San Antonio ISD announced that four of its educators have earned the highest teaching certification possible in the nation. They have been recognized by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) as National Board Certified Teachers. The teachers earning new certifications include three high school teachers and one elementary school teacher.
The NBCT program can take one to three years, depending on how a candidate manages the components. Three portfolio components and a test are required for a candidate’s application to be considered. Listed below are the newest national board certified teachers:
Dayton King, certified in Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood, is a math teacher at CAST Tech High School;
Sharon Garza, certified in English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood, is an English teacher at Jefferson High School;
Frances Santos, certified in English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood, is an English teacher at Travis Early College High School; and
Danielle Elizondo, certified in Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood, is a third grade teacher at Schenck Elementary School.
“We are very proud of our SAISD teachers, and their tenacity. Earning national board certifications is a testament to their commitment to the teaching profession. Our students benefit by having access to some of the most outstanding professional educators in the country,” said Dr. James Harrell, SAISD Chief Human Capital Management Officer. “We want to extend our appreciation to our partners, the SAISD Foundation and Charles Butt Foundation, who funded this initiative.”
The certification of these educators brings the number of nationally board certified teachers in the district up to 11 educators. Only 4% of teachers in the nation achieve this milestone. In Texas, teachers who earn the national board certification automatically earn additional pay through the teacher incentive allotment (TIA). SAISD is one of 481 districts in the state to offer this additional incentive allotment and the only district in San Antonio.
In SAISD, the coordinator works with the NBCT candidate cohort and provides the necessary professional development opportunities throughout the academic year. Since 2021, the program has gained interest throughout the district. Ten teachers were part of the original pilot that year. Today, there are 44 teachers on the path toward national certification.
According to the national board certification website, this credential was created by teachers, for teachers, to recognize accomplished educators to generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide. National board standards were developed to represent a consensus among educators about what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do.
The certification process requires that teachers demonstrate standards-based evidence of the positive effect they have on student learning, and this includes a deep understanding of their students, content knowledge, use of data and assessments, and teaching practices.
To be nationally board certified, educators must also commit to lifelong learning. Teachers must show that they participate in learning communities and provide evidence of ongoing reflection and continuous learning.
On Jan. 25, 2025, the Texas National Board Coalition for Teaching will honor all newly credentialed educators throughout the state of Texas with a formal pinning ceremony at the offices of Education Service Center-Region 20, located in San Antonio.
National Board Certification is a voluntary, advanced professional certification for PreK–12 educators that identifies teaching expertise through a performance-based, peer-reviewed assessment. More than 125,000 teachers across all 50 states have achieved Board Certification. National Board Certification is the most respected professional certification available in education and provides numerous benefits to teachers, students and schools. It was designed to develop, retain and recognize accomplished teachers and to generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide.
