National Board Benefits
The Benefits of Being Board Certified
Because each state differs on its teacher licensing standards, it can be easy for educators to feel locked in their state after working toward their initial licenses. For educators who are looking for portability, one of the benefits of being board certified is that your license then applies no matter which state you wish to move to. This appeals to many educators who want to consider all available opportunities in order to advance their careers. One great way to prepare to become national board certified is through advanced education like the University of Cincinnati’s Master of Education or graduate certificate in National Board Preparation. Opportunity and portability are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the benefits of being board certified.
Financial Gains
Becoming National Board certified is an excellent way to extend the prestige of your teaching career. National Board certified teachers often have higher starting salaries, and becoming National Board certified helps educators to impress employers when being considered for raises. Some schools have incentive programs for educators who further their certification. Consult your school’s salary schedule to see if leadership has already outlined the specific ways a National Board certification could impact your wages. For a quick oversight of your state’s policies, check out this guide provided by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
Quick look at some state incentives:
- In Hawaii, National Board certified teachers get a $5,000 bonus each year they maintain certification and a $1,500 bonus on completion.
- In Connecticut, National Board certified teachers can use this certification in place of their continuing education unit (CEU) requirement.
- In Oregon, National Board certification guarantees that you receive the highest level of state certification.
In less obvious ways, becoming National Board certified can naturally lead to other advancement possibilities. By enhancing your education, you can become better prepared to lead in the classroom and thus can engage your students more effectively. If you’re teaching in a merit pay-based school system, this could help to bolster your wages in more rewarding ways after administration recognizes the improvement in your students’ performance. A study performed by the National Research Council in 2008, found that students who were taught by National Board certified teachers consistently did better on state exams than students taught by non-certified teachers. Additionally, because National Board certification allows you to maintain certification in other states, you can broaden your job opportunities to find higher paying work in other districts. Being National Board certified leads to other career advantages beyond increased pay in terms of leadership and advancement opportunities particularly.
Leadership and Advancement Opportunities
Preparing for your National Board certification is a worthwhile process that can lead to a more rewarding career in terms of leadership. This begins with the respect of your peers, who will look to you for guidance due to your improved status in the education community. From there, your supervisors may be more likely to consider you for team leader openings and other such roles that require a higher level of dedication, which being National Board certified helps to solidify in your teaching reputation. As your knowledge and experience becomes more highly valued, you’ll find that will perpetuate your drive for continual improvement, making your career more meaningful with each passing year.
One of the best ways to prepare for National Board certification is through an advanced education. Because educators must continuously pursue further education, completing your Masters in Education earlier sets an active pace to your career advancement possibilities. By choosing an online Master of Education at the University of Cincinnati, you can elect to focus on National Board Preparation to couple becoming National Board certified with receiving your master’s degree. For those who already have a master’s degree, the University of Cincinnati also offers a shortened graduate certificate program in National Board Preparation. The online format of these degree programs fits flexibly into your classroom schedule, giving you the greatest possible combination of study, experience and certification preparation.
As more states become stricter on their hiring requirements, educators find that a master’s degree becomes indispensable in the job application process. Many states are looking specifically for teachers who are highly qualified, meaning they have a bachelor’s degree and proven expertise in their subject areas. Because schools can be fined and taxed due to poor student performance, the desirability of National Board certified educators become further compounded. If you want to widen the number of job opportunities available to you, the benefits of being board certified could provide the best path to accomplish your career ambitions.
