About 30 Utah teachers dedicated to improving their skills took the plunge last spring in an attempt to attain national board certification.
They completed a tedious portfolio and worked hard to meet the rigorous standards set by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
Eighteen of them were successful.
"It's a designation and honor that demonstrates they are master educators," said Rebecca Anderson, teacher quality specialist at the State Office of Education. "These are true professionals that want to promote the profession."
Utah's total number of board-certified teachers is now 54. The Granite and Davis school districts were the big winners with five teachers from each receiving the honor.
"It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life," said Kim Rathke, an English teacher at Central Davis Junior High. "I have so much empathy for my students now — you really have to become a student again."
Only 32,000 teachers have been certified nationwide and only about 45 percent receive it on the first try.
Rathke will receive a yearly $1,000 bonus and will be promoted to level-three teachers, which is considered on par with obtaining a doctorate. The certification is good for 10 years, then teachers must undergo another certification process.
This year's other newly certified teachers are Jennifer Allred, Mary Alsop, Karen Baxter, Dawn Hauser and Kathryn Heart from Granite District; TJ Barker, Patricia Hodge, Trudena Fager and Barbara Porter from Davis; Frank Thompson and Stephen Van Orden from Provo District; Jennifer King and Kevin King from Park City District; Annette Harmon from Weber District; Kim Schaefer from San Juan District; Valarie Jensen from Alpine District; and Maria Heath from St. John The Baptist Elementary School, Draper.
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