National Board Candidate Information 2011-2012
Lake County Professional Development
The following information is offered for those teachers who may wish to pursue National Board Certification during the 2011-2012 school year. Teachers are eligible for a 50% federal fee subsidy if they teach at one of the schools on the DOE list. The list of eligible schools will be posted to the National Board Certified Teacher webpage on the Professional Development Department website. This 50% fee subsidy will cover half of the $2500 registration fee. For applicants at all other schools, they are eligible for the Friends of Florida scholarship which also pays 50% toward the registration fee of $2500. Applicants must apply for the Friends of Florida scholarship directly on the NBPTS website. Any other opportunities for scholarships or partial funding for Florida candidates will be posted on the website for the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards at www.nbpts.org.
Florida’s open enrollment period for National Board candidates began on June 1 and Lake County’s teachers must apply by Nov. 15, 2011 to meet the district’s verification deadline.
Once the teacher successfully completes the online application process no later Nov. 15, 2011, the district will verify their eligibility, followed by a state level verification. Teachers should refer to the Critical Date Calendar located on the NBPTS website for other important deadline information.
Candidates do not have to wait for the above process to be completed to begin working on the program. Once they have registered, they can download all the necessary materials to begin the process and they are encouraged to do so as soon as possible so as to optimize their time.
The deadline to make application for the National Board process is November 15, 2011. The steps for the application/verification process are listed below.
- Interested teachers should refer to the Professional Development webpage for information, forms, and procedures for the 2011-2012 cycle for National Board Certification. Teachers must contact Cele Oldham, District Contact for National Boards at if they wish to participate or for further explanation of district deadlines and requirements (742-6910).
- Teachers should apply directly online with NB at www.nbpts.org .
- Teachers should be careful to choose the option which allows NB to share their information with “third parties” and correctly identify the Lake County school district.
- Teachers should pay the non-refundable $65.00 registration fee. Teachers can apply for a 50% federal fee subsidy if their school is named on DOE’s list of eligible schools (see attachment for fee subsidy application form and DOE’s list of eligible school).
- If applying for a federal fee subsidy teachers MUST NOT pay the non-refundable $500 initial fee until directed to do so via an email from Crystal Spikes, Director of the Excellent Teaching Program.
- Teachers may elect to use NBPTS’s self-payer installment plan that allows a longer time to pay the amount owed for registration (call 1-800-22TEACH for details).