Alabama lawmakers included an additional $5,000 supplement for teachers who meet certain criteria in the education budget this year.

The incentive gives teachers who are certified through the National Board for Professional Training Standards in certain subject areas the chance to earn $5,000 more per year if they choose to teach in one of Alabama’s 351 eligible schools. This bonus is on top of the $5,000 annual supplement pay every Alabama board certified teacher already receives.

Schools eligible for the additional supplement program must meet one or more of the following criteria:

• The school has been on the “failing” schools list in three of the last five years;

• The school’s graduation rate is more than 10 percent less than the state average for two of the three most recent years; and

• 70 percent or more of the students at the school are eligible for free or reduced lunch.

According to Dr. Tom Sisk, superintendent of Limestone County Schools, Sugar Creek and Tanner elementary schools qualify for the supplemental program.

He hopes the bonus will attract teachers who have earned the national certification. Currently, there are approximately 20 national board-certified teachers in Limestone County and 1,400 statewide.

According to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards website, students taught by NBCTs learn more than students taught by teachers who are not certified. Estimates of the increase in learning are on the order of an additional one or two months of instruction, and the impact is even greater for high-need students.

Sisk said he has seen the positive effect NBCTs have had on Limestone County’s students.

“These individuals are at the top of their game,” he said. “The certification is a robust process and not everyone is going to make that effort. Teachers who are successful in obtaining certification tend to be self-starters.”

Sisk said those who do make the effort are also likely to put the same planning and effort into their classrooms.

To qualify for the additional bonus, teachers must have board certification in career and technical education, English as a new language, literacy/reading, language arts, math or science. According to the Alabama State Department of Education, only 60 of the state’s 1400 NCBTs currently teaching will be eligible for the additional bonus.

Sisk said teachers who are already teaching at the county’s two qualifying schools should consider becoming nationally certified. A teacher must have three years of teaching experience before becoming a NCBT candidate.

“That’s $10,000 extra per year,” Sisk said. “With teacher salaries being what they are, the additional money would be significant.”

“Not to mention the value of the training and the impact having the certification would have on our students,” he added.

The certification process costs $2,000 and can take three to five years to complete.

“As we try to fill positions at Tanner and Sugar Creek, we hope the additional benefit will attract high quality teachers to our schools,” he said, adding that NCBTs who transfer from within the district would qualify for the additional bonus as well.