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Nine Schenectady Teachers
Earn National Board Certification
Schenectady has more NBC teachers than any other district in the state

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards announced the 2009 National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) Wednesday.    Nine of the 117 teachers in New York State earning certification this year are from the Schenectady City School District.   Not only did Schenectady have the highest number from all school districts in the state this year, but the district - along with Rochester - has the most National Board Certified Teachers with a total of 36.

Congratulations to Schenectady High School teachers Diane Allegro, Tom Patterson, Meghan Libertucci, Sara Kramer, Leigh Feguer and Jeanne Myers.  Emily Dearstyne and Patrice Barrett, both teachers at the Academy of Culture and Communications at Pleasant Valley and Jean Inzinna from Central Park International Magnet School also earned certification. 

“We are extremely proud of these dedicated and conscientious professional educators,” said Eric Ely, superintendent of Schenectady Schools.  “This culmination of their efforts to improve their understanding of the art of teaching and their ability to help the children of Schenectady is something we are happy to celebrate with them.” 

Ely said he is proud that Schenectady has more NBCT’s than any other school district in the state.  “It demonstrates the commitment of our teaching staff to excellence in their professions.” 

Schenectady’s teachers come from different backgrounds, teach an array of grades and subject areas and each has a different reason for pursuing the gold seal in education.  One thing is for certain.  Each of the nine NBCT’s is determined to make a difference in their classroom and be the best that each of them can be as educators. 

“I love teaching and strive to reflect on and improve my craft daily,” said Sara Kramer, ninth grade English teacher.   

Patterson, a high school and International Baccalaureate (IB) technology teacher was convinced by colleagues a few years ago that NBC is a great experience and opportunity. 

Tom Patterson Technology Teacher Schenectady High School

“You are never too experienced to continue improving your skills as a teacher,” said Patterson.  As a veteran teacher, he said it’s easiest to continue with a certain method because, “I’ve always done it that way.”  Patterson continued saying that the NBC process refocused his critical thinking about instructional practices.  “This was a reminder to never stop “thinking outside the box” when it comes to instruction and developing curricular activities,” he added. 

“I was looking for a new challenge,” said Leigh Feguer, a 9^th grade pre-International Baccalaureate (IB) biology teacher at the high school.  “When I heard about national board I was excited about the opportunity to participate in professional development that allowed me to reflect on my own teaching and to improve my lessons,” she said.  “I also encourage students to continue their education and felt that it would set a great example to show them that I was continuing mine.” 

Leigh Feguer Biology Teacher Schenectady High School

National Board Certification was created and is administered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.  It is a voluntary system to certify those who meet the rigorous standards through intensive study, expert evaluation, self-assessment and peer review.  It includes writing portfolio entries and requires the candidates to reflect on teaching.  The process takes most candidates 200-400 hours and up to three years to complete. 

Meghan Libertucci, an 11^th grade English teacher who has taught in the district for seven years said that NBC seemed like the next natural step in her career.  “I wanted to further my education,” she said.  She already has a master’s degree and isn’t interested in pursing an administrator’s certificate yet.  “I am not ready to leave the classroom,” she added.   

Meghan Libertucci English Teacher Schenectady High School

Like Feguer, Libertucci heard that NBC is “the best professional  development.”  She was not disappointed.  “Now that I have gone through it, I completely agree,” said Libertucci.  “I learned more about teaching by reflecting on my own practice than from any graduate course I ever took.”

Like the others, Libertucci referenced the importance of “reflection” throughout the process and said it has made her reflective on her own teaching.  “I am always asking myself, “why are you doing that,” “what are you doing that with those students,” and “how does it impact student learning?”  Libertucci said she has changed the way she teaches.  

Kramer said she asks herself many questions and is reflective by nature.  She said completing NB made her more reflective.  “In the end, this improves my teaching and helps my students.” 

Diane Allegro Business Teacher Schenectady High School

“They inspired me to pursue this designation,” she added.   “As a life-long learner, I am always looking for a challenge and ways to increase my professional teaching skills.”  

Allegro said NBC met her objectives because it is a very rigorous process that is tied to student achievement and is research based. 

“I am a very passionate, focused and discipline person,” said Allegro.  “The NBC process taught me to see how these attributes can be applied to my classroom to set goals for my students and motivate them to take ownership of their own learning.” 

Fuguer said the process was helpful to her as well.  “As I went through the process,  I was able to take a step back and realize that what I perceived my students understood and what they were really getting out of the lessons was sometimes different,” she said.  “I was able to realign my lessons with what the students really need.”    

Jeanne Myers Counselor Schenectady High School

Prior to this year, only one school counselor in New York achieved the certification.  Myers is proud to become the second.   “I feel honored to be another one in the state,” she said. 

Myers has been a high school counselor for 11 years, five in Schenectady.  She said the NBC process has already changed her as a counselor.  “I review most of what I do through the lens of my standards,” she said.  “It give me a better sense of the big picture and the process of my job rather than just the content of the day to day activities.”   

She decided to pursue NBC to brush up on her practice as a counselor and to learn more about what may have changed in her profession.    “It was a goal that I wanted to accomplish,” added Myers who completed the process in one year.   

Patrice Barrette Elementary Reading Specialist ACC at Pleasant Valley

Patrice Barrette and Jean Inzinna are both elementary reading specialists.  Barrette,  who has been teaching at Pleasant Valley for 25 years, said she pursued NBC to advance her professional career in the field of literacy.   

Through the NBC process, Barrette said she learned how important it is to increase knowledge of students including their interest, family and community.  “I also learned how valuable communication with teachers and families helps improve learning,” she said.  “I feel more confident to recommend skills and strategies to parents and teachers to improve  student learning.” 

Jean Inzinna Elementary Reading Specialist Central Park International Magnet School

Inzinna, a teacher in the district for 17 years, said she felt NBC would be another avenue for her to reflect on teaching and become stronger.   

“I knew it would provide me with an opportunity to reflect on and strengthen my teaching, study best practices and employ new teaching techniques that would ensure student success,” said Emily Dearstyne, an elementary school librarian and magnet coordinator at Pleasant Valley.

The NBC process has connected her with some of the best practices in the field and to a community of school librarians who are leaders in the field.  "It will encourage me to stay current in the field, provide a basis for advancing student literacy and other district goals and help me foster stronger connections between the school library media center, teaching and classroom work," said Dearstyne.

All of nine of Schenectady’s NBCT’s said the process has had a impact on them and changed the way they work.

“It was eye opening to analyze my teaching through video and to reflect on what the students’ responses meant about their understanding,” said Feguer.  “I find myself referring back to the core propositions and science standards to make sure I am still aligning my lessons with the national board standards.” 

Emily Dearstyne Librarian & Magnet Coordinator ACC at Pleasant

Inzinna also said she will continue to evaluate and reflect on her teaching and make changes to meet the needs of her students.   

“I learned that as a teacher I am focused on student achievement and on student understanding of the curriculum,” she said.  “As a librarian, I work to ensure that the school library is an essential part of the school environment that compliments the curriculum and teaches students essential research and library skills.” 

Libertucci hopes that she is able to use her achievement to help other teachers.  “I would like to present my teaching strategies at more conferences and to mentor younger teachers,” she added.  

The  teachers also agree that the NBC process was challenging and time consuming.  “I would estimate that I spent over 600 hours, working every evening on achieving this designation,” said Allegro.    

“It was certainly a journey,” said Feguer.  “Sometimes I felt like I was running a marathon,” she added with reference to the analyzing, reflecting, writing, reanalyzing, rewriting and reflecting. 

 However, they also all agree that it is very rewarding once they achieved it and all are grateful to those who provided support throughout the process.  “It was difficult, but certainly worth all of the time and effort I put into it,” said Feguer. 

Libertucci called it a “fun” type of challenge.  “I was able to look at my own teaching and make adjustments and improvements,” she said.    

While Patterson said NBC was the most challenging professional development he ever completed, he agrees with the other teachers.  “It is also the most rewarding,” said Patterson.  “I highly recommend this experience for all teachers, but especially veterans.”  

“I have a sense of pride and accomplishment,” said Kramer whose students asked her if she is one of the best teachers in the world.  “I just smile and let them be the judge of that,” she said. 

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