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News Release
at The Chicago Public Education Fund
Aidan Leonard, Development/Communications
Associate
(312) 558-4503
October 26, 2005
The Chicago Public Education Fund announces
up to $3 million in incentives for CPS teachers
CHICAGO—The
Chicago Public Education Fund announced the allocation of
up to $3 million toward National Board Certification incentives
for Chicago's public school teachers last night at its National
Board Certification Leadership Summit with former North Carolina
Gov. James Hunt.
"Public schools are the hope of America and we have to make
them great," said Gov. Hunt, a national leader in education
and the founding chairman of the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards (NBPTS), the organization that administers
National Board Certification. "The best way to do [that] is
to focus on great teachers and to have as many of them be
National Board Certified as possible."
The Fund's incentives give teachers who attain the prestigious
credential the opportunity to earn up to $3,000 in addition
to other stipends offered by the state and Chicago Public
Schools (CPS).
"We absolutely believe that teachers should be rewarded well
for their performance," said Tribune Publishing President
Scott Smith, The Fund's founding chairman.
CPS CEO Arne Duncan joined Smith and the governor at the summit,
which was attended by nearly 150 of Chicago's business and
civic leaders, and National Board Certified teachers (NBCTs).
He praised National Board Certification, noting that high-quality
teaching is the most important factor in improving student
achievement.
To continue improving Chicago's schools, Duncan said, "we
have to work not just harder, but smarter. There's no smarter
way to work than National Board Certification. There's no
better investment."
The highest credential in the teaching profession, National
Board Certification is widely recognized as one of the most
effective ways to identify, support and compensate some of
our best teachers. Teachers achieve certification through
a rigorous performance-based assessment that takes between
one and three years to complete, and measures what accomplished
teachers and school counselors should know and be able to
do. Research has repeatedly shown that NBCTs are among the
best in their profession, and The Fund's incentives demonstrate
its renewed commitment to supporting and positioning them
in the schools that need them the most.
"If there's anything we can aspire to be number one in," said
Nuveen Investments Chairman and CEO Tim Schwertfeger, The
Fund's chairman, "Chicago and Illinois can and should be the
number one city and number one state in the union in terms
of National Board Certified teachers."
Following the summit, Schwertfeger joined Gov. Hunt, Duncan
and others for a meeting with Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley,
the nation's only mayor on the NBPTS. At the meeting, the
mayor reaffirmed his commitment to leading National Board
Certification efforts within Chicago and committed to advocating
for increased state support. To date, 377 teachers in Chicago
Public Schools have achieved National Board Certification,
up from just 11 in 1999. The mayor, CPS and The Fund share
a goal of 1,200 NBCTs in the district by 2008.
"With Mayor Daley and Gov. Hunt's leadership, we're confident
that we will reach our goal," said Janet Knupp, founding president
of The Fund. "We are committed to ensuring that more of these
highly talented teachers - National Board Certified teachers
- are in the classrooms that need them the most."
# # #
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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