Elevating Equity: Supporting Black Male Educators on the Path to National Board Certification

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2025), there are around 3.2 million full-time traditional public school teachers in the United States. Despite Black male students making up approximately 7.5% of the K–12 public school population, only 1.3% of teachers are Black males, highlighting a significant representation gap in the teaching workforce.

This disparity becomes even more pronounced when examining advanced credentials, such as National Board Certification. “More than 133,000 teachers across the United States have achieved National Board Certification,” according to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS, 2025). The NBPTS lists Maryland as leading the nation with the number of new Nationally Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) with 1097 teachers achieving NBC in December 2024. According to MSDE Staff Data Collection (01/2025), ~7.5% of all current NBCTs in Maryland are Black and ~19% are NBCTs of color.

Maryland is one of few states that highlights the racial profile for NBCTs, likely due to the large number of minority NBCTs compared to other states. Many other states merely mention the need to improve diversity among NBCTs, Maryland has partnerships and programs that focus on the needs for Black teachers. NBC was created to elevate the teaching profession, recognize accomplished educators, and enhance learning outcomes for students. Yet despite its promise, the process remains out of reach for many, particularly Black male educators, who are underrepresented among National Board Certified Teachers (Howard et al, 2006). As school districts and states increasingly tie career advancement and salary incentives to NBC status, this underrepresentation has critical equity implications.

A recent qualitative study conducted by Esther Ward and Simone Gibson explores the experiences of Black male educators who have successfully earned NBC, highlighting the personal, professional, and systemic factors that either supported or challenged their journeys. This research is especially timely in light of major education reforms, such as the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, that make NBC a key gateway to increased compensation and leadership roles.

Maryland’s Blueprint for Maryland’s Future supports teacher quality by promoting National Board Certification (NBC) as a path to excellence. Through the Incentive Program, NBCTs receive a $10,000 annual salary increase, with an additional $7,000 for those teaching in low-performing schools, even if the school later improves its performance. The state also covers NBC application and maintenance fees through a Fee Incentive Program. These initiatives aim to attract, support, and retain highly qualified teachers, especially in schools with the greatest need (National Board Certified Teacher Incentive Program – Blueprint). However, without addressing the disparities regarding who accesses and completes certification, these well-intentioned policies risk deepening existing inequalities in the teaching workforce.

Why NBC Matters and Who Gets Left Behind

Research consistently shows that NBC improves instructional quality and student outcomes. Certified teachers are more likely to use student-centered practices, provide differentiated instruction, and foster deeper engagement (Kane & Staiger, 2012; Ronfeldt et al., 2015). Moreover, NBCTs are often leaders in their schools, mentoring peers and contributing to a stronger professional culture (Goldhaber & Anthony, 2007).

Despite these benefits, the road to certification is steep and not equitably paved. For many teachers, especially Black educators, the process poses substantial financial and time-related burdens (Barnett & Borko, 2011; Smith, 2014). Black teachers also report a lack of culturally relevant mentorship and question whether the NBC standards fully value culturally responsive teaching (Gist & Bolin, 2017; King, 2015). These barriers help explain why, even as NBC becomes more integral to career ladders, Black male teachers remain underrepresented among NBCTs.

Understanding the Lived Experiences of Black Male NBCTs

Our study draws on interviews with Black male educators who successfully completed the certification process, capturing their motivations, challenges, and the strategies they used to persist. Their stories illustrate not only the obstacles they faced, but also the supports that made success possible.

Many participants credited mentorship and affinity-based support networks as crucial to their journey. These mentors, often other culturally affirming leaders, provided practical guidance and emotional encouragement. They helped demystify the process and offered reassurance during moments of doubt or fatigue.

Affinity spaces were also powerful. In a profession where Black male teachers often represent both racial and gender minorities, these spaces created a sense of validation and community. Participants described them as places to exchange strategies, share frustrations, and sustain motivation.

School-based support made a notable difference as well. One veteran teacher, Luke, shared how his district offered him two to three days of paid leave to focus on his NBC portfolio. He described the support network as “powerful and vibrant,” underlining how intentional, institutional support can transform the certification process from an individual burden into a community effort.

Persistent Barriers Remain

Even for those who succeeded, the journey was not without hardship. Many participants cited lack of access to information, limited financial support, and cultural isolation as significant challenges. These issues reflect broader systemic inequities in education and underscore the need for targeted, equity-focused interventions.

For example, some participants didn’t initially see NBC as a viable option because no one in their professional circles had pursued it. Others lacked the flexible time or administrative support to balance certification requirements with teaching, family, and community obligations. Without intentional outreach and guidance, NBC can feel inaccessible or irrelevant.

Policy Implications: Making the NBC Pathway Equitable

With states like Maryland now embedding NBC into their teacher career ladders, this research raises an urgent question: How do we ensure these pathways are equitable and accessible to all educators?

The study offers several key recommendations:

Invest in culturally relevant mentorship programs that pair Black male educators with experienced NBCTs who understand their unique context.
Provide paid release time and financial assistance to help offset the logistical barriers of portfolio development and submission.
Create identity-affirming affinity spaces where Black male educators can share experiences, build community, and stay motivated throughout the process.
Train school leaders and district administrators to recognize the systemic barriers that Black educators face and to offer proactive support.

Reimagining Teacher Advancement

At its core, this research is about more than certification: it’s about reimagining professional advancement in ways that affirm and uplift teacher diversity. If NBC is to serve as an accurate measure of accomplished teaching, it must reflect the breadth of talent and experience that educators of all backgrounds bring to the classroom.

References

Barnett, B. G., & Borko, H. (2011). Constructing professional identities: The role of work and identity learning cycles in the preparation of teachers for national board certification. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(5), 942-956.

Gist, C., & Bolin, F. S. (2017). Black and White teachers’ perspectives on the impact of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Urban Review, 49(3), 394-419.

Goldhaber, D., & Anthony, E. (2007). Can Teacher Quality Be Effectively Assessed? *National Bureau of Economic Research*.

Howard, T., Ifekwunigwe, A., & Williams, R. J. (2006). National board certification: Supporting African American teachers. Arlington, VA: National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Kane, T. J., & Staiger, D. O. (2012). Gathering Feedback for Teaching: Combining High-Quality Observations with Student Surveys and Achievement Gains. *The Brookings Institution*.

King, J. E. (2015). The challenge of being a black teacher: Teacher certification policies and culturally responsive pedagogy. Journal of Teacher Education, 66(3), 218-231.

Maryland State Department of Education. (2025, January 28). National Board Certification update.https://marylandpublicschools.org/stateboard/Documents/2025/0128/AM/National-Board-Certification-Update-A.pdf

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. (n.d.). Certification overview. https://www.nbpts.org/certification/overview/(https://www.nbpts.org/certification/overview/).

National Center for Education Statistics. (2024). Racial/Ethnic Enrollment in Public Schools. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved [date], from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cge.

Ronfeldt, M., Brockman, S. L., & Campbell, S. L. (2015). Examining the Impact of National Board Certified Teachers on Student Achievement: Methodological Challenges and Considerations. *American Educational Research Journal, 52*(6), 1011-1046.

Smith, J. (2014). Factors influencing the decision of National Board Certified Teachers in low-income, urban schools to remain in the teaching profession. Journal of Teacher Education, 65(1), 77-91.