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Top of the class

Achievers

By Times Staff Writer
Published January 4, 2006

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards recently announced that 52 Pinellas County School District teachers have achieved National Board Certification for 2005. Florida ranked second in the nation, with 1,382 teachers earning certification; nationwide, 7,289 teachers earned certification last year.

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is an independent, nonprofit organization governed by a board of directors, the majority of whom are classroom teachers. The certification process involves a series of performance-based assessments that include teaching portfolios, student work samples, videotapes and analyses of the candidates' classroom teaching style. Teachers are also required to complete a series of written exercises to demonstrate knowledge of their subject matter and how to teach it.

Recently certified Pinellas County schools' teachers are:

Dawn M. Anderson, Seventy-Fourth Street Elementary.

Shelley T. Annable, Largo High.

Lisa G. Austin, Safety Harbor Elementary.

Karen K. Barthold, Douglas L. Jamerson Jr. Elementary.

Diane P. Becker, Dixie Hollins High.

Lori W. Bjostad, Bay Vista Fundamental Elementary.

Wendy S. Bruce, Maximo Elementary.

Michele E. Burkhart, Curlew Creek Elementary.

Deborah A. Chappel, Forest Lakes Elementary.

Lisa J. Clarkson, Belcher Elementary.

Beverly Elend, East Lake High.

Sandra A. Everett, Ozona Elementary.

Leni W. Fernandez, Palm Harbor University High.

Debra L. Freeman, Douglas L. Jamerson Jr. Elementary.

Jan T. Gosnell, Seminole Elementary.

Sandra L. Green, Bay Vista Fundamental Elementary.

Barbara A. Gurian, Plumb Elementary.

Kimberly Q. Hess, East Lake High.

Beth E. Hickey, Northwest Elementary.

Dana R. Hodges, Cypress Woods Elementary.

Janessa M. Jannarone, Cross Bayou Elementary.

Shannon M. Johnson, Dunedin Highland Middle.

Darren Johnson, Ozona Elementary.

Diana M. Jones, Countryside High.

Vicki L. Kahler, Safety Harbor Middle.

Fotini Koufogazos, Cypress Woods Elementary.

Christen M. Ku, Pinellas Park Elementary.

Tiffany L. Latimore, Douglas L. Jamerson Jr. Elementary.

Christina A. L'eon, Nina Harris Exceptional Student Education Center.

Julie B. Levesque, Frontier Elementary.

Robin K. Little, Boca Ciega High.

Raina H. Longbottom, Bay Vista Fundamental Elementary.

Jessica C. Loparo, Ozona Elementary.

Carrie L. Markley, Sandy Lane Elementary.

Stephanie A. McNaughton, Westgate Elementary.

Evelyn Moldal, Ozona Elementary.

Caryl S. Morea, Pinellas Park Elementary.

Melodee L. Nash, Dunedin Highland Middle.

Anne V. Newsome, North Shore Elementary.

Deborah H. Newton, communication disorders.

Alison B. Nichols, Campbell Park Elementary.

Fay M. Norsworthy, Sutherland Elementary.

Deboarh C. O'Hare, Douglas L. Jamerson Jr. Elementary.

Claudia M. Peebles, Palm Harbor University High.

Laura S. Perricone, Garrison-Jones Elementary.

Linda C. Persky, Ozona Elementary.

George E. Potts, Perkins Elementary.

Carol D. Robinson, Douglas L. Jamerson Jr. Elementary.

Mary C. Sharpe, high school vocational education.

Cristy Skolfield, Ridgecrest Elementary.

Barbara A. Warren, Oakhurst Elementary.

Jeanne E. Wellings, Ridgecrest Elementary.

On Dec. 12, Great Explorations: The Children's Museum named three lead youth apprentices who will work during the next three years designing and constructing exhibits and assisting with special projects. Each lead apprentice won a $3,000 educational scholarship; they are:

- Sara Struckhoff of St. Petersburg, second-grader at Campbell Park Elementary.

- Kyle Thompson of Seminole, seventh-grader at Southside Fundamental Middle School.

- Jasmina Zurfluh of St. Petersburg, sixth-grader at Southside Fundamental Middle School.

Three assisting lead apprentices were also named and have each won $2,000 educational scholarships. The assisting lead apprentices, who will work with the museum during the next two years, are:

- Wyatt Knox of St. Petersburg, fifth-grader at Jamerson Elementary School.

- Eric Mulligan of St. Petersburg, fifth-grader at Jamerson Elementary.

- ShaiRobia Blanks of St. Petersburg, sixth-grader at John Hopkins Elementary.

David Barnes, Pinellas County Schools' director of workforce education, received the Adult and Community Educators of Florida and the Florida Administrators of Adult and Community Education 2005 Hall of Fame award at the September ACE Conference in Orlando. Barnes was the 2004-05 ACE president, former president-elect and treasurer of the association, and former District IX (Pinellas County) director for the ACE Board.

The Florida Council of the Social Studies recently named three teachers as 2005 Pinellas County Social Studies Teachers of the Year. Kelly McGee of North Shore Elementary in St. Petersburg, Brett Volland of Madeira Beach Middle School, and Scott Kaplan of Largo High School were recognized at the council's state convention in Daytona Beach.

[Last modified January 4, 2006, 01:07:18]