycle and future funds from this source are unlikely (at this time).
What does this mean?
- If you have already applied for Federal Subsidy funds, there is nothing you need to do. Your funds have been or will be processed as long as your eligibility is confirmed.
- If you are interested in completing the National Board Certification process and need financial assistance, you need to apply this year. We still have funds available! Please see the information below.
- If you know any SC teachers who are eligible for this process, please let them know that this may be the very last year for financial assistance of this kind.
Effective August 2010, National Board initial candidates are eligible to apply for Federal Subsidy Funds to help offset the costs associated with the National Board Certification process. South Carolina has been given a limited amount of Federal Subsidy money for initial candidates during the 2012-2013 National Board cycle. Initial candidates may request $1250 which will be applied towards their National Board Certification fees. The application for Federal Subsidy Funds is only available online through CERRA. Federal Subsidy Funds are available on a first-come/first-served basis. Candidates who have received Federal Subsidy Funds to cover any previous certification attempts are not eligible for additional funds. Candidates who use Federal Subsidy money for initial certification will not be eligible to apply for Federal Subsidy Funds to cover the costs of any necessary retake entries. Candidates must have applied with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and have paid the $65 application processing charge and the $500 initial application fee before applying for the scholarship.
PLEASE NOTE: FEDERAL SUBSIDY FUNDS WILL NOT BE OFFERED FOR THE 2013-2014 NATIONAL BOARD CYCLE.
The application for Federal Subsidy funds is available on the CERRA website at https://cerra.wufoo.com/forms/z7s9p9/.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Release Forms
As you prepare your classrooms for the start of school, let me remind you that this is the perfect time to start collecting release forms. According to the NB portfolio instructions "You must have the parents/guardians of all students you plan to include in the video recording complete Student Release Forms before you make any video recordings. You must have any adults who will appear in the video recording (for example, teacher’s aides, parents, student teachers, or colleagues) sign an Adult Release Form prior to recording."
You can find a copy of the required release form in the forms section of your certificate specific portfolio instructions. If you teach a self-contained class (meaning you have the same group of students all day) plan to send the release form home with every student. If you teach different classes, you may want to choose 1-3 classes to focus on and then only send the form home with those students. I strongly encourage you to write a letter and attach it to the form. Be sure to explain what the NB process is, how it will benefit the students, and reassure the parents that YOU are the focus in the videos. National Board will NOT evaluate or critique the students in any way. If you are holding an Open House soon, plan to discuss the process at that time as well.
Don't be afraid to offer incentives for bringing back the signed form - regardless of whether or not the parent gives you permission to include their child in your video.
You can find a copy of the required release form in the forms section of your certificate specific portfolio instructions. If you teach a self-contained class (meaning you have the same group of students all day) plan to send the release form home with every student. If you teach different classes, you may want to choose 1-3 classes to focus on and then only send the form home with those students. I strongly encourage you to write a letter and attach it to the form. Be sure to explain what the NB process is, how it will benefit the students, and reassure the parents that YOU are the focus in the videos. National Board will NOT evaluate or critique the students in any way. If you are holding an Open House soon, plan to discuss the process at that time as well.
Don't be afraid to offer incentives for bringing back the signed form - regardless of whether or not the parent gives you permission to include their child in your video.
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