The report provoked a wave of reform initiatives that engulfed the education community. Teachers for the 21st Century . Its leading recommendation called for the establishment of a National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The following year, this unique institution in the history of American education was born. The mission of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is to establish high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do, to develop and operate a national, voluntary system to assess and certify teachers who meet these standards, and to advance related education reforms for the purpose of improving student learning in American schools.
Good teaching is neither obvious nor simplistic.
Thorough knowledge of subject and student is necessary, as is sound professional judgment and the ability to convey complex material in ways that students can understand. We hope all teachers will incorporate the National Board's vision of excellent teaching into their practice, not only for their own reward, but more importantly, for the benefit of their students. This enumeration suggests the broad base for expertise in teaching, but conceals the complexities, uncertainties and dilemmas of the work. The formal knowledge teachers rely on accumulates steadily, yet provides insufficient guidance in many situations. Teaching ultimately requires judgment, improvisation, and conversation about means and ends.