Two Woodridge 68 Educators Receive National Board Certification

Woodridge School District 68 educators Leslie Loboda, district gifted services coordinator and instructional coach at Thomas Jefferson Junior High, and Vickiela Wright, 5th grade teacher at Meadowview Elementary School, have recently received National Board Certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. National Board Certification was designed to develop, retain and recognize accomplished teachers and to generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide. It is the most respected professional certification available in K-12 education.

Leslie Loboda earned her certification in Exceptional Needs Specialist-Early Childhood through Young Adulthood/Gifted and Talented. “I’m very excited to have earned my National Board Certification as an Exceptional Needs Specialist! I could not have done it without the support of other W68 teachers and staff. This two-year process has really shown me how important reflection on my teaching practice is to my personal and professional growth,” said Loboda. “Learning to analyze my teaching through the five core propositions of accomplished teaching–knowledge of students, commitment to goals, practice of instruction, analysis, and reflection–has given me a deeper perspective of the art of teaching. Moving forward, I hope to incorporate these propositions into our district’s mentoring program and gifted program as well as to encourage other district staff to pursue their National Board certification.”

“I am so proud of Leslie Loboda for recently earning the title of National Board Certified Teacher. She is such a hard worker who puts students first and does everything in her power to support the teachers and administration at Jefferson Junior High,” said Justin Warnke, principal at Thomas Jefferson Junior High. “Leslie is a strong educational leader and has been instrumental in the implementation of our instructional framework at JJH and the development of the curriculum in nearly all content areas. She is a true lifelong learner, who continually seeks to improve her craft as a teacher in all aspects of the profession.”

Vickie Wright earned her Generalist certification in Middle Childhood. “Earning my National Board certification was always something that I wanted to do. Going through the process has been one of the best professional decisions I could have ever made,” said Wright. “The certification process helped me to grow as an educator by pushing me to take a deep look at my instructional decisions. You are constantly analyzing, reflecting, and adjusting which positively impacts student achievement and success. The most powerful piece was learning the true art of self-reflection, which will continue to contribute to my personal development and growth.”

"Meadowview is thrilled that Ms. Wright has earned her National Board Certification! Ms. Wright is dedicated to her students and their success. She learns about each student and uses her knowledge to help them grow. Her dedication is evident in this accomplishment!” said Dr. Kelly Neylon, NBCT, principal at Meadowview Elementary School.

Created by teachers, for teachers, the National Board Standards represent a consensus among educators about what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. The certification process requires that teachers demonstrate standards-based evidence of the positive effect they have on student learning. They must exhibit a deep understanding of their students, content knowledge, use of data and assessments, and teaching practice. They must also show that they participate in learning communities and provide evidence of ongoing reflection and continuous learning.