Two TUSD Teachers Achieve National Board Certification

Myford Elementary School kindergarten teacher Emily Neddersen and Foothill High School chemistry teacher Gypsy Biller have achieved National Board Certification – the highest professional credential in the field of teaching.

The two teachers in the Tustin Unified School District are among 23 Orange County teachers and more than 82,000 nationwide who have achieved the recognition. The certification is valid for 10 years.

National Board Certification, a voluntary process, is achieved through a rigorous performance-based assessment that takes one to three years to complete and measures what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. Through the assessment process, teachers document their subject-matter knowledge, provide evidence that they know how to teach their subjects to students most effectively, and demonstrate their ability to manage and measure student learning.

Neddersen received her certificate in the area of early childhood and Biller earned her certificate in the area of science—adolescence and youth. To achieve their certification, both teachers committed more than 150 hours of rigorous study, self-evaluation and student analysis. They completed a portfolio documenting their classroom techniques and teaching materials, participated in assessment exercises and passed an examination.

Neddersen has taught kindergarten for 13 years – 12 of those in the Tustin Unified School District. At Myford School, she is a math coach, Beckman@Science trainer and Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) mentor. In 2009, Neddersen was named TUSD Teacher of the Year and represented the District at the Orange County Teachers of the Year program.

Biller has been in public education for 10 years – four of those as a chemistry teacher at Foothill High School. She also has served as co-chair of the Science Department for the past two years.

Both teachers were honored by the Orange County Board of Education at the Orange County Department of Education on March 18.