Editor,

Who was the best teacher you ever had? Think back to your school years. You remember their name, don’t you? The best teachers change lives. For me, it was Mrs. Reed and Mr. Dodd — my 8th-grade U.S. History and Algebra teachers. They shaped me into the educator I am today. Every student deserves teachers like them, and we must ensure that our best teachers are supported, not devalued.

There is no external incentive to be the best teacher. The best teachers in our schools put in longer hours, make deeper connections with students, and foster greater learning than their peers. They provide persistent challenges for students, hold high expectations, and go above and beyond in their professional roles. The National Board Certified Teacher certification is one of the few ways we currently recognize and reward exceptional educators.

NBCT teachers represent the highest standards of our profession. The NBCT process alone does not make someone a great teacher; rather, only truly great teachers are able to navigate and succeed through its rigorous challenges. Being an NBCT teacher means being the leader in the school, the educator that colleagues turn to with questions, the professional that sets the highest standards.

Yet, despite this, SB 5737 proposes to strip away pensionable salary from our most accomplished teachers. With no similar cuts proposed for other state workers, this feels like a betrayal. NBCT teachers have invested thousands of dollars and countless hours into achieving this distinction, trusting that their dedication would be recognized. Those currently undergoing the NBCT process have paid out of pocket or taken thousands of dollars in loans that rely on funds that have been available for the last 25 years for repayment. By removing these rewards, we risk discouraging excellence and demoralizing our top educators, something we simply can not afford to do in today’s teaching environment.

Maintaining incentives for NBCT teachers is about more than just fair compensation. It ensures that our best teachers stay in the profession and we can continue to attract top-tier educators to our schools, especially low income schools. The NBCT program reinforces the pursuit of excellence in education, keeps the focus on student centered learning, and makes specialized professional development a priority. Support for the NBCT stipends tells educators and students that teaching remains a distinguished and aspirational profession.

Great teachers should not have to justify why their hard work, expertise and leadership deserve recognition. Instead of removing these incentives, we should be strengthening them. I urge you to stand with Washington’s best educators and oppose SB 5737.

Dr. Marc DeArmond

Coupeville Middle School teacher