Attention NBCTs!  The information below came directly from NBPTS.  The Teaching Ambassador Fellowship is a wonderful opportunity and I really hope someone from SC will apply.     Dear National Board Certified Teacher, We are extremely excited to announce that applications for the U.S. Department of Education's Teaching Ambassador Fellowships are now available. We know you are probably starting your winter break so we wanted to get this out to you well before the January 29, 2013 deadline because, as a NBCT, you are the ideal applicant for this position. This highly selective program was created because the Department of Education believes that teachers should have meaningful opportunities to both contribute to, and understand, the policies that impact their students and school communities. Teaching Ambassadors are outstanding teachers with a record of leadership, strong communication skills, and policy insight who contribute their classroom expertise to the national dialogue and in turn facilitate discussions with educators across the country. The Washington Fellowship is a full-time appointment based at the Department's Headquarters in Washington DC. The Classroom Fellowship  enables teachers to participate on a part-time basis for the Department, in addition to their regular school responsibilities, working in collaboration with the Department's Regional Offices. 50% of the current Teaching Ambassadors are NBCTs and two of our NBCTs on staff have also served in this role. Think about how powerful it would be if 100% of the 2013-2014 Teaching Ambassador Fellows were National Board Certified Teachers! Current Teaching Ambassador and Washington state NBCT Lisa Clarke strongly encourages other NBCTs to apply. "As as we think about building capacity for teacher leaders, this is a unique opportunity to do that---not only to learn from policy makers and professional organizations but also to learn from the hundreds of teachers that we're speaking with around the country." Positions are paid for one-year on a full- and part-time basis. The application deadline is January 29, 2013 and we encourage each and every one of you to apply. To access the applications, please visit the Applicant Information page or go directly to www.usajobs.gov to apply for the Washington Fellowship and/or the Classroom Fellowship . The Teaching Ambassador Fellowship is a unique opportunity for accomplished classroom teachers to have an impact on federal education policy. Who better to make an impact than National Board Certified Teachers? Sincerely, Michelle Accardi, NBCT Director of State Policy Andy Coons, NBCT Chief Operating Officer Geneviève DeBose, NBCT Director of Educator Engagement Former Washington Teaching Ambassador Andrea Hajek, NBCT Director of Educator Engagement Kristin Hamilton, NBCT Director of Standards Patrick Ledesma, NBCT Director of Research and Knowledge Management Former Classroom Teaching Ambassador    NBPTS on the Web | Accomplished Teacher

I wanted to share a link to a Elaine Kennedy's blog on Edutopia http://www.edutopia.org/blog/a-joyful-brain-friendly-classroom-elaine-kennedy.  Ms. Kennedy talks about brain-based lessons from her school, including a museum project.  Brain-based strategies allow students to construct their own knowledge while interacting with peers and teachers in meaningful ways.  It certainly seems that these types of lessons fall in line with Core Proposition 2.  You may want to check out the blog!

FYI - The information below came straight from National Board.  This is great news for Take One! candidates.

Dear Candidate, Good news! Effective with the 2012-1013 assessment cycle, candidates who have applied for full certification that previously completed Take One! and have an eligible score they intend to transfer will receive a credit of $395 on their account. What does this mean for you? If you plan to apply your Take One! score toward National Board Certification®, let us know your intent by calling 1-800-22TEACH or by logging into My Profile and sending us a message via Ask NBPTS. Once we're notified, a credit will be applied to your account in the form of a waiver, which will reduce the amount of your overall assessment fees to $2,105. Anything posted to your account over this amount will result in an overpayment.  Once an overpayment is reflected, you will be able to request a refund of those payments through My Profile.  If you plan on re-submitting the entry you completed as a Take One! participant, you are not eligible to receive this credit. By completing Take One! and continuing the journey toward National Board Certification, you have exemplified true dedication to professional growth and commitment to improving student learning.  Your commitment to teaching excellence and the high standards you hold for yourself and your students have not gone unnoticed. Thank you for the important work you do each and every day. We welcome your questions. Please call us at 1-800-22TEACH between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. CST, Monday through Friday, or visit our website at www.nbpts.org. Warm regards, National Board Customer Support Team

Attention Middle Child Generalist Candidates!

Attention middle childhood generalist candidates!  We have recently been told that there was a mistake in the instructions for Entry 3.  You should have received the email below from NB.  

PORTFOLIO CORRECTION

Dear Candidate,

It has come to our attention that the portfolio CD-ROM you may have received, as well as the Portfolio Instructions available for download on our website prior to October 4, contained an error on the Instructional Materials Cover Sheet for Entry 3: Integrating Mathematics with Science.

The cover sheet incorrectly instructs you to submit "no more than 6 pages total of 3 instructional material items". The number of permitted instructional materials has increased and is correctly stated on page 2-29, under the heading Choosing Instructional Materials as follows:

• Submit four instructional materials (totaling no more than 8 pages) that will help an assessor understand the content of the video recording.

We apologize for any confusion this error may have caused you.  Please use the above guideline for your submission.

If you have any questions, please call 1-800-22TEACH between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. CST, Monday through Friday, to speak with a member of our Customer Support team.

Warm regards,

NBPTS Customer Support

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NBPTS on the Web
| NBCTLink | Accomplished Teacher

You are receiving this email because you are a candidate for National Board Certification, or a Take One! participant. Please note if you unsubscribe, you will be unsubscribing from ALL National Board email communications, including those on candidacy and renewal. To select targeted communications, visit "Update Profile/Email Address" using the link at the bottom of this email.

Please review the information below.  This was sent to CERRA from NBPTS.

Dear National Board candidate, We're writing today to share some important information regarding My Profile availability and extensions to several key deadlines in December and January.   In an ongoing effort to optimize system performance and functionality in My Profile, annual testing and upgrades are required.  This year, it's necessary we do this work before the opening of the 2013 assessment cycle.  To accomplish this, My Profile will be unavailable beginning the evening of December 21, 2012 with an expected reopening date of January 7, 2013. What does this mean for you? During this time, candidates as well as National Board staff will be unable to access My Profile.  In addition to the basic account management features that will be unavailable, e.g., modifying an address, monitoring account status, etc., we will also be unable to process  payments, ship materials, receive and respond to Ask NBPTS inquiries, and process eligibility verification forms (for first time candidates) until after January 7.       To accommodate for this, deadlines will be extended as follows:    While certain deadlines are being adjusted, we encourage you to take care of any outstanding items you're personally responsible for submitting prior to December 21, 2012.  This will limit the impact of My Profile unavailability and will help ensure you start the new year without deadlines looming.     It's important to note the portfolio submission deadline for all products will not be extended since instructional material is available online for download.  The customer support team at 1-800-22TEACH will be available during normal business hours through this downtime; however, limited information and assistance can be provided without access to your My Profile account.  As always, we look forward to working with you throughout your candidacy or work on Take One!.          Thank you for your patience and understanding. Sincerely, National Board Customer Support Team