BCS 18th in U.S. for National Board Teachers

Pictured are National Board Certified Teachers Lily Dancy-Jones (top left), Marcia Tucci (bottom left), Lee Ann Smith (center), Matthew Eisenhower (top right), and Rachel Reaves.

By Tim Reaves
BCS Communications Department

Buncombe County Schools remains among the top districts in the country for National Board Certified Teachers.

National Board certification is a rigorous, one- to five-year process that enables teachers to use the latest evidence-based methods for making their classrooms more engaging and successful. Buncombe County Schools ranks 18th in the nation for the number of National Board Certified Teachers (622). In September 2019, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards named BCS a National Board Accomplished District, as more than 20 percent of teachers held the advanced teaching credential.

“Even during the disruptions caused by COVID-19, BCS teachers remained committed to strengthening instruction for their students while undergoing this rigorous professional growth opportunity,” said BCS Associate Superintendent Susanne Swanger. “We’re proud to be a leader of teacher excellence in both the state and nation.”

It’s a challenging but rewarding journey for teachers and a powerful gift for students, said BCS NBCT Coordinator Laura Mayer.

“Teachers who attempt the process are in a constant state of goal-setting, evidence-gathering, reflection, and revision,” she said. “This evidence-based cycle ensures that every candidate grows professionally. Perhaps most importantly, National Board Certification is about equity. Every child deserves an accomplished teacher. Every student needs a teacher who appreciates diversity and facilitates an inclusive environment where kids feel safe to take risks, to be heard, to learn and to grow. National Board candidates must provide evidence and meet standards that prove they have established such an environment in their classrooms.”

NEW
- Jennifer Anderson, W.D. Williams Elementary School
- Meagan Burrell, Enka High School
- Caroline Clark, Black Mountain Elementary School
- Lily Dancy-Jones, Clyde A. Erwin High School
- April Davis, Clyde A. Erwin Middle School
- Matthew Eisenhower, Enka High School
- Courtney Hall, Black Mountain Elementary School
- Kasey Hensley, North Buncombe Middle School
- Christine Mattingly, Charles D. Owen High School
- Laura McCall, Fairview Elementary School
- Mollie McDonald, Avery’s Creek Elementary School
- Ashlee Merritt, Avery’s Creek Elementary School
- Marianne Olson, North Buncombe High School
- Douglas Phillips, Charles D. Owen High School
- Carrie Pratt, Clyde A. Erwin Middle School
- Rachel Reaves, Clyde A. Erwin Middle School
- Rebecca Smith, Cane Creek Middle School
- Kristen Vann, Clyde A. Erwin High School
- Sarah Weatherman, Charles D. Owen Middle School

RENEWED
- Kelly Boone, Enka High School
- Charles Lanahan, Martin L. Nesbitt, Jr. Discovery Academy
- Kitty McCurry, Enka High School
- Raegan Solomon, William W. Estes Elementary School
- Lori Ahn, West Buncombe Elementary School
- Brook Baker, West Buncombe Elementary School
- Christen Davidson, W.D. Williams Elementary School
- Dayna Ferguson, T.C. Roberson High School
- Johanna Gibson, North Buncombe Elementary School
- Jamie Harbison, Hominy Valley Elementary School
- Stephanie Knox, North Buncombe Elementary School
- Sarah Lattimore Pruett, William W. Estes Elementary School
- Cynthia Leatherwood, Black Mountain Primary School
- Cristina McMinn, T.C. Roberson High School
- Amanda Reagan, West Buncombe Elementary School
- Lee Ann Smith, Glen Arden Elementary School
- Marcia Tucci, Black Mountain Primary School

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Buncombe County Schools