News Release
at The Chicago Public Education Fund
Susan Woodward, Director of Development & Communications
(312) 558-4516

November 29, 2005

Nearly 100 Chicago public school teachers earn profession's top credential

CHICAGO—The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) announced today that 95 teachers in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) had achieved the highest credential in their profession, National Board Certification.

Leaders from around the city praised this year's class, which joined more than 377 CPS teachers who have earned the certification to date - the majority during the last three years alone - bringing the total to 472.

"In order to become the best urban school system in America, we look for the best people possible to educate our children," Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley said. "I commend this year's National Board Certified Teachers on their accomplishment. With [their] leadership, we will continue to increase student achievement in Chicago Public Schools."

Up from just 11 in 1999, the steady growth in National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) numbers coincides with a shared effort on the part of the district and The Chicago Public Education Fund (The Fund), a venture capital fund for public education, to boost their ranks in CPS to 1,200 by 2008. As part of that effort, The Fund has helped CPS, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), the state legislature and the private sector work together to compensate these master teachers differently. In recognition of their achievement, new NBCTs now receive a one-time reward from The Fund of $2,000, in addition to a one-time bonus from the district of $2,500. They will also receive a $3,000 annual stipend from the state for the 10-year life of the certificate.

CPS Chief Arne Duncan and CTU President Marilyn Stewart highlighted the strong positive influence these master teachers have on students.

"National Board Certified Teachers make a measurable impact on their students and are tremendous assets to our schools," Duncan said. "I commend them for all of their efforts and success. For us to achieve our goals, we have to work not just harder but smarter, and there's no smarter way for us to do that than by increasing the number of National Board Certified teachers."

"These teachers have demonstrated their ability as high-quality classroom leaders," Stewart added. "On behalf of the union, I congratulate them for all of their accomplishments."

Based on a rigorous, performance-based assessment process that is administered by the NBPTS and typically takes about a year to complete, National Board Certification is widely recognized as an objective way to identify and support some of the nation's best teachers. Three major studies last year alone demonstrated that NBCTs achieve significantly higher learning gains than their peers - especially among low-income, minority students.

The Fund's president, Janet Knupp, pointed to this research as confirmation of NBCTs' effectiveness.

"Studies consistently show that teacher quality is the single-most important factor in how our children perform in school," Knupp said. "This year's NBCTs represent some of the best school leaders we have to offer our students and The Fund is proud to support them."

"The first step toward improving the performance of the city's schools lies in making sure we have the best possible teachers in our classrooms," added Bruce Rauner, chairman of the private equity firm GTCR Golder Rauner and a director of The Fund. Rauner has personally committed $1 million toward The Fund's National Board Certification efforts, including its incentives. "One way we can help do that is by rewarding teachers well for their performance."

"These teachers have demonstrated their effectiveness in the classroom and we are proud to support them," agreed Nuveen Investments Chairman and CEO Tim Schwertfeger, chairman of The Fund. "We need to continue boosting their numbers in Chicago and making sure they're positioned in the classrooms where they can make the greatest impact."

Nationwide, 7,289 teachers nationwide earned National Board Certification this year, bringing the total to 47,503. In Illinois, 315 earned the certificate, bringing the statewide total to 1,555.


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As a venture capital fund for public education, The Chicago Public Education Fund is an unprecedented catalyst for improving school leadership and student achievement system wide. Launched by a group of corporate and civic leaders, The Fund brings private sector dollars and expertise to high-impact programs aligned with Chicago Public Schools priorities. Find out more at www.cpef.org.

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