Kitsap Education

If you’re heading into surgery, there’s just something about your doc being “board certified” that makes you feel better, right? How about your child’s teacher? Or in the case of all taxpayers, the folks you are paying to educate the next generation? It’s good to know there are board-certified teachers out there, and that the number of said teachers is growing. We do have a ways to go, however. Of the 61,328 teachers in Washington state, just 2,726 are board-certified. OSPI reports another 2,000 are in the pipeline to be board certified in 2009.

Is it worth it? Nancy Carter, a North Kitsap teacher who became board certified eight years ago, said it was $250 to $300 of the best professional development ever. (The teachers have to pay that fee out of their own pocket.) If you know anything about the cost of teaching teachers, a couple hundred bucks is a pretty good deal. Patty Glaser, a spokeswoman for Bremerton schools, said becoming board-certified is the difference between being trained to do a task and being an expert in that task.

Below is a list of local board-certified teachers

Bremerton (14)

Pam Abbott, Amy Archuletta, Rachel Axtelle, Stephanie Burchell, Bobbi Busch, Jennifer Ledbetter, Gwen Lyon, Cynthia McClain, Teneka Morley, Julie Morse, Abbey St. Clair, David St. Clair, Marilyn Strey, Leah Witherell

North Mason (3)

Connie Hostack, Lisa Roberts, Celeste Blair

Bainbridge (11)

Denise Corso, Kaycee Taylor, Amanda Ward, Ann Munro, Michael Holloway, Jane Medina, Brad Lewis, Noah Barfield, Kirrin Coleman, Ben deGuzman, Amii Pratt

South Kitsap (42)

Candace Barich, Jeanne Blair, Sharon Carragher, Carol Cobb, Steven Cobb, Annette Farrington, Charlotte Flynn, Lisa Fundanet, Monica Garcia, Suzanne Gesell, Ann Giantvalley, Scott Hopkins, Wendy Jelinek, Ann Kontos, Stacey Krumsick, Aaron Lee, Julie Lee, Shelby MacMeekin, Sally Mafinsky, Kimberly Marchel, Teresa Messing, Kerry Neighbors, Lysandra Ness, Ronald Ness Jr., Nancy Newsome, Jane Oczkewicz, Karen Ogan, Beverly Painter, Kelly Pettis, Elizabeth Powell, Victoria Preston, Kirsten Richards, Cassandra Rosenbloom, Rebecaa Schmuck, Thomas Schmuck, Sharon Stritzel, Beth Templet, Kimberly Thompson, Mark VanDoornik, Kathleen Watson, Sabrina Westerman, Rosemarie Wilkins

North Kitsap (13)

Andra Murray, Colleen Fairchild, Catherine Campbell, Doris Ahrens, Nancy Carter, Joyce Brown, Mike Daling, Gail Davis, David Denton, Maria Fiorille, Heather Nelson, Townley Slack, Karen Trudeau

Central Kitsap (18)

 Cynthia Blinkinsop, Erika Cassel, Molly Evans, Shana Foreman, Jeanne Kertes-Smith, Debra Makar, Miki Paulson, Tina Piper, Keri Williams, Jennifer Zapatka, Bridget Burke, Krista Calvin, Tom Coleman, Eric Samson, Judy Sorrels, Roxann Stewart, Eric Von Seggern, Paul V. Williams

Two local educators have been recognized for excellence.

Kathy Dwyer, a curriculum specialist who works with gifted education at junior highs and high schools in Central Kitsap, earned the 2008 leadership award from the Washington Association of Educators of the Talented and Gifted.

Dwyer has been working in gifted education for most of her career. She has been in her current job at CK since 1996.

Rick Jones, North Kitsap’s new superintendent, received an award – also for leadership – from the Northwest Regional Data Center in Everett. Jones has served on the center’s board since 2001 and as its chairman for the past two years. The NWRDC provides information services for schools in the counties of Island, Pierce, San Juan, King, Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom.