A Jim Hunt Legacy
2011-12-09 - by
There is a big story behind this small item in the paper this week:
“North Carolina’s public schools have the largest number of National Board Certified teachers in the nation, according to a release by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.” Nationally, there are 97,291 teachers with National Board Certification. North Carolina has over 18 percent of them, 19,193. Click here for the story.
The article noted of national board-certification: “The process is rigorous and voluntary. North Carolina teachers who achieve certification receive a salary supplement of 12 percent.”
I can’t help but remind people that national board certification is Jim Hunt’s baby. During the eight years between his two stints as governor, Hunt chaired the national commission that developed the program – bringing together teachers, administrators and business leaders in an effort to upgrade the teaching profession – and teachers’ pay.
It was an arduous task that demanded all of Hunt’s patience, diligence and consensus-building. And it’s a story told beautifully in my biography of the Governor, which is still on sale and makes a wonderful Christmas gift. He and I will be glad to inscribe it for you.
I must also point out that Appalachian State University, where my daughter is studying to be a teacher, leads the nation in the number of alumni who are National Board Teachers, with 130. ECU is second with 118.
Just a small reminder that, for all its problems, politics can change lives for the better.
A Jim Hunt Legacy
2011-12-09/
There is a big story behind this small item in the paper this week:
“North Carolina’s public schools have the largest number of National Board Certified teachers in the nation, according to a release by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.” Nationally, there are 97,291 teachers with National Board Certification. North Carolina has over 18 percent of them, 19,193. Click here for the story.
The article noted of national board-certification: “The process is rigorous and voluntary. North Carolina teachers who achieve certification receive a salary supplement of 12 percent.”
I can’t help but remind people that national board certification is Jim Hunt’s baby. During the eight years between his two stints as governor, Hunt chaired the national commission that developed the program – bringing together teachers, administrators and business leaders in an effort to upgrade the teaching profession – and teachers’ pay.
It was an arduous task that demanded all of Hunt’s patience, diligence and consensus-building. And it’s a story told beautifully in my biography of the Governor, which is still on sale and makes a wonderful Christmas gift. He and I will be glad to inscribe it for you.
I must also point out that Appalachian State University, where my daughter is studying to be a teacher, leads the nation in the number of alumni who are National Board Teachers, with 130. ECU is second with 118.
Just a small reminder that, for all its problems, politics can change lives for the better.