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Article published Sep 23, 2005
As a math teacher, Dr. Cliff Barrineau is always concerned with numbers. But now he's got more to worry about than the ones he teaches his students.
He's a nationally board-certified teacher, which means he gets a $7,500-a-year bonus. His wife is also a board-certified teacher.
But those bonuses could be cut for future teachers.
Gov. Mark Sanford proposed in his executive budget for this year that the bonuses be cut to $3,000, except for teachers willing to serve in an area of the state in great need or who teach a much-needed subject. State lawmakers didn't go along and fully funded the bonuses.
But in hearings for his next budget, the governor brought up the subject again. He questioned state superintendent Inez Tenenbaum. She's a supporter of the bonuses, but told the governor that the state might have to look at using that money to expand early childhood education instead.
It will all depend on the results of a study due soon from the University of South Carolina on whether having a board-certified teacher helps students do better in class.
Dr. Barrineau says he's eager to see the study, too, since he teaches statistics.
Tenenbaum says if the study shows national certification does not help students, then the money could be better spent elsewhere. But Barrineau doesn't expect the study to reach that conclusion.
"There are studies that have already been conducted," he said. "The University of Washington conducted a study specific to the state of North Carolina for students in grades 3 through 5 as to whether or not there were gains that were associated with the teachers that were board certified. And, yes, there were more gains for students of teachers that were board certified."
South Carolina has 3,866 teachers who are board certified.
Barrineau says going through the process of becoming certified makes teachers, and their students, better. Teachers go through six written components, each ten to fifteen pages long, including one explaining how they're helping students learn the material.
Certification also includes passing an assessment of how well a teacher knows his subject matter.
If the bonuses are cut, it would be for teachers who become board certified in the future.
Those already receiving the $7,500 bonuses would keep getting them for the ten-year length of their certification.