LITTLE ROCK — Four teachers from Bryant were among 312 across the state who recently attained[more] their national board certification, according to the Arkansas Department of Education.
Hazel Gillett, Lindsey Hartsell, Statia Smith, and Emily Williams were those who joined the 2,000 National Board Certified Teaches in Arkansas.
Gillett, a special education teacher at Bryant Elementary School, was certified as a Special Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood.
Hartsell, a first grade teacher at Hurricane Creek Elementary School, was certified for Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood.
Smith, a fourth grade teacher at Salem Elementary School, was certified for Generalist/Early Childhood.
Williams, a fourth grade teacher at Collegeville Elementary Schools, was certified for Literacy: Reading Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood.
According to the Department of Education, Arkansas ranks sixth among the 50 states in the number of new National Board Certified Teachers this year. Overall, Arkansas ranks 15th in total number of such teachers.
“The state of Arkansas places a premium on excellence in teaching,” said DoE spokesman Seth Blomeley. “Act 1803 of 2003 provides a $5,000 annual bonus, for up to 10 years, to a teacher who becomes nationally certified. In addition, some teachers are eligible for state funding of the application fee for the certification process.”
