A teacher at Georgia Morse Middle School in Pierre is among eight South Dakota teachers and school counselors who earned national certifications last year.
Alicia Schoenhard is an Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood teacher. To achieve National Board Certification, Schoenhard went through a rigorous, performance-based, peer-reviewed assessment of her teaching skills and content knowledge. The certification process takes one to three years to complete.
GMMS Principal Dr. Kyley Cumbow has this to say about Schoenhard. “Mrs. Schoenhard’s work ethic, passion and love for students and her content is what already makes her a great teacher. This process is extremely time-consuming and difficult that not many teachers even attempt to become Nationally Board Certified. I am happy and proud for Mrs. Schoenhard that this certification reinforces the great things she does in the classroom every day for the students in Pierre.”
South Dakota teachers who earn National Board Certification receive $2,000 per year for five years, with $1,000 paid by the South Dakota Department of Education and $1,000 paid by the teacher’s school district. The department will also reimburse fees personally paid by teachers and school counselors, upon their achievement of national certification. As long as funds are available, the department will also pay National Certified School Counselors $1,000 annually for five years.
South Dakota’s other 2019 recipients of National Board Certification include:
- Carli Flemmer, English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood, Northern State University Center for Statewide E-learning
- Kari Jungclaus, Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood, Rapid City Area School District
- Karen McGuigan, Generalist/Middle Childhood, Rapid City Area School District
- Cari Olson, English as a New Language/Early and Middle Childhood, Harrisburg School District
- Sara Holmberg, Dell Rapids School District
- Angel Samson, Aberdeen School District
- Mandi Scott, Spearfish School District
To learn more about these certifications and stipend and reimbursement opportunities, visit https://doe.sd.gov/nationalboard/ or call the South Dakota Department of Education at 605-773-3134.