Battle Ground Public Schools

Five Battle Ground educators earn National Board Certification

These highly accomplished educators have met rigorous standards

Five educators from Battle Ground Public Schools earned certification in 2019 from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). This accomplishment marks the successful completion of a rigorous, one-to-three year program aimed at honing teaching techniques and styles that bolster students’ enthusiasm for learning. 

National Board Certification is an advanced teaching credential that goes beyond state licensure. Only about 40 percent of educators earn the certification on their first attempt. Battle Ground Public Schools now has 47 National Board Certified Teachers. 

“National Board certification is a big deal,” said Deputy Superintendent Denny Waters “We are fortunate to have teachers who care so deeply about their craft and who are always working to get better. Our students are certainly the biggest beneficiaries.”

Battle Ground’s 2019 recipients are:

Meadowlark Clark, kindergarten teacher at Tukes Valley Primary School
Heidi Lammers, special education teacher at Tukes Valley Primary School
Kathleen Ogg, kindergarten teacher at Pleasant Valley Primary School
Katie Prill, third grade highly capable teacher at Captain Strong Primary
Benjamin Scott, instructional coach at Tukes Valley Primary School

“I am so very grateful to my colleagues who supported and guided me during the National Boards process and am humbled to be honored with this certification,” said Meadowlark Clark, kindergarten teacher at Tukes Valley Primary School. “I want to thank those who read my papers, provided feedback, steered me toward specific research, and gave me words of encouragement. It’s a huge honor to work alongside such giving and dedicated teachers!”

National Board Certified Teachers are highly accomplished educators who meet high and rigorous standards set by the NBPTS. Board-certified teachers benefit the school district by sharing their information, knowledge and experience with other teachers who can then take the knowledge into their own classrooms. Most importantly, students benefit from the enhanced skills of board-certified teachers who make the most of their interactions with the children they teach. 

Ben Scott, instructional coach at Tukes Valley Primary, said that being a part of a network of educators from different schools, grades and certification areas while working through the National Board Certification process was important for his success. 

“The support of the Battle Ground school district as well as my teaching peers was vital in achieving National Board certification,” Scott said.“Working with the cohort provided an opportunity to get feedback on my writing, work through confusions and clarify expectations.”

Pleasant Valley Primary School kindergarten teacher Kathy Ogg said achieving National Board Certification status was an intense and thought provoking process, but it’s very rewarding for teachers looking to take that next step in their career. 

“This process guided me to reflect and enhance my teaching practice with a focus on improving achievement for the students I work with each day,” Ogg said. “Before, I knew what to do for my students. Now I know the why and the impact it has on student learning for all students.”

Katie Prill, third grade highly capable teacher at Captain Strong Primary, agreed with Ogg’s assessment. “I learned a lot about how to be a better teacher from my students and colleagues,” Prill said. “The whole process was rigorous and enjoyable.” 

The state awards stipends of approximately $5,505 a year to national board certified teachers in Washington State. With more than 11,000 National Board Certified Teachers, Washington state has the third largest group of NBCTs in the nation.