Gaston County Schools honors 16 teachers for achieving national certification
Gaston County Schools honored 16 teachers during a reception and ceremony on April 28 at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden to celebrate their achievement of National Board Certification. The certification is considered to be the highest credential in the teaching profession.
Truliant Federal Credit Union sponsored the National Board Certified Teachers Reception. Toya Bailey, community engagement coordinator, greeted the honorees and shared remarks on behalf of Truliant Federal Credit Union. Other speakers included Dot Cherry, vice chairman of the Gaston County Board of Education, and Superintendent of Schools W. Jeffrey Booker. Todd Hagans, chief communications officer, emceed the ceremony.
National Board Certification is made possible through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, which is an independent organization that establishes high expectations for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do.
To rank among the best in the nation, teachers earning National Board Certification must demonstrate their knowledge and skills through an extensive series of performance-based assessments.
The teachers spend time examining and reflecting on all aspects of their teaching methods and classroom management. Going through the National Board Certification process is one of the most difficult things a teacher can do.
Typically, the National Board Certified Teachers Reception is held every two years, but because of the pandemic, it was not held in 2021. Therefore, the program recognized the Gaston County Schools teachers achieving the national certification during the past three school years.
Below is a list of the teachers recognized for achieving national certification in 2019-2020, 2020-2021, or 2021-2022:
■ Savanna Abernathy teaches second grade at Bessemer City Primary School. She has been a teacher for seven years. Abernathy obtained a bachelor’s degree from UNC-Greensboro, and her National Board Certification is for Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood.
“Earning my National Board Certification means that I have a renewed dedication to my profession and the ability to give the highest level of instruction that I can for my students,” said Abernathy.
■ Brittany Beam teaches third grade at Bessemer City Central Elementary School. She has been a teacher for eight years. Beam has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in elementary education, both from Western Carolina University. She is currently pursuing an administration degree at Appalachian State University. Her National Board Certification is for Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood.
“To be a National Board Certified Teacher is something I always aspired to be. It was a humbling experience that pushed me to truly reflect on my teaching practice and allowed me to find the best instructional practices I could for my students,” said Beam.
■ Jennifer Gerow teaches English at Forestview High School. She has been a teacher for 17 years. Gerow has a bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University. Her National Board Certification is for English-Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood.
“I am proud to be a part of a national organization dedicated to teaching excellence. The process made me a better teacher,” said Gerow.
■ Erica Hawes is a school counselor at Bessemer City High School. She has been a counselor for six years. Hawes has a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Appalachian State University. Her National Board Certification is for School Counseling/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood.
“Being a National Board certified school counselor instills in me the drive and focus to continue providing a comprehensive school counseling program. It is a major accomplishment to achieve, and I believe it validates the hard work and effort I put into my position every day as I work with students,” said Hawes.
■ Kody Kubbs teaches history at South Point High School. He has been a teacher for 15 years. Kubbs attended Ohio Northern University and James Cook University in Queensland, Australia. His National Board Certification is for Social Studies-History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood.
“Earning my certification was very stressful and time-consuming. It was a lot of additional work on top of teaching and coaching cross country and basketball, but the feeling of achieving it was amazing. I am so thankful for the entire process,” said Kubbs.
■ Kerri Luksa teaches English at Cramerton Middle School. She has been a teacher for nine years. Luksa graduated from UNC-Charlotte. Her National Board Certification is for English-Language Arts/Early Adolescence.
“Being National Board certified gives me great satisfaction, knowing that my achievement has a direct impact on my students. I’m proud to say that the hard work I put forth during this process changed the way I reach and reflect on my practice, which in turn helps my students become more successful,” said Luksa.
■ Natalie Mackey teaches second grade at McAdenville Elementary School. She has been a teacher for 20 years. Mackey received a bachelor’s degree from UNC-Charlotte and attended Belmont Abbey College for her certification in education. Her National Board Certification is for Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood.
“Becoming a National Board Certified Teacher has made me a more reflective teacher, which has allowed me to adjust my instructional practices to better meet the needs of students. I feel more accomplished and better able to analyze student data and provide meaningful instruction to benefit and grow students,” said Mackey.
■ Amanda Matz teaches second grade at North Belmont Elementary School. She has been a teacher for five years. Matz received a bachelor’s degree in business from UNC-Charlotte and attended Belmont Abbey College for a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. Her National Board Certification is for Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood.
“Obtaining National Board Certification was a way for me to recommit myself to the teaching profession by becoming a more reflective practitioner. It was a personal goal that I set to demonstrate my commitment to not only my students, but also to myself,” said Matz.
■ Angie Molla is a content teacher at Catawba Heights Elementary School. She has been a teacher for 14 years. Molla received her bachelor’s degree from East Tennessee State University and her master’s degree from Appalachian State University. She is currently enrolled in the Superintendent’s Leadership Academy to receive her master’s degree in executive leadership from Gardner-Webb University. Her National Board Certification is for Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood.
“To me, being a National Board Certified Teacher is a highlight in my career as an educator. The process to become certified is rigorous and holds teachers to high standards, leading to better learning for students, which is what we all want,” said Molla.
■ Karen Palomino teaches English as a Second Language at Sadler Elementary School. She has been a teacher in Gaston County for 10 years. Palomino attended Wayland Baptist University in Texas and also attended Texas Tech University. Her National Board Certification is for English as a New Language/Early and Middle Childhood.
“The process of becoming board certified is a learning process in itself. They have very high standards, and it was a privilege to prove to them, and myself, that I could do it. I appreciate the emphasis that our state and county puts on attaining this great achievement,” said Palomino.
■ Matthew Renegar teaches math at Highland School of Technology. He has been a teacher for seven years. Renegar attended Lenoir-Rhyne University. His National Board Certification is for Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood.
“Getting my National Board Certification gave me the opportunity to learn and implement various strategies in my classroom that allow students to achieve their full potential. Through analyzing my own teaching practices, the National Board process allowed me to grow into a better teacher,” said Renegar.
■ Kelly Royston teaches math at Stuart W. Cramer High School. She has been a teacher for 20 years. Royston received her bachelor’s degree from UNC-Greensboro and her master’s degree from UNC-Charlotte. Her National Board Certification is for Mathematics/Early Adolescence.
“Achieving National Board Certification demonstrates my commitment to an ever-evolving education system. It helps to reflect on my teaching methods, the way students learn best, and adjust my teaching style, as needed. It is ensuring that students receive the best possible teaching in my classroom,” said Royston.
■ Victoria Sain teaches math at Gaston Early College High School. She has been a teacher for 10 years. Sain received her bachelor’s degree from Western Carolina University and her master’s degree from Clemson University. Her National Board Certification is for Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood.
“Being a National Board Certified Teacher means to be able to reach and grow my students more through my practice. I am able to effectively teach and reflect on my experiences to help my students as much as possible,” said Sain.
■ Kathryn Watts is a school counselor at Southwest Middle School. She has been a counselor for 14 years with previous experience in school social work. Watts has a bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State University and a master’s degree from Gardner-Webb University. Her National Board Certification is for School Counseling/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood.
“National Board Certification has given me a new awareness of how to engage with my students through the use of assessments, differentiation, and evaluation. I am more observant of where students are in the learning process and more intentional in my practice to ensure growth in their learning,” said Watts.
■ Sara White teaches Career and Technical Education business courses at Southwest Middle School. She has been a teacher for 12 years. White received her bachelor’s degree from Franklin University and her master’s degree from the University of Phoenix. Her National Board Certification is for Career and Technical Education/Early Adolescence Through Young Adulthood.
“Becoming a National Board Certified Teacher has helped me to grow and become a better teacher. The process didn’t stop when I received my certification; it changed my thought process and how I teach. Being in the classroom is an important part of who I am and knowing I give 100 percent to my students makes the process worth it,” said White.
■ Tyler White teaches third grade at Catawba Heights Elementary School. She has been a teacher for 14 years. White received her bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and her master’s degree from Western Governors University. Her National Board Certification is for Generalist/Middle Childhood.
“To become a National Board Certified Teacher is validation of the years I’ve spent learning and growing as an educator. I have learned how to better serve each student who comes into my classroom and this is a recognition of that hard work. It reinforces that I have chosen the right profession and that, even when I make mistakes or feel like I have failed, I have the ability to reflect, adjust, and become an even better educator,” said White.
In addition to having 16 teachers earn the national certification during the past three years, 53 teachers renewed their certification. To maintain the National Board Certification, teachers must renew every 10 years.
Across the United States, more than 130,000 educators have achieved National Board Certification, and North Carolina continues to lead the country in the number of National Board Certified Teachers. In Gaston County, almost 400 teachers have achieved National Board Certification since the program started in 1996.
The National Board Certified Teachers Reception was recorded for broadcast on Spectrum Channel 21, which is the Education Station for Gaston County Schools. It will premiere on TV the week of May 9-15 and air at other times this summer. The video will be available on the Gaston County Schools website and YouTube channel.
Click here for a PDF of the program.
