Fairfield-Suisun Teachers Sit Among Nation's, County's Best

Fairfield-Suisun Teachers Sit Among Nation's, County's Best
By Susan Winlow

FAIRFIELD - The Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District ranks third in the state when it comes to board-certified teachers produced in 2006.

The district also has the largest contingent of nationally certified teachers in Solano County. Since 1999 there have been a total of 20 teachers board-certified while in the district, including the 11 certified for 2006. Seventeen of the 20 are still employed with the district.

"We are absolutely elated with the progress our teachers have made," said district superintendent A. Woodrow Carter. "We feel this will be exhibited down to the desktop and this will impact student achievement for years to come."

National Board Certification is the highest credential in the teaching profession and can take up to three years to complete. It measures what teachers should know and be able to do. Teachers are asked to build a portfolio that includes student work samples, assignments, video tapes and an analysis of their classroom teaching. They are also assessed on their knowledge of the subjects they teach.

"This is the nation's top-gun program and these teachers can be justifiably proud of their achievements," Carter said.

The Fairfield-Suisun district sits only behind Los Angeles and San Francisco for the number of board-certified teachers. Both districts have more students and schools than Fairfield-Suisun, which has about 23,000 students and 28 schools. San Francisco has about 60,000 students and 120 schools and Los Angeles is the second-largest school district in the nation with more than 741,000 students.

Reach Susan Winlow at 427-6955 or swinlow@dailyrepublic.net.

NEW CERTIFICATES

2006 Fairfield-Suisun board-certified teachers

-- Elizabeth Adam, E. Ruth Sheldon Elementary School

-- Crystal Castaneda, Nelda Mundy Elementary School

-- William Collison, Amy Blanc Elementary School

-- Rebecca Hammann, Dover Middle School

-- John Hartley, E. Ruth Sheldon Elementary School

-- Stephanie Hoftyzer, Laurel Creek Elementary School

-- Lisa Leduc, Amy Blanc Elementary School

-- Dayna Rigot, Amy Blanc Elementary School

-- Laurel Salerno-White, Fairfield High School

-- Kevin Scully, Rodriguez High School

-- Pamela Williamson, Rodriguez High School

TOP DISTRICTS

Top five California districts in production of nationally board certified teachers in 2006:

Los Angeles - 94

San Francisco - 16

Fairfield-Suisun - 11

Long Beach - 10

Oakland - 10

A total of 293 California teachers earned board certification.