This month’s featured accomplished teacher is San Francisco area NBCT Kay Hones. Kay certified in Library Media in 2003— the first librarian in SFUSD to achieve this--and is beginning the renewal process this fall.
She had been a mentor teacher here in California when she heard that there was a National Board Certificate available for librarians.
“It seemed like a good professional challenge,” Kay explained. “I was not familiar with the National Board, though I had read a little about North Carolina.”
Kay has encouraged others to pursue National Board Certification for the personal growth because she has seen how the process helps teachers identify clear evidence of their impact on student learning. “I always tell candidates that I am supporting that before certification, I "implicitly" knew I impacted student learning,” Kay remarked. “But NOW I really work at being "explicit" in how/when/why I impact student learning.”
Becoming an NBCT has led to a variety of leadership roles for Kay. She became a support provider in SFUSD where she helped develop and present the "whole group" segments and supported a variety of candidates, including the only other National Board Library Media teacher. At Stanford, she has supported many certificate areas where there are only a few candidates so they are together in one cohort group (e.g. PE, Music, Art, Counseling, Career & Technology).
In supporting with National Board candidates, she encourages teachers to be clear, concrete and consistent in their writing, to analyze impact of student learning and most importantly to reflect on their teaching. According to Kay, National Boards not only provide a solid professional development tool for individuals but for whole school change when all teachers complete the “Take One” portfolio entry.
“A key part of my work is collaborative teaching, mentoring and guiding teachers with pedagogy, resources, research and strategies for optimal lessons for a wide range of students learning styles, linguistic abilities and academic challenges,” Kay said. “I believe that ‘teacher working conditions are student learning conditions’ and that providing teachers with quality support is key to improving US education.”
In addition to her work as a candidate support provider, Kay served as a State Farm Liaison, promoting National Board Certification in the Bay Area and communicating with a variety of educator groups. In this capacity, she distributed National Board information and local resources at every event, workshop, conferences, and institute she attended.
“Each year I attended training meetings in D.C. for all State Farm Liaisons,” Kay said. “It was very informative to have that opportunity for a national perspective as well as learn about new resources.”
Kay has also been on portfolio scoring teams. “One summer I spent a month in Daytona Beach, Florida, scoring 8+ portfolio entries a day!” she commented. “This really made me realize the whole NB process is fair and effective. I gained so much insight into the architecture of accomplished teaching. We used the Evaluation of Evidence guide, and that is when I learned that it is available and a valuable tool for candidates.”
Kay believes that if more teacher become National Board Certified, then NBCT can reach a critical mass that will enable them to shape the future of education in our county: “I would hope that as more of the younger teachers gain NB status. they can articulate what a real learning environment for kids looks like, and not the incredibly un-child-friendly test atmosphere that U.S. education has disintegrated to (I have seen the CELDT test administered for 7 to 10 year olds--approximately 3 hours of testing!!! cruel!).”
“What I like best about the National Board process is that the focus is on your class, your students, your teaching...and you make the choices to impact learning of your students, then analyze and reflect on what worked, what to change...it a very different lens than the usual "describe your lesson" that most of us have been used to,” Kay explained. “Reflection is such a rarely used skill...and so powerful!”
Kay continues to impact the profession through her accomplished teacher leadership. She networks for library reviews, resources, grants, new ideas and programs with local, state, national and international organizations via email, wikis, other Web 2.0, and conferences. She is the first librarian to receive “20 to Watch” award in 2008 from National School Boards Association. She continuously writes and receives grants for authors, garden and environment and service learning, especially to fund activities that encourage youth voice and empowerment.
When San Francisco voters approved Prop H for school programs historically not funded, such as libraries, arts, sports, health related resources, Kay asked the Board of Education President to consider appointing her to the community advisory committee as she had both K-12 library and art credentials (key areas the committee would impact). For 5 years, at monthly meetings, she provided a teacher voice and expertise in areas of K-12 library, arts, technical education while advocating providing Prop H funds for students in county schools, pregnant teen schools and juvenile facilities.
“I proposed ‘credentialed teachers’ as an essential component of programs rather than hiring consultants,” Kay said. “From 1987-2003 there were no district funded elementary school librarians. As a result Prop H, this year 43 credentialed school librarians serve 71 elementary schools at least half time!”
She had been a mentor teacher here in California when she heard that there was a National Board Certificate available for librarians.
“It seemed like a good professional challenge,” Kay explained. “I was not familiar with the National Board, though I had read a little about North Carolina.”
Kay has encouraged others to pursue National Board Certification for the personal growth because she has seen how the process helps teachers identify clear evidence of their impact on student learning. “I always tell candidates that I am supporting that before certification, I "implicitly" knew I impacted student learning,” Kay remarked. “But NOW I really work at being "explicit" in how/when/why I impact student learning.”
Becoming an NBCT has led to a variety of leadership roles for Kay. She became a support provider in SFUSD where she helped develop and present the "whole group" segments and supported a variety of candidates, including the only other National Board Library Media teacher. At Stanford, she has supported many certificate areas where there are only a few candidates so they are together in one cohort group (e.g. PE, Music, Art, Counseling, Career & Technology).
In supporting with National Board candidates, she encourages teachers to be clear, concrete and consistent in their writing, to analyze impact of student learning and most importantly to reflect on their teaching. According to Kay, National Boards not only provide a solid professional development tool for individuals but for whole school change when all teachers complete the “Take One” portfolio entry.
“A key part of my work is collaborative teaching, mentoring and guiding teachers with pedagogy, resources, research and strategies for optimal lessons for a wide range of students learning styles, linguistic abilities and academic challenges,” Kay said. “I believe that ‘teacher working conditions are student learning conditions’ and that providing teachers with quality support is key to improving US education.”
In addition to her work as a candidate support provider, Kay served as a State Farm Liaison, promoting National Board Certification in the Bay Area and communicating with a variety of educator groups. In this capacity, she distributed National Board information and local resources at every event, workshop, conferences, and institute she attended.
“Each year I attended training meetings in D.C. for all State Farm Liaisons,” Kay said. “It was very informative to have that opportunity for a national perspective as well as learn about new resources.”
Kay has also been on portfolio scoring teams. “One summer I spent a month in Daytona Beach, Florida, scoring 8+ portfolio entries a day!” she commented. “This really made me realize the whole NB process is fair and effective. I gained so much insight into the architecture of accomplished teaching. We used the Evaluation of Evidence guide, and that is when I learned that it is available and a valuable tool for candidates.”
Kay believes that if more teacher become National Board Certified, then NBCT can reach a critical mass that will enable them to shape the future of education in our county: “I would hope that as more of the younger teachers gain NB status. they can articulate what a real learning environment for kids looks like, and not the incredibly un-child-friendly test atmosphere that U.S. education has disintegrated to (I have seen the CELDT test administered for 7 to 10 year olds--approximately 3 hours of testing!!! cruel!).”
“What I like best about the National Board process is that the focus is on your class, your students, your teaching...and you make the choices to impact learning of your students, then analyze and reflect on what worked, what to change...it a very different lens than the usual "describe your lesson" that most of us have been used to,” Kay explained. “Reflection is such a rarely used skill...and so powerful!”
Kay continues to impact the profession through her accomplished teacher leadership. She networks for library reviews, resources, grants, new ideas and programs with local, state, national and international organizations via email, wikis, other Web 2.0, and conferences. She is the first librarian to receive “20 to Watch” award in 2008 from National School Boards Association. She continuously writes and receives grants for authors, garden and environment and service learning, especially to fund activities that encourage youth voice and empowerment.
When San Francisco voters approved Prop H for school programs historically not funded, such as libraries, arts, sports, health related resources, Kay asked the Board of Education President to consider appointing her to the community advisory committee as she had both K-12 library and art credentials (key areas the committee would impact). For 5 years, at monthly meetings, she provided a teacher voice and expertise in areas of K-12 library, arts, technical education while advocating providing Prop H funds for students in county schools, pregnant teen schools and juvenile facilities.
“I proposed ‘credentialed teachers’ as an essential component of programs rather than hiring consultants,” Kay said. “From 1987-2003 there were no district funded elementary school librarians. As a result Prop H, this year 43 credentialed school librarians serve 71 elementary schools at least half time!”
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