Photo Gallery | Kannapolis teachers achieve National Board certification

KANNAPOLIS - Four teachers from Kannapolis City Schools recently achieved certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the highest professional credential in the field of teaching.  

Congratulations to: 

• Jessica Walter Arnott, Fred L. Wilson Elementary
• Diane Crawford, A.L. Brown High School
• Holly Pore, A.L. Brown High School
• Mike Wolford, A.L. Brown High School

KCS now employs 84 teachers National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certifications, meaning one out of every five KCS teachers is nationally board certified.

Jessica Arnott teaches fourth grade at Fred L. Wilson Elementary School. She has been teaching for 11 years, and she has spent all those years in Kannapolis City Schools. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in elementary education from UNC Charlotte, and her National Board Certification is in the field of Generalist—Early Childhood.

Diane Crawford teaches Biology, Chemistry, and Anatomy/Physiology at A.L. Brown High School. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Science Teaching from UNC Chapel Hill, and she holds a Master’s degree in Chemical and Life Sciences from the University of Maryland. She has spent 14 years as an educator, and this is her 11th year with Kannapolis City Schools. Ms. Crawford’s National Board Certification is in the field of Science –Adolescence and Young Adulthood.

Holly Pore teaches Marketing Education in A.L. Brown High School’s Alternative Learning Center. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Management and Marketing from North Carolina State University, and she holds a Master’s of Education degree from UNC Charlotte in Curriculum and Supervision. She has 8 years of teaching experience, and her National Board Certification is in the field of Career and Technical Education – Adolescence through Young Adulthood.

Mike Wolford teaches World History at A.L. Brown High School. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in middle grades social studies from UNC Charlotte, and he earned his National Board Certification in the field of Social Studies and History – Early Adolescence.

National Board Certification is a voluntary process established by the NBPTS. Certification is achieved through a rigorous performance-based assessment that takes nearly a year to complete. Teachers must document their knowledge of their subject matter, provide evidence that they know how to teach their subjects effectively to students, and show their ability to manage and measure student learning. We are extremely proud of these outstanding teachers,” said Superintendent Dr. Pam Cain.

“The National Board Certification process is a wonderful learning experience and tremendous measure of teaching excellence. We encourage our teachers to get their National Board Certification because having great teachers in the classroom is one of the best ways to improve student achievement. These four teachers are among the best in their field, and we congratulate them on achieving this prestigious honor.  

The Kannapolis City Board of Education will honor the system’s newly board certified teachers at its February meeting and present them with certificates of recognition.