As theatre educators continue to seek professional validation for their skills and knowledge, one of the strategies that has been of interest for many years is National Board Certification. National Board Certification (NBC), administered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), is a voluntary, advanced teaching credential that goes beyond state licensure. NBC has national standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do in their field. The National Board certifies teachers who successfully complete its rigorous certification process.
EdTA recently completed a survey of adult membership about their interest in NBC for theatre educators. Nearly 1,200 adult members responded. Here are some fundamental numbers on what they had to say:
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79 percent said they would seek Board certification in theatre if it was available.
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65 percent were familiar with the NBC program.
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55 percent said they were aware of other Board certified teachers in their school or district.
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52 percent said they taught another subject area.
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15 percent of those who teach other subject areas said they were Board certified in that area.
And here are some short, representative samples of responses to this survey question:
What would you perceive as the value of being a National Board certified theatre educator?
It shows a level of commitment to your craft, not only as a teacher, but as an expert in your subject area. It would make a teacher more marketable to prospective employers and create a dialogue with current administrators about what exactly a great theatre teacher should know and what they do in the classroom.
More job security and a better education for the students.
It would separate me from non-theater teachers/English teachers who are teaching Theater without the expertise. It would also legitimize the program for my graduates who are pursuing theater in school or in the industry after high school.
None whatsoever. Many English teachers, and teachers of other subjects for that matter, make fine theater teachers. Professional actors with lots of experience but no education credentials can be the best of all. Let's try to get the educational bureaucracy out of theater. They bring nothing to the table but expensive requirements for bogus classwork.
Validation that theatre is an important area of the curriculum.
My sister became a Board certified teacher and then could not get a job. She was too expensive and "too" qualified. I thought the value was to open a state license to a national license and allow teachers to move more easily.
There would be an additional differentiation for those who simply major in English and teach theatre with the English credential and those of us who double major (English and theatre) and get Board certified. I see this as being of help to administrators during the hiring process. Also, the extra pay would be great!
Board certification in theatre elevates the art of theatre to a level equal to that of the "core" subjects and would encourage administrators to take the arts seriously. Having already begun implementing the National Core Arts Standards in my classroom it would be beneficial to be recognized as meeting those standards. Students would benefit from a curriculum that aligns with a specific framework with measurable growth standards and a teacher who is competent in delivering that curriculum.
So the survey indicates overwhelming interest in the creation of a theatre educator NBC option for a variety of reasons, though there is some disagreement of its value. There are a couple of other things that are worth bearing in mind about Board certification:
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While Board certification is recognized in most states, making it easier to teach in another state, it is only a supplement to a state teaching credential. Board certified teachers are still required to earn their state teaching credential before being legally allowed to teaching in a public school system.
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The NBPTS has been in existence for less than thirty years (they were founded in 1987); since that time they have established certification in twenty-five subject areas (divided, generally, by two grade bands). Among those subject areas is visual art and, beginning in 2015-16, music. World languages are scheduled to be added in 2016-17. It is a multi-year process to earn that status.
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There are more than 100,000 Board certified educators throughout the country; however the financial compensation they receive is inconsistent and, in some instance, at risk in our current economic climate. Some states have in fact eliminated stipends for Board certified teachers (Ohio, for example, did so in 2009).
In balance, it would seem that there is much to gain by achieving Board certification for theatre educators. While the ease of state teaching transfer, financial incentive, and associated professional development are all factors, ultimately what such a distinction offers our field is affirmation that the Board certified theatre educator is a master teacher with deep knowledge and skill in a subject area featuring a rich and varied content that is as rigorous as any other subject area. And that, I think, is validation that is long overdue for theatre teachers.
Towards that end, EdTA will begin a coordinated effort to move towards this goal, beginning with formal meetings with NBPTS staff, and creating member focus groups to further explore the issue. In the meantime, I would encourage all to engage in further dialogue on Board certification in our Community pages. We need your voices.
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James Palmarini
Director of Educational Policy
Cincinnati OH
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Original Message:
Sent: 12-09-2014 17:32
From: Phillip Goodchild
Subject: National Board Certification for Theatre Teachers?
This message has been cross posted to the following Discussions: Open Forum and Advocacy .
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Right! I've got my National Board certification in Young Adolescence/English Literature; now what?
In a way, one thing that makes me pause and understand why NBPTS does not offer certification in Theatre is that teaching Theatre almost gives one an advantage over other teachers: the core principles of the NBPTS are the bread and butter standard practice of the average theatre teacher.
What area can we start working on? Can we get a petition going? A letter with a bunch of signatories from our membership at EdTA?
Maybe a blog or editorial on how vital Theatre education is, and how particularly skilled the theatre educator should be, and how nice it would be to validate that rather than hide them out the back in shame? Theatre teachers are some of the smartest, most forward thinking and innovative educators I know!
What else can we do to move forward? I'm ready; who's with me? Let's get something moving before the end of 2014!
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Phillip Goodchild
Valrico FL
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Phillip Goodchild
Valrico FL
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