Chicago Board of Education Honors New and Renewing National Board Certified Teachers

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CHICAGO - The Chicago Board of Education Thursday honored 130 CPS teachers who have either recently achieved or renewed their National Board Certification, the country's highest professional certification for educators.

The Board commended the National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs), passing a resolution during today's monthly Board meeting in honor of the 63 educators who earned their National Board Certification for the first time and 67 who successfully renewed their certification within the past year. These CPS professionals will be honored again March 31st during a District-wide celebration with the Mayor's Office and the Chicago Teachers Union at CTU's office on Carroll Avenue.

"When CPS educators pursue this distinction, they are choosing to elevate their capacity and to hold themselves to the highest standards of excellence," said Chicago Board of Education President Sean B. Harden. "Their dedication inspires our entire District and sends a clear message to students that they deserve the very best. As a District, we celebrate our National Board Certified Teachers for serving as a powerful example of an unwavering belief in the importance of education."

Teachers, librarians, and school counselors can all go through the rigorous process to earn this prestigious certification. CPS currently ranks third in the nation for its total number of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs), boasting a network of nearly 3,000 expert educators.

Beyond the volume of certifications, the nationally-recognized partnership, Nurturing Teacher Leadership, continues to lead in fostering a diverse educator workforce. Currently, 38 percent of the District's total NBCTs are people of color. This commitment to representation is accelerating; among the most recent 2025-26 cohort, 43 percent of the new NBC candidates are people of color, ensuring that Chicago's students are served by highly credentialed leaders who reflect the diversity of their classrooms.

"National Board Certification is more than a credential. It is a rigorous, two-year professional learning experience that challenges our teachers to reflect deeply on their practice, refine their craft and demonstrate measurable impact on student learning," said Dr. Macquline King, Interim CPS CEO/Superintendent and a former teacher who achieved her own National Board Certification in 2004. "By equipping our educators with the highest standards of excellence and supporting them through this transformative journey, we strengthen instruction and expand opportunity for students. When our educators grow in skill, confidence, and leadership, our students benefit in achievement, engagement, and long-term success."

CPS and the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) support candidates through the two-year pathway to certification at no cost to participants. Those en route to earn the certification spend more than 500 hours over the course of two years to thoroughly review their pedagogy and work. As part of this review they:
create a portfolio of their practice; partner with colleagues, parents, and community; study videotapes of their teaching with a cohort of their peers in order to improve their instruction; prepare for content-area exams.

"At a time when public education and the profession of teachers is under attack, Chicago and our educators are demonstrating their love of their students and their craft," said Stacy Davis Gates, President of the Chicago Teachers Union. "We are so proud to lead the Nurturing Teacher Leadership program in partnership with CPS - it is a terrific example of what can be done when our union, our District, and our educators partner for what our students deserve."

The certification process is grounded in the "Five Core Propositions," which emphasize a commitment to student learning, subject matter expertise, effective instructional practices, reflective teaching, and professional collaboration.

Katherine Sabillón, a Lloyd Elementary School Bilingual Early Childhood Teacher, is among those who have newly earned her certification in the past year. Ms. Sabillón was herself an English Language learner, an experience that helps her immediately recognize and support her students' challenges.

"Many of my students are doing exactly what I once did: listening carefully, watching closely, and relying on relationships to make sense of their learning environment," Ms. Sabillón said.
"Through NTL, I learned how to intentionally respond to those moments rather than leaving language development to chance."

The NTL program maintains a more than 90 percent achievement rate among educators who engage in peer-driven professional development that fosters growth and often results in salary increases or stipends. National Board certification reinforces CPS's deep commitment to student achievement by recognizing educators who lead with expertise, empathy, and a profound sense of purpose.

"The new and newly-renewed NBCTs are to be applauded for meeting the high standards of the National Board," says Lynn Cherkasky-Davis, Director of Teacher Leadership at the CTUF Quest Center. "This incredible cohort of teachers worked tirelessly, day in, and day out, to amplify the brilliance of their students. This is a great personal accomplishment, but it is more than that - this accomplishment is a reason to celebrate the impact Board Certified teachers have on thousands of CPS students and on our teaching profession at large."