ESSEX, MD—Casey Lane, an English teacher at Deep Creek Middle School in Essex, has achieved National Board Certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Her new designation brings the total number of National Board-certified teachers in Baltimore County Public Schools to 140.

Lane has received certification in Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood.

In addition, Allison Jackson, an English teacher at Sparrows Point High School, successfully renewed her certification. She is certified in English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood.

BCPS will host a reception to honor Lane and Jackson on Thursday, February 27, at 4:30 p.m. The reception will be held in the administration building at BCPS headquarters/Greenwood, 6901 N. Charles St. in Towson.

To achieve National Board Certification, teachers must successfully complete a rigorous, performance-based, peer-review process, demonstrating their proven impact on student learning and achievement.

“I am so proud of the 140 BCPS teachers who have taken the extra steps to become Board-certified,” said BCPS Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams. “Of the more than 3 million public school teachers in the nation, only about 4% can claim this designation. Through their continued education and professional development, Board-certified teachers bring additional expertise to our schools. We are proud of these teachers for serving as role models to fellow educators and for enrichening the academic progress of our students.”

More than 125,000 teachers in the nation have achieved National Board Certification; of these teachers, 3,831 achieved certification and 4,786 renewed certification in 2019.

BCPS teachers are supported during the Board-certification process by a Board-certified teacher, Sandra Skordalos, who provides group and individualized coaching and feedback sessions. In the spring, BCPS will offer a special information session for teachers interested in becoming Board-certified.

“These new National Board Certified Teachers will continue to change the way their students learn, and their proven ability to be the best teachers they can be will have a ripple effect on their schools and their communities for years to come,” said Peggy Brookins, NBCT, president and CEO of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. “I’m especially proud to see that large numbers of new NBCTs are teaching in schools where they are needed most. And, with more Board-certified teachers of color, more students of color will see themselves reflected in those high-achieving professionals.”