Why Do I Charge for National Board Support?

Someone recently asked me a very honest question:

“Why do you charge money to help people with the National Board process?”

And honestly, I’m glad they asked.

My journey with National Board support actually began before I was officially certified. During the 1998–1999 school year, I was hired through contracts with three nearby universities to help align their teacher preparation courses with the National Board standards. Alongside two other teachers, I helped revise course syllabi so that future teachers entering the profession were being prepared through the lens of some of the most powerful teaching standards in the nation.

After I became certified, districts began hiring me through 1099 contracts to support cohorts of teachers working through the National Board process. So from the beginning, this work has been professional work — and it has always been compensated work.

Today, because so much of my work is online, I’m able to support teachers on a much larger scale. But the idea of paying for support is not unusual. People pay for SAT and ACT prep. Nurses pay for exam preparation. Teachers pay for books, workshops, courses, and professional development all the time.

That is how I see my work: professional development.

I happen to provide professional development around the National Board standards and the National Board certification process. But at its core, this work is about helping teachers grow.

I believe National Board Certification is one of the most powerful professional growth experiences a teacher can have. Whether a teacher submits their work for scoring or not, the process itself creates deep reflection. It helps teachers see who they are, what their students need, and where their practice can grow.

That is why I want every teacher to have access to this kind of learning.

I teach all day, just like many of you. The work I do to support candidates happens after school, in the evenings, and around my own professional responsibilities. And I believe teachers deserve to be paid for their work — whether that work happens during the school day or after it.

We already understand this in other areas. Teachers are paid to tutor. Teachers sell resources on Teachers Pay Teachers. Educators lead workshops, write books, present at conferences, and provide coaching. This is professional expertise, and professional expertise has value.

The support I offer is not a promise that someone will pass National Board Certification. Passing depends on the candidate’s own evidence, writing, teaching, reflection, and alignment to the rubric. What I do is teach the process, help candidates understand the standards, and support their growth as educators.

For example, my Component 4 work focuses on using assessment to drive instruction. Component 3 support centers around strong teaching, learning, inquiry, and evidence through video. Component 2 focuses on differentiation and how teachers meet the needs of individual students.

Yes, those courses are aligned to the National Board components. But they are also much more than that. They are designed to help teachers become stronger, more reflective, more intentional practitioners.

And that matters.

Teachers are valuable. Your time matters. Your expertise matters. Your growth matters.

I would never ask a teacher to tutor students after school for free or provide professional services without compensation. In the same way, I believe the work of supporting teachers through this process is meaningful, valuable professional work.

There are many ways to grow through National Board Certification. You can read a book. You can work on your own. You can join a district cohort. You can gather with a group of teacher friends. You can choose paid support, free support, or a combination of both.

My role is simply one option.

I provide structured, standards-based professional development for teachers who want guidance as they move through the process. And I do that because I believe deeply in what this process can do for teachers, for students, and for the profession.