(The following is my own personal opinion and does not necessarily reflect the views of NBPTS or Video Labs. – DR)

In today’s Wahsington Post (1/11/10) there was an article http://tinyurl.com/ycgh42z about how due to intense budget pressures, DC public schools will not continue funding supporting activities and incentives for teachers to pursue earning certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.  www.nbpts.org

Full disclosure: NBPTS is a client of mine, and has been for many years, both here at Video Labs and elsewhere before I joined this company.

I also have a sister-in-law in Florida who went through the rigorous process to achieve her certification.

So I know, from my “outsider” relationship, that being a board-certified teacher is indeed quite an achievement and of great benefit to both a teacher and to students.

I respect the difficult decision made by DC schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee.  (Frankly, I have been an admirer of Ms. Rhee and her overall reform efforts.)   And I thought NBPTS president Joseph Aguerrebere Jr.’s restrained low-key response in the Post article was quite appropriate.   He was quoted as saying only that he has hope that Ms. Rhee “will come around.”

Some might criticize the Chancellor for doing the equivalent of eating one’s “seed corn.”  And with the recent controversial staff lay-offs that Ms. Rhee effected in the fall, she is indeed an easy target.

Regardless, I will say though, that there is nothing in the article that says DC  teachers still cannot cannot pursue the certification on their own.  I understand and sympathize with the financial pressure this entails on individual teachers, but let’s look at the other side of the coin – i.e. we are in a “reset” economy. 

I see it clearly every day in our media field.

Just like numerous other industries, the communications field has been devastated by the economic tsunami of the past year and a half.  Look at newspapers, television stations and other support industries.  I’ve written about that in the past:  (see “When A Competitor Closes Its Doors”  http://tinyurl.com/db9kfq)

And I have been counseling several out-of-work media colleagues who have been affected by the downturn.   Most of them were really “there for me” when I was down-sized from a VP/GM position with a media firm four years ago, and I am only too glad to return the favor. 

The reality is that many of those folks I am advising are coming to the realization that they too need additional training.  But, uh, guess what, they are paying that for  themselves these days.

I am rather proud that I have garnered over the past several years a reputation as a “tech-savvy” salesperson.  Belivee me, there are people from earlier in my career who would wonder at that moniker.  “Dave Ryan, tech guy? . . . Really?”

But alas, I just kept asking questions and researched answers.  And with the added resource of Google searching and accessing other web-based information, I have  indeed earned the “tech-savvy” reputation.

Now, am I saying the good ‘ole Lincoln-like “bootstraps” approach is applicable for the DC teachers?  OK, I acknowledge there are differences.  And I suppose they would bristle that some Maryland suburban guy thinks he knows what he is talking about when it comes to inner-city education.

But I would posit that the NBPTS certification is SO valuable to an individual teacher, that he or she should consider “investing” in going for the certification themselves, no matter what.  The certification will present immeasurable benefits to a teacher, regardless of what a school system does or doesn’t do.

But before I get labelled as being unsympathetic to teachers, I will say — and again, this is my own personal opinion — that this is just another example of needing to equalize the nation’s education system.  I mean, the Post article points out how teachers in Maryland and Virginia still get subsidies and incentives to earn the NBPTS certification. 

Just another example of systemic inequality.

So I know I open myself to accusations of being a socialist.  But as long as we allow school districts to be funded by local taxes, inequalities in education will persist.

To my eyes, both NBPTS and Chancellor Rhee are brave souls valiantly battling for the good of our children.   Too bad we are pitting them against each other.

I welcome your comments below.

If you enjoyed (or even if you hated) reading this article, you might like to read one of my other controversial observations about education, titled, “Moma, don’t let your children study (only) TV & film.”  http://tinyurl.com/nvx7wo

Regardless of what you think of this editorial, remember to contact me for any media replication or related multimedia needs: dryan@videolabs.net  301-217-0000 x104

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