Dec. 14, 2023 – San Antonio ISD today announced that four of its educators have earned the highest teaching certification possible in the nation. The teachers earning new certifications include two high school teachers and two elementary school teachers.
• Haile Hullings, certified in Science – Adolescence Young Adult, is a high school teacher at Advanced Learning Academy.
• Ryan Maney, certified in Career and Technology Education – Early Adolescence, is a high school CTE teacher at Advanced Learning Academy.
• Karyl Moctezuma, certified as a Generalist – Early Childhood, is a second grade teacher at J. T. Brackenridge Elementary School.
• Mia Rosen, certified in Mathematics – Early Adolescence, is a fourth grade teacher at Foster Elementary School.
"SAISD has some of the best teachers in Texas, and these new national board certifications reinforce this,” said Dr. James Harrell, SAISD Chief Human Capital Management Officer. “National board certification represents a significant investment of time and a strong commitment to the teaching profession. We are so proud of our familia!"
The certification of these educators more than doubles the number of nationally board certified teachers in the district, bringing the number up to seven 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 only 481 districts in the state to offer this additional incentive allotment and the only district in San Antonio.
In SAISD, a national board certification coordinator works with teachers in the district to support them through the two- to five-year process to becoming nationally certified. A coordinator works with a new cohort of educators annually. This year, the district is supporting 43 candidates who have commenced their work toward certification. This is the highest number of candidates in SAISD pursuing the credential at one time. Since 2021, there have been a total of 57 SAISD educators on the path toward 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. 27, 2024, 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.