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There is now a national teacher certification which is available to teachers at the private K-12, private and community college, vocational and trade school, and college and university levels.

The National Academy of Higher Education at www.nahighered.org offers this national credential with no testing, just proving you are qualified.

You must be presently employed as a teacher, supply two letters of referrence, and have at least two years of professional experience.

Eventually, I can see parents asking, "Are your instructors/teachers/professors nationally certified?"

Even though it is not a governmental credential, a peer review by professional educators is a great addition to their portfolio of qualifications.

Check them out: www.nahighered.org

By Domer97 on Sunday, September 16, 2001 - 04:12 pm: Edit

Yo, Doc, thanks for the spam. I'm sure this credential really impresses the heck out potential employers. Looks like all it takes is a credit card with two hundred bucks of room left, plus a couple of your teaching buddies to write letters for you.

Personally, I think this could be kind of a counter-indicator, kinda like putting "Who's Who for High School Students" on your Harvard app. Kinda screams, "I'm a sucker," ya know?

On the other hand, with the difficulty many teachers seem to have in passing the most elementary standardized tests (like 9th grade math and english!), maybe you'll sell a bunch of these dudes! By the way, is your PhD is from (a) Columbia Teachers College or (b) some mail order affiliate of your web site? Bet I can guess!

By George Meany on Sunday, September 16, 2001 - 06:49 pm: Edit

Dr. Armond, are you originally from Italy or France? How would you compare the public-school teachers in those countries with those here in the U.S.A.? How is the homeschooling situation in Europe? Is there a lot going on?

By Dr. Salvatore Armond on Friday, September 21, 2001 - 05:23 pm: Edit

Mr. Meany. Thank you for the kind words. I have been in the US my entire life. I am a university administrator as well as a professor of psychology, where I teach primarily forensic psychology courses. Unfortunately I have not had the opportinity of conducting research on the quality of education between the US and Europe.

I do know that in China, K-12 students attend classes 10 hours a day and in some region, 7 days a week. Which may account for their higher education level in general.

Take care

By Jessica on Friday, September 21, 2001 - 05:30 pm: Edit

Domer97?

I am so sad you do not feel well about who you are as a person. You do not have to blow out the candle of others so that yours may shine brighter.

It is obvious from your many posts to several areas on this board, that you obviously are an expert is almost every field (speaking of spam).

I do hope that your life gets better and you can find yourself.

By the way, good luck on that GED test.

Jessica

By Domer97 on Friday, September 21, 2001 - 09:20 pm: Edit

Hi, Jessica! You sound just like Doc Armond. Are you related? How are the ESL classes coming? I think it's neat that an important prof still has time to sell mail-order certificates on the web. So many profs are ivory-tower types that wouldn't know how to make a buck if their life depended on it! By the way, if you sign up for a profile here, you can actually post a picture. I'd love to see what you look like. I'm flattered that you have read my posts. You can be the first member of my Domer Fan Club!

xoxoxo

Domer97

By Godblessus on Friday, February 01, 2002 - 07:38 am: Edit

Can I have more details of National Academy of Higher Education. Whatever you mentioned here is true ?

By Dadster on Thursday, February 07, 2002 - 08:14 pm: Edit

I don't think these certificates will carry much weight, Gbu, since they don't represent an actual body of coursework or rigorous testing.

By a teacher on Thursday, October 10, 2002 - 01:32 pm: Edit

Teachers working for national certificate
PORTLAND, OR, March 1, 1999

Four Portland teachers are among 34 in Oregon working to become the state's first nationally certified teachers. It's one step toward Gov. John Kitzhaber's goal: 500 nationally certified teachers in Oregon by 2003.

Developed by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), the certification process concentrates on what teachers should know and be able to do. Certified teachers are recognized as meeting rigorous standards of performance.

"The program highlights masterful teaching and also helps draw attention to the importance and professionalism of our teachers," says Asst. Superintendent Linda Harris.

To earn a certificate, candidates must have three years of experience, and take a series of exams to prove their mastery of the subjects they teach. They provide extensive portfolios including student work samples, videotapes of their teaching, and written reflections on their teaching strategies and results. About half of the teachers who seek the national credential get one. Ninety percent of those certified say they have become better teachers as a result of the demanding process.

Of nearly 3 million teachers nationwide, 4,803 have national certification. Oregon and Nevada are the only states that do not have any nationally certified teachers.

"Teachers with certification are recognized in every state as being of the highest caliber," says Pat Burk, assistant to the superintendent. The certificate fulfills all the professional development requirements for licensure renewal, he added. Out-of-state teachers with NBPTS certification automatically can receive an Oregon teaching license.

The fee for the certification program is $2,000 per teacher, with some grant funding available to applicants. Oregon Education Association (OEA) offers workshops on portfolio preparation and preparation for the assessment process. Superintendent Ben Canada serves on the NBPTS board.

Portland teachers who are interested in applying for the program should call Burk at 916-3220 or Harris at 916-3183. Or, contact OEA's Courtney Vanderstek by e-mail: cvanderstek@nea.org.