Four educators from the Ridgefield School District (RSD) earned certification in the 2025-26 school year from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). This accomplishment marks the successful completion of a rigorous, one-to-three year program aimed at honing teaching techniques and styles that bolster students’ enthusiasm for learning.
Ridgefield School District’s 2025-26 recipients are:
Raquel Cleys - Exceptional Needs Specialist, Ridgefield High School
Meredith Hyland - Literacy: Reading-Language Arts, Union Ridge Elementary School
Steven Rinard - Mathematics, Ridgefield High School
Anna Moskal - School Counseling, South Ridge Elementary School
National Board Certification is an advanced teaching credential that goes beyond state licensure. Only about 40 percent of educators earn the certification on their first attempt, but participating in a support cohort increases the success rate. Ridgefield schools now have 39 National Board Certified Teachers.
The RSD provides the National Board cohort support through three trained facilitators at no cost to certificated staff. Through the cohort, facilitators help candidates navigate the National Board process, provide feedback on candidate portfolios, and even help candidates capture video evidence. Teachers from neighboring districts who wish to take advantage of shared resources and support are able to join RSD’s cohorts.
National Board Certified Teachers are highly accomplished educators who meet high and rigorous standards set by the NBPTS. Board-certified teachers benefit the school district by sharing their information, knowledge and experience with other teachers who can then take the knowledge into their own classrooms. Most importantly, students benefit from the enhanced skills of board-certified teachers who make the most of their interactions with the children they teach.
The state awards stipends of approximately $6,514 a year to national board certified teachers in Washington State. With more than 11,000 National Board Certified Teachers, Washington state has the third largest group of NBCTs in the nation, according to OSPI.