Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1476161
A P A R T N E R S H I P B E T W E E N CTA and Stanford University is working to increase diversity among National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) and help develop new educator-leaders in California communities in what could become a model across the state and nation. e CTA/National Board Resource Center at Stanford (NBRC) Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Cohort is entering its second year of supporting BIPOC educators in deep- ening their teaching practice and positioning them to make change in public schools. Selected educators receive full funding for all certification support services offered by Stanford NBRC along with BIPOC cohort and individualized support. e program also provides support in accessing funding sources to cover the direct costs of certification, including the California National Board Incentive Grant (see sidebar, next page). e first BIPOC cohort included 19 CTA educa- tors, who recently completed their first year and are readying for next year, thanks to a grant from NEA that will fund another year of support. "is experience has proven to be invaluable to my progress toward national board certifi- cation," says Aaron Kelly, a member of Lamont Teachers Association in Kern County. "I work in a small rural farming community and there are not many resources or help toward academic or professional advancement. I started looking into National Board certification more than five years ago, but without support I just didn't feel like I was ready, capa- ble or even deserving of the certification. "is BIPOC group has improved my confidence and provided support for this entire process. Without this group, I may not Increasing Diversity in National Certification CTA and Stanford launch program to support BIPOC educators in NBCT efforts By Julian Peeples 40 cta.org Teaching & Learning Aaron Kelly