All 2022 National Board Certified Teachers to be recognized with public celebration April 1
Posted: March 8, 2022
Denise Low-Liu, a first-grade teacher at ʻIliahi Elementary in Wahiawa, recently became a National Board Certified Teacher after only 10 months in the program. National Board Certification is the most respected professional certification available in K–12 education and was developed to retain and recognize accomplished teachers and improve schools nationwide.
Hawaii teachers who maintain their current national board certification receive a $5,000 bonus per year, and teachers in hard-to-staff schools receive an additional $5,000 bonus per year.
Low-Liu holds bachelor’s degrees in family resources and elementary education from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and graduated last spring with a master’s in curriculum studies with an emphasis in philosophy for children. Her master’s degree was tied to National Board Certification through a track called Plan B, which replaces the traditional thesis with National Board Certification work.
The challenges of teaching during COVID-19 and completing her master’s and National Board Certification coursework were taxing, but Low-Liu admitted she “was very blessed.”
“I had a great year,” she said. “I enjoyed last year. I would change last year for this year in a heartbeat. It was just such a rewarding time for me.”
She initially tried the National Board Certification process in 2015 while teaching at Mauka Lani Elementary, but got burned out and left the Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE), saying “I’m not going to be a teacher. I don’t want to do this anymore.”
Then Low-Liu started working at Windward Community College in a program called Learning to Grow, which focused on early childhood development. After two years, she missed the HIDOE and was re-hired at Kaʻelepulu Elementary in Kailua in 2018.
“Philosophy for children really inspired me to keep moving forward,” Low-Liu said. “I love the collaborative learning and how you give the children a voice and you become the facilitator of their learning.”
Low-Liu’s co-teacher at Kaʻelepulu Elementary recommended she do the philosophy for children master’s program, and that’s how she became interested in National Board Certification.
“I was like, hey, that’s that buzzword again: ‘national board,’” Low-Liu recalled. “At that point, I was ready. I had to go through certain things and certain experiences to get to where I am because I became a leader to the cohort. It’s just where I am on my journey. I was really wanting this really badly.”
HSTA ‘planted seed’, supported Low-Liu in National Board Certification process
The National Board Certification process is filled with component requirements that require extensive feedback and collaboration. It is a voluntary, advanced teaching credential that goes beyond state licensure, and the certification process is rigorous.
Low-Liu said HSTA planted the seed for her becoming nationally board certified by offering its Jump Start course, which is a summer seminar that prepares candidates for the National Board Certification process. She took Jump Start in the summer of 2015 and again in 2020 upon returning to the HIDOE. Her second time in Jump Start gave her new insight and information about the process, and also connected her with new teachers.
“I was fortunate because I had my cohort, so then we kind of dove into everything that we learned during Jump Start, and we kind of took the information and we made our own graphic organizers, our own templates so that it would guide on how to go through the process,” Low-Liu said.
Low-Liu also served as head faculty rep at ʻIliahi Elementary after moving there in the fall of 2018, which provided her another outlook and perspective on Hawaii public education. Since she was attending meetings and conferences, she said, “All the learning I was doing was interwoven with one another.”
During her 10-month National Board Certification experience, she said she loved collaborating with others, hearing their ideas, and learning more about herself and her fellow teachers.
“I finally found a safe intellectual space that thought like me,” Low-Liu said. “I always question things and I’m always curious about things and I think a little bit differently, and it (the national board process) made me feel a sense of place, a sense of belonging. And I think that’s what motivated me.
“It’s helping me to see the bigger picture and the bigger vision for the school. I’m able to now apply it to my teaching in the classroom and then help others in my school to try to accomplish being better teachers.”
In the end, Low-Liu feels a mix of accomplishment and relief now that the program’s over.
“It was a hard thing to accomplish because it was master’s and national boards along with being a mom during a pandemic. I’m just very proud. I can’t believe that I got through it,” she said.
HSTA to honor candidates at ceremony April 1
HSTA will honor all educators who earned or recertified their National Board Certification during a ceremony with friends and family. The ceremony will be live-streamed on HSTA’s Facebook page on Friday, April 1, at 6 p.m.
Earn your National Board Certification
If you’re interested in starting your National Board Certification journey, you can find more information on candidate support, scholarships, and more via HSTA’s National Board Support Network.
HSTA extends extensive support for National Board Certification to its candidates. In partnership with Kamehameha Schools and the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, HSTA offers Jump Start, a two-week summer seminar series that takes a deep dive into the National Board Certification components while helping candidates build peer support. The 2022 session runs from June 13—24. Jump Start enrollment is a one-time, non-refundable fee of $150.
HSTA’s Jump Start provides support through certification process
“Taking the journey towards National Board Certification is not an easy decision to make,” said Diane Gibson, HSTA’s instruction and professional development specialist. “Teachers have so much that they must do for their students, their families, and the community that adding one more thing often seems impossible, however, I am honored to be able to support those teachers that take this risk.
“Through HSTA, we are able to provide an opportunity for intensive summer work and build cohorts that meet and support each other through the school year. The investment in Jump Start gives our teachers a team to help guide and support them through the process regardless of the time it takes to complete,” Gibson said.
HSTA Vice President Logan Okita recently completed her first Maintenance of Certification to continue her certification as an Early Childhood Generalist.
“National Board Certification is a journey that takes everyone down a different path, but support from fellow HSTA members like Jump Start and cohorts during the school year make it more accessible to all of our educators in Hawai’i,” Okita said.
“The journey is a reflective one and no matter where your path twists or turns or how many hills you have to climb, it is impossible to complete the journey without growing as a professional,” Okita added.
More information on National Board Certification:
- HSTA members and non-members can contact Lisa Espiritu, Regional Lead, at hstanbct@hsta.org. Kamehameha Schools teachers can contact Mari Sunabe, Kamehameha Schools Kapālama Kula Ha’aha’a Interim Curriculum and Assessment Coordinator, at mrsunabe@ksbe.edu.
- Questions about payment should be emailed to pd@hsta.org.