South Dakota Ag Connection - Teachers, Counselors Go Above and Beyond with Certifications

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Teachers, Counselors Go Above and Beyond with Certifications
South Dakota Ag Connection - 12/13/2018

Five South Dakota teachers and four school counselors have earned national certifications in 2018, demonstrating advanced knowledge and skill in their professions.

Teachers achieve National Board Certification through a rigorous, performance-based, peer-reviewed assessment of a teacher's pedagogical (teaching) skills and content knowledge. The certification process takes one to three years to complete. While licensing standards set the basic requirements to teach in a state, National Board Certified teachers demonstrate advanced teaching knowledge, skills and practices similar to the certifications earned by experts in law and medicine. South Dakota's 2018 recipients of National Board Certification include:

- Trey Krier, Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood, Yankton School District

- Sara Lorensberg, Mathematics/Early Adolescence, Northeast Education Service Cooperative

- Kelsey Buchholz, English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood, Garretson School District

- Amy Berke, Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood, Rapid City Area School District

- Robin Beck New, Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood, Pierre Indian Learning Center

- Amelia Meyer, Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood, Black Hills Special Services Cooperative, renewed her National Board Certificate.

The National Certified School Counselor certification recognizes counselors who demonstrate specialized knowledge and skills in school counseling. This certification shows that one has met national standards of practice, including additional education, experience and a specialty exam. The following school counselors reported to the South Dakota Department of Education that they became National Certified School Counselors in 2018:

- Dadra Avery, Meade School District

- Melissa Good, Rapid City Area School District

- Sonja Smith, Sioux Falls School District

- Nicole Weron, Hill City School District

South Dakota teachers who earn National Board Certification receive $2,000 per year for five years, with $1,000 paid by the South Dakota Department of Education and $1,000 paid by the teacher's school district. The department will also reimburse fees personally paid by teachers and school counselors, upon their achievement of national certification. As long as funds are available, the department will also pay National Certified School Counselors $1,000 annually for five years.

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