Teacher Leader Talks Educator Growth
Cindy Rockholt is a former Yakima teacher, NBCT and now Assistant Superintendent of Educator Growth and Development at OSPI.
Tell us how your National Board Certification journey began!
Like a lot of teachers who want to learn and grow, I learned about National Board Certification from my teaching colleague and mentor. Her name was is Christina Carlson and she was the first teacher in our school district (Yakima), in fact one of the first in eastern Washington to earn her National Board Certification. She paved the way for those of us that were waiting in the wings. I watched her wrestle with parts of the process, I observed as she came to understand it, too. After I got to see her practice grow, and the level of conversations we were having grew — I wanted to be able to impact student learning in the same way.
I started in 2001. There were three challenges that I felt were the most fulfilling in terms of professional development:
- Teachers aren’t typically asked to write in our day-to-day practice, at least not reflectively.
- We are rarely provided important opportunities to peel back our instructional practice and truly analyze: what do I do? Why do I do it? How does that impact student learning? Taking these skills that may be tacit skills, and learning to analyze and articulate about them explicitly. The NBCT process made me make what was tacit, explicit through writing. That was tough.
- It necessitated a higher expectation for advocacy on behalf of what students need and making sure my student’s needs were met.
What got you through those challenges?
I had the gift of being able to work in a cohort. We were wrestling with the same ideas and sharing our thoughts about them. The National Board network partners here in Washington (OSPI, Washington Education Association and the Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession) put systems in place for robust cohort facilitator training, and to ensure that all candidates had access to cohorts.
Since the beginning of this partnership, the numbers of Nationally Board Certified Teachers have grown exponentially. The systems of support have been strengthened, reaching more and more candidates as we learn new ways to support candidates in our rural and remote areas. Our collective vision is that each student in our state has access to accomplished teaching. Right now, 15 percent of Washington’s teachers are Nationally Board Certified, we anticipate there will be even more moving forward.
What are some of the “Ah Ha!” moments you gleaned from NBCT?
When I started teaching, I practiced with the consideration of “all kids!” NBCT got me thinking about each, individual student’s needs. I carry this lesson forward with me now.
I also think NBCT helped me realize the power and expertise of others serving as teacher leaders. I have a network now.
You don’t have to be an NBCT to be an accomplished teacher. An accomplished teacher is someone who is committed to students and their learning, they know their content and how to teach it to students, they effectively manage and monitor student learning, and they are reflective practitioners. NBCT offers an opportunity to hold your work up to the highest and most rigorous standards in the nation. If we have a growth mindset, we need to be able to question and analyze and strive for more! We should hold each other accountable and be active in powerful discourse. We owe it to our students, and we owe it to our profession to learn and grow.
What do you love about teaching in Washington?
I truly appreciate that teachers are held in positions of esteem and that our education partners listen to teachers and know that teachers are the “boots on the ground” when it comes to education. Our Washington State National Board Network Partners (OSPI, WEA and CSTP) reach out to those accomplished voices in teaching to help transition practice into policy.
Did it prep you for this role at OSPI?
I now have the skills and ability to articulate my practice and I have had the opportunity to build teacher leadership, training. Because of my experience with the partners (WEA Jump Start, OSPI Facilitator Training, CSTP Teacher Leadership Framework Training), I have this teacher-leader skill set that I brought to OSPI. I am an educator at heart, and I am on the steepest learning curve in this new leadership role. It’s hard, but I’m digging in.
OSPI is filled with such expertise and deep knowledge, and a willingness to serve our communities. I may not have realized that as someone on the outside. I’m honored to serve with these people.
Do you have any insight about the future of teaching in Washington?
OSPI, WEA and CSTP are working to learn about how we can attract and recruit and grow teachers of color, and how we support teachers of color so that students see themselves in the leaders that stand before them every day. We can see the need for this in the data, clearly.
I’d like to see our accomplished community be intentional about diversifying and strengthening our teaching force. I want us to talk to our students about this amazing profession, and to be models for our early career teachers.
