Three teachers at the Penn Alexander School have achieved National Board Certification, bringing to a total of 12 PAS teachers with this credential, the highest level of certification in the field of teaching.

Michele Dixon (Elementary Science), Jayne Downing (Librarian) and Jenny Shieh (Fifth Grade) took on this rigorous process that will ultimately improve instruction for students. Dixon is a 2007 graduate of Penn GSE and Penn’s School of Arts and Sciences; Shieh is a 2007 graduate of Penn GSE.

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) developed standards for what effective teachers should know and be able to do, along with a process to determine whether individual teachers meet these criteria. 

To earn certification, a teacher must complete four portfolios that include written commentary and videos of classroom teaching that explicitly describes, analyzes and reflects on student work, teacher accomplishments and teaching practices. Teachers also must document how their teaching meets the standards and has a positive impact on student learning. The final step is a three-hour computerized assessment measuring the teacher's content knowledge and chosen area of certification. 

Nine teachers at the school had been awarded the certification previously: Arlene Brown (Middle School Math), Kate Naughton (First Grade), Mary Ann Milewski (Second Grade), Darlene Schaffer (Learning Support), Richard Staniec (Middle School Science), Melissa Trusty (Kindergarten), Hillary (Ehling) Tubin (Middle School Literacy), Megan Wapner (Middle School Literacy), and Lisa Waters (Second Grade).

Opened in 2001, the Penn Alexander School is a state-of-the-art university-assisted PreK-8 neighborhood public school created through a collaboration among the University of Pennsylvania, the School District of Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers.