Two Texarkana ISD educators have earned National Board Certification. Morriss Elementary School second grade teacher Lisa McCloskey and Texas Middle School Assistant Principal Ashleigh Bridges join the over 130,000 teachers across the United States who are Board-certified. Both accomplished educators earned the profession’s highest mark of achievement through a rigorous, performance-based, peer-review process and demonstrated their proven impact on student learning and achievement.
Lisa McCloskey has 25 years of teaching experience in kindergarten through second grade. She has a master’s in curriculum and instruction from Texarkana A&M – Texarkana and is a certified Reading Specialist. She has been teaching at Texarkana ISD for five years.
Morriss Elementary principal Lauren Pilgreen said, “Mrs. McCloskey has shown remarkable dedication! Dedication to student education and continued personal growth. We are so incredibly proud of her!”
Ashleigh Bridges began teaching English at Texas High School in 2017 after earning her bachelor’s in English with a teaching certification. She has also earned a master’s in curriculum and instruction and is certified in ESL and special education. Her National Board Certification is in exceptional needs.
“Mrs Bridges brings a strong passion for our students as she makes herself visible and availability to them. In serving our teachers, her fresh ideas and systems from her many years in TISD provides helpful guidance for our middle school success. As campus principal, I have appreciated the positive feedback from parents which has been directed to me regarding the interactions she has had with families,” said Texas Middle School principal Shawn Davis.
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Both McCloskey and Bridges pursued their National Board Certification over a two-year period, where they completed the required four components. The components included a test of their teaching content and pedagogy. They also had to write essays, submit teaching videos, and provide evidence of parent and colleague communication and professional development in which they participated. While Baker and Sparks finished their certification in the minimum two-year allotment, candidates have five years to retake components and to certify once they begin the process. About 70% of candidates certify, with about 40% on their first attempt. Of the over 320,000 teachers in Texas, only about 1,100 are National Board certified.
According to McCloskey, “I was tempted to quit after the first year, but quitting is not in my
vocabulary! I decided to buckle down and push though. I’m proud that I continued. My husband and kids were my biggest supporters! I also appreciate that TISD provided a cohort to help us learn all about being a NBCT.”
Bridges added, “I borrowed a classroom from a teacher at the high school while working as the ASPIRe Coordinator to complete Component 4, which was a compilation of about twenty different pieces of writing and documents. It was a monster to tackle, but it honestly was one of my favorites as I took a deep dive into student growth and data. I shared both components to several people who were already certified to receive their feedback and make the changes necessary to help me reach certification as well.”
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, established in 1987, is an independent, nonprofit organization working to advance accomplished teaching for all students.
The National Board was established as the profession’s vehicle for defining and recognizing
accomplished teaching. National Board Standards are created by teachers, for teachers, as is National Board Certification, a voluntary process to certify teachers against those standards. Recognized as the gold standard in teacher certification, the National Board believes higher standards for teachers mean better student learning.
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Teachers who have participated in the Board certification process say it is the most valuable and transformative professional development they have ever received. The opportunity to connect professional learning with classroom practice brings a teacher’s experience to life, helping them reflect on individual student learning needs.
National Board Certification is the most respected professional certification available in education and provides numerous benefits to teachers, students, and schools. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards designed it to develop, retain, and recognize accomplished teachers and to generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide. Only 3% of teachers nationwide receive this certification.
