Distinguished Educators & National Board Certification
Distinguished Educator Program
Our Distinguished Educator Program provides outstanding veteran teachers an opportunity to develop innovative projects and enhance their instructional practices in alignment with the high expectations for the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards.
Minnetonka teachers interested in being candidates for the Distinguished Educator Program must be licensed teachers who have achieved tenure in the Minnetonka Public Schools, and have a minimum of five years of teaching experience, at least three of these years with Minnetonka.
This program is open to all members of the Minnetonka teacher unit, from early childhood through high school, and includes both classroom teachers and other specialists who work with children.
Candidates should be educators who have an exceptional performance record, and are viewed as strong educators by colleagues, students, parents, and administration. Candidates will participate in a rigorous three-year program that will give them opportunities to:
- Help already strong educators to conform to best practices and standards from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards
- Participate in the national certification process or develop innovative projects that are aligned with the district’s strategic plan if an area of certification is not available for your area of expertise
- Complete a portfolio and/or components that provide educators the opportunity to self-study their teaching practices.
- Engage in meaningful cohort conversations about their craft
National Board Certified Teachers
The National Board Certified Teacher program is a rigorous professional growth and evaluation program dedicated to identifying and recognizing highly accomplished teachers in America.
While state licensure sets minimum standards for novice teachers, the National Board Certification program sets high standards for excellence among experienced teachers. The extensive evaluation process requires a teacher to pass written exams, submit video examples of their class and their teaching, and present a portfolio of their work. The process often takes more than a year to complete.
Our district encourages experienced and highly qualified teachers to pursue this outstanding professional growth opportunity. We are proud to have 37 National Board Certified Teachers on staff.
National Board Certified Teachers |
Amanda Aiken, Minnetonka High School |
Colleen Batz, Groveland Elementary |
Jeffrey Beckstrom, Minnewashta Elementary |
Nicole Berwanger, Minnetonka Middle School East |
Jenifer Breidenbach, Minnetonka High School |
Joseph Cosette, Minnetonka High School |
Joy Curran, Clear Springs Elementary |
Jordan Cushing, Minnetonka High School |
Mike Cutshall, Minnetonka High School |
Suzanne Cutshall, Groveland Elementary |
Diane Daniels, Scenic Heights Elementary |
Niki Danou, Groveland Elementary |
Cheryl Duncan, Minnetonka High School |
Brent Frank, Groveland Elementary |
Jennifer Furness, District Service Center |
Claire Harley-Ruhland, Minnetonka High School |
Sean Holmes, Minnetonka High School |
Rebecca Holscher, Minnetonka Middle School East |
Alex Johnson, Minnetonka High School |
Sonia Labs, Minnetonka High School |
Jennifer Liedtke, Minnetonka Middle School West |
Zach Ludvigson, Minnetonka High School |
Andy Lundheim, Clear Springs Elementary |
Allison Lundquist, Minnetonka High School |
Jennifer Matejka, Minnetonka Middle School West |
Melanie Mozingo, Minnetonka High School |
Julie Jo Nawrocki, Scenic Heights Elementary |
Amy O'Neil, Excelsior Elementary |
Kelly Pederson, Excelsior Elementary School |
Anelise Peterson, District Service Center |
Heather Richins, Minnetonka High School |
Jessica Ronk, Minnetonka High School |
Margaret Ruffino, Minnetonka Middle School West |
Anna Schoeneberger, Minnetonka High School |
Ursula Speedling, Clear Springs Elementary |
Sarah Strauss, Minnetonka High School |
David Surver, Minnetonka High School |
Gwynneth Wacker, Minnetonka High School |
Kelli Whiteside, Deephaven Elementary |
Amanda Zamilpa, Minnewashta Elementary |
Contact
Sonia Labs
National Board Certified Teacher
sonia.labs@minnetonkaschools.org
Melanie Mozingo
National Board Certified Teacher
melanie.mozingo@minnetonkaschools.org
Anjie Flowers
Executive Director of Human Resources
anjie.flowers@minnetonkaschools.org
952-401-5015