National Honors for 14 Calif. Teachers : Learning: Independent panel certifies 81 educators in U.S. after rigorous process. Some local leaders are skeptical of the impact, however.

Hailing it as a landmark event for the long-maligned teaching profession, officials of the nation’s first certifying board for classroom teachers announced Thursday that 81 instructors have earned the high standing it accords.

California has the most, with 14 teachers passing the rigorous assessment, which used oral interviews, written exams, portfolios of students’ work, essays and videotaped displays of classroom methods to determine who were the most effective instructors.

Nonetheless, the announcement was met with some skepticism by California’s education leaders, who say that it is unclear what the certificates will mean in practice. The state offers no guarantees of higher pay, leadership opportunities or other rewards for teachers who achieve the voluntary certification, although some other states have begun moving in that direction.

As symbols of excellence in the teaching corps, however, this first batch of board-certified teachers should be regarded as “real pioneers in making teaching a profession,” said San Jose English teacher Claire L. Pelton, vice chair of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, which announced the results of its tests of nearly 300 teachers at a Washington news conference.

“That sounds simple but quite frankly teaching has been a profession in name only. . . . People think anyone can do it and the fact of the teachers’ expertise is seldom mentioned. But a teacher must have knowledge and expertise,” Pelton said. “That is a major contribution” of the national certification system.

The national certification board, established in 1987 with a $50-million Carnegie Corp. grant, is an independent group with 63 members, mainly teachers. Headed by North Carolina Gov. James B. Hunt Jr., it offers a voluntary system of certification in 33 teaching classifications. The 81 middle school teachers named Thursday were among 289 nationwide who sought national standing as early adolescence/generalist teachers.

This national system operates alongside the existing state-based system of giving credentials to new classroom teachers. Most states require teacher candidates to have a degree from an accredited college and pass a proficiency exam to earn their teaching credentials.

Some states and school districts have begun to provide incentives for teachers to earn the national distinction, which is open to those with at least three years of classroom experience.

So far, only Mississippi and North Carolina have said they will provide raises for national board teachers, but other states are offering such incentives as stipends and reimbursement for the $975 application fee. California has not taken such steps.

Some public school districts, such as San Diego Unified, are discussing incentives for board-certified teachers. The Palo Alto Unified School District in Northern California has already adopted many of the national board standards in making tenure decisions.

Pelton and others say widespread acceptance of national certification would lead to improvements in teacher training, lift morale and bolster public confidence in the profession, whose members are still paid far less than other professions requiring a college degree. On a national average, teachers earn about $35,000 a year.

Like Pelton, Linda Gonzalez, a sixth-grade teacher from Sacramento who earned a national certificate, believes that tying compensation to the honor will be key to its success.

“The bottom line is you have to reward good teachers,” said Gonzalez, a 14-year classroom veteran. “When I go to Nordstrom I know the saleswoman who helps me is going to receive a commission. We need to reward teachers for their extra efforts too.”

David Lebow, a teacher in the Montebello Unified School District and a member of the board of the California Teachers Assn., the state teachers union, said the union supports the concept of national certification but is concerned that the cost of applying will shut out many fine teachers. The fee was waived for the first group of applicants but will be required of those applying this year.

“There isn’t equitable access to that certificate,” he said, adding that it will take several years to gauge the real impact of the national certifying system.

Most of the members of the first group of nationally certified teachers said they were driven by the intrinsic challenge more than by possible salary raises or other perks.

Bruce Boehne, who teaches at Immanuel First Lutheran School in West Covina and was one of a small number of private school teachers to earn national board standing, said he did it to change public perceptions about parochial school teachers.

“Sometimes parochial schools get looked down on as having inferior quality teachers,” he said. “I wanted to see if I could stand up against public school teachers.”

Boehne and Gonzalez said the process of attaining board certification was exhaustive, estimating that they spent 100 to 250 hours before and after school on their applications.

The national standards board will be offering certification this year in four other teaching categories--early and middle childhood teachers and social studies and mathematics instructors.

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Top Teachers

Here are the 14 California teachers who have earned certification from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards:

* Maurine Anderson, Ayer Elementary School, Fresno.

* Virginia Bateman, Folsom Hills Elementary School, Folsom.

* Bruce Boehne, Immanuel First Lutheran School, West Covina.

* Linda Gonzalez, Herman Leimbach Elementary School, Sacramento.

* Marilyn Grimes, Encanto Elementary School, San Diego.

* Denise Marie Johnson, Marengo School, South Pasadena.

* Linda Best Klosterman, Myron B. Green Elementary School, Santee.

* Clarice S. Drees Moore, Marie Curie Elementary School, San Diego.

* Claire F. Ratfield, Lincoln Elementary School, Costa Mesa.

* Paul Robeck, Standley Junior High School, Encinitas.

* Kathryn D. Skube, O’Farrell Community School, Del Mar.

* Chrys D. Verner, Chaparral Middle School, Brea.

* Lori D. Watkins, Ayer Elementary School, Fresno.

* Lynn Werner, St. Norbert School, Yorba Linda.