New and Renewed National Board Certifications
Six GCS educators have earned National Board Certification for the first time, and 14 GCS educators have earned National Board Certification renewals. Greenville County Schools has 261 National Board Certified teachers, one of the teaching profession’s most respected achievements. South Carolina ranks fourth in the nation, with 9,697 National Board Certified Teachers.
New National Board Certificate Holders
- Sophie Benquet Gerardin | Hillcrest HS | Mathematics-Adolescence and Young Adulthood
- Victoria Dunaj | Berea HS | Exceptional Needs Specialist-Early Childhood through Young Adulthood/Mild and Moderate Disabilities (MMD)
- Damon Frahler | Lakeview MS | School Counseling-Early Childhood through Young Adulthood
- Kaitlyn Hamilton | J.L Mann Academy | Music-Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood/Vocal
- Chelsea Huston | Woodmont HS | Science-Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Biology
- Tarin Lewis | Riverside HS | English Language Arts-Adolescence and Young Adulthood
National Board Renewals
- Catherine Adams | Hillcrest MS | English Language Arts-Early Adolescence
- Kurt Blocher | East North St. Academy | Generalist-Middle Childhood
- Julie Dennison | Monaview ES | Generalist-Early Childhood
- Matthew Evans | Woodmont HS | Physical Education-Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
- Robert Henderson | Eastside HS | Mathematics-Adolescence and Young Adulthood
- Rebecca Leonard | League Academy | Music-Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood/Orchestra
- Theresa Lordemann | Eastside HS | English Language Arts-Adolescence and Young Adulthood
- Deborah Osbourne | Mauldin ES | Literacy: Reading-Language Arts-Early and Middle Childhood
- Rachel Patterson Ginn | Woodmont HS | Science-Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Biology
- Amy Pearson | Mauldin MS | English Language Arts-Early Adolescence
- Sarah Penny | Blythe Academy | Generalist-Early Childhood
- Laurie Schmotzer | Reedy Laurel ES | English Language Arts/Early Adolescence
- Heather Vitaris | Southside HS | Generalist-Early Childhood
- Sharon Waynick | Brushy Creek ES | Generalist-Middle Childhood
The National Board Certification program is coordinated by The Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, & Advancement. CERRA’s mission is to recruit, retain and advance South Carolina educators.
Teachers seeking National Board Certification undertake a four-part process that takes from one to three years to complete. The process requires candidates to analyze information about students in order to design and implement instructional choices that leads to advanced student growth and achievement. Teachers reflect on their classroom practices, assess their understanding of subject material and examine their preparation techniques.
In addition to preparing a portfolio with videotapes of classroom teaching, unit lesson plans, student work samples and reflective essays about the classroom environment and teaching interactions, teachers must complete assessment center exercises based on content knowledge that prove they have mastered the subjects they teach and also possess the pedagogical practices for teaching the content area.
Candidates consistently report that collaboration with other NBCTs and candidates eases the burden of the process. To this end, CERRA created an infrastructure of support that includes a district liaison in each of the state’s 85 school districts and a National Board Toolkit comprised of PowerPoints, handouts and activities to assist candidates as they move through the certification process. GCS is pleased to partner with CERRA in implementing an applicant cohort program for district teachers to participate in once a month as they work through the application process together over a three-year period.
CERRA also collaborates with other state agencies including the State Department of Education, The South Carolina Education Association, and Palmetto State Teachers Association to provide workshops and awareness sessions for candidates.
Teachers interested in pursuing the certification for the 2026-27 National Board cycle can contact Stacy Forrester (sforrest@greenville.k12.sc.us or 355-3174) or find further information on the CERRA Website.