Thirteen Alachua County Public School teachers have been awarded national certification this year, considered the gold standard for the teaching profession.

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) has announced the names of all teachers across the country who earned the prestigious certification in 2007, including the group here in Alachua County.

Overall, more than 130 current Alachua County teachers are nationally certified, which is recognized at both the state and federal level as a strong indicator of teacher quality.

“Certification is proof that these teachers are among the highest-quality teachers in the nation,” said Superintendent Dan Boyd. “We’re very proud of their accomplishment.”

Certification is achieved through a rigorous performance-based assessment that takes about a year to complete. Through the assessment process, teachers document their subject matter knowledge, provide evidence that they are teaching their students effectively and demonstrate their ability to manage and measure their students’ progress.

Susan Harner, a veteran who teaches a combined kindergarten, first and second grade class at Littlewood Elementary School, is one of the newly-certified teachers. She says the process forced her to carefully analyze everything she was doing in the classroom.

“It’s changed me because I now reflect on everything I’m doing,” she said. “Time in the classroom is so precious. I want to make sure that whatever I do has value.”

Lori Pirzer, a music teacher at Oak View Middle School, agrees that the intensive reflection has made her a better teacher. She also says the process has helped her do a better job of engaging both students and parents in the learning process.

“I’ve always had parents involved with the band program, but I hadn’t really thought about having them be an active part of their child’s music education at home,” she said. “That’s been a huge help, and it’s really opened my eyes to a whole new avenue of getting parents really invested and involved.”

The teachers who have earned certification are now eligible for a bonus of more than $4,000 and can earn an additional bonus by serving as mentors for other teachers. The bonuses are currently funded by the state. The national certification is valid for ten years.

The teachers will also be recognized at a special reception in February.