To: NBCT...name (?),

I have to say, I disagree with each of your comments.
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME if you truly believe you know
the answer to every question in every subject!
Reality Check: The subject matter test (which I passed the
first time and thought was very easy) is NOTHING compared to
the NB assessment.
When you say that as a NBCT you should know the subject
matter that is covered by the assessment, you are saying
that you know the answer to every question, do you really?
Be honest in your response.

You also ask if we would want "these people" referring to
teachers, I suppose, to teach our children if they do not
know the answer to every question. How naive. Knowing the
answer to every subject matter does not make you
a "qualified" teacher. There are SO many other factors that
do that. Didn't you learn this in college? What about in
your classroom, how effective are you? Having effective
classroom management is one of these factors. I would much
rather have my child/student in this teacher's class than
with someone who can answer a question about why mosquitos
buzz in my ear, but the classroom is out of control. That's
just one of the factors that make a teacher effective.

Whether you know the answer to every question in every
subject matter or not, not everyone does well under the
testing conditions at the AC. The NBCT's who helped me
through this process did not pass the AC and I consider them
very qualified teachers!

So, before you hop on your next "judging" trip, try to be
more supportive and not so cruel.
Reality Check: For most people, the AC is very stressful
and not everyone is a great test taker. Would you fail your
students who demonstrate their academic abilities in many
ways using alternative assessments, but are not great test
takers?
Be honest in your response!

My response to your question: Should students who work hard
but never master the material get an A?
You say NO, I wholeheartedly say YES! As stated before,
each student learns differently and it is your job as a
teacher to make sure you meet their individual need. Giving
them a test at the end of the lesson to determine whether or
not they mastered the material should not be your only way
of assessing. If the "students worked hard" as you said,
never master the material, you may need to reflect on your
teaching. It may be your teaching styles that need
adjusting.

By the way, scoring a 275 on the NB should not make or break
any teacher. However, I am a supporter of the NB process,
and teachers out there trying to achieve certification.
Good luck to you! Do spend the time and energy because
every bit will count.

Aly

On 5/16/08, NBCT wrote:
> This is addressed to NBPTS candidates who did not get a
> score of at least 275.
>
> I apologize for sounding cruel, but you need to ask
> yourself if you are a "highly accomplished educator who
> meets high and rigorous standards." These are the words of
> NBPTS. If the sum of the your scores on the entries and
> the assessment do not add to 275, you do not get the
> certification. This does not mean you are not a good or
> qualified teacher, it simply means that NBPTS does not
> feel you are a highly accomplished teacher meeting their
> standards. Not everybody who goes through the process
> makes it.
>
> The attitude that comes across loud and clear on the
> chatboard is, "If I spend a lot of energy and time (and
> $$) on the National Board Certification process, I DESERVE
> TO PASS. I think this attitude is entirely wrong.
>
> Should students who work hard but never master the
> material get an A? This is happening in many schools
> today. Not that long ago students who failed were held
> back. "Social promotion" promotes a false sense of self-
> esteem.
>
> Should everybody who works hard as a pre-med in college be
> accepted to medical school? If all of these people were
> accepted, and later became doctors (afterall, they worked
> hard, put in the time and paid lots of $$ to go to med
> school), would you be willing to let them operate on you?
> Be honest in how you answer.
>
> As a NBCT, you should know the subject matter that is
> covered by the assessment, even if you have not or are not
> currently teaching it.
>
> When I took my state's subject matter certification test,
> there were several candidates who were taking the test for
> the 3rd or 4th time. They did not know the subject matter
> that they were expected to teach. It was not a matter of
> test anxiety. Would you want these people to be teaching
> your children? I would not! They were simply not qualified
> to teach the subject.
>
> If you do not get the 275 points needed for National Board
> certification, please do not blame the system. It is not
> the system's fault!

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