Recession blamed as fewer teachers seek board certification

The number of Florida teachers achieving the prestigious "national certification" status has fallen to just a third of last year's levels amid a souring economy and state cuts in money for the application fee.

Only 651 teachers have been certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in Arlington, Va. That compares with 1,826 in 2008. In Hillsborough, 57 teachers achieved the standing compared with 271 last year. The national board released this year's list of names Wednesday.

Research has shown that students achieve more and learn better with a national board-certified teacher, leaders of the organization said.

The decrease is a direct result of cuts two years ago by the Florida Legislature, said Karen Garr, regional outreach director for the national board.

Florida used to pay 90 percent of the $2,500 application fee for teachers who voluntarily sought to receive the certification, a rigorous process that can take up to three years and requires instructors to prepare a portfolio and videotape themselves in the classroom.

Those who win certification are eligible to receive an annual state bonus of more than $4,500 for 10 years. Without the financial help though, more teachers are opting to hold off on their application.

"It is an expensive process," said Mark Pudlow with the Florida Education Association in Tallahassee.

Florida's teachers earn on average about $6,000 below the national annual average, Pudlow said, "so we knew our numbers would drop when the state cut money from the program."

The numbers also are affected by the recession, he said.

"So many people out there are suffering so bad," Pudlow said. "People are going to try to hunker down and pay their bills."

Not everyone gets certified the first time they try so the effort can become quite costly, Pudlow said.

"But the teachers who come out of this truly are the best we have," he said.

Florida in 2008 also did away with a mentoring program for certified teachers that matched the state subsidy.

"It was a bit of a blow the first year," said Sue Creekmore, a third-grade teacher at B.C. Graham Elementary in Tampa and among the first teachers in the state to earn a national board certification in 1998.

The status is "the most rigorous and valuable and effective methods a teacher can experience," she said.

Every teacher should have the opportunity to apply for the certification, Creekmore said, but now they have to ask themselves "'When is a good time to do it?' and, 'Can we afford it?'''

She said she hopes lawmakers will reinstate the money.

Hillsborough found a way to continue some support.

The Hillsborough Education Foundation has received donations to assist teachers with the costs. Superintendent MaryEllen Elia donated $12,000 from her bonuses and the Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union chipped in $20,000. Elia's salary is $257,960.

Subsidies will be based on the number of achievers, district spokeswoman Linda Cobbe said.

"Those who achieve certification earn their additional compensation," Cobbe said.

The school district also helps teachers who get recertified by matching the state bonus, said Creekmore, a chairwoman on the National Board Certified Teacher Council who renewed her certification last year.

Although fewer teachers sought certification this year, Creekmore expects the numbers to increase as the economy improves.

So does Garr. Despite the drop, Florida remains among the top 20 states for the number of teachers who have been certified this year, she said. In total number of certified teachers, the state is No. 2.

Hillsborough, with 850 certified teachers, ranks seventh in the nation among counties.

The number of national board certified teachers has more than doubled in the past five years, the agency said, with more than 82,000 gaining the status nationwide.