SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. -- Shepherdstown Middle School's Crystal Muia Bere is the latest Jefferson County Schools teacher to gain National Board certification. Ms. Bere earned her Mathematics/Early Adolescence certification in December 2022 and was honored at the National Board Certification Recognition event in Charleston, WV.
Ms. Bere teaches seventh-grade math at Shepherdstown Middle School, where she has served students since 2017. She said that after teaching for 16 years, she still loves to learn new skills she can bring to her class.
"This is a voluntary process I chose because I enjoy learning, and I had heard it is the best professional development available."
Recognized as the gold standard in teacher certification, the National Board is the highest level of accreditation a teacher may obtain. Ms. Bere said that what she learned through the process has helped her be a better teacher.
"Now that I have achieved my goal of certification, I am able to see my classroom with a different lens. I use my knowledge of students to help me make decisions about everything in the classroom."
The founding mission of the National Board is to advance the quality of teaching and learning by maintaining high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do.
Ms. Bere joins 12 other Nationally Board Certified Teachers currently on staff with JCS.