MADISON COUNTY – Two-hundred-plus business owners, politicians, school board members, superintendents and educators celebrated donations topping $180,000 to fund new National Board Certified Teachers or NBCTs at Burritt on the Mountain on Nov. 4.

Teachers in Madison County, Madison City and Huntsville City schools can benefit from the funds. The Creative Cities Fund, which is the philanthropic arm of Huntsville Committee of 100, and The Schools Foundation collaborated to raise the money and hosted the celebration.

Huntsville Youth Orchestra performances and culinary services from Madison County High School students highlighted local students’ skills. Dr. Eric Mackey, Alabama State Superintendent, greeted the audience by video.

“While both the Creative Cities Fund and The Schools Foundation are celebrating the success of $180,000, the work is far from over. While driving to hit the $200,000 goal, both organizations will continue conversations to make this a focus across our state, as achievement in education continues to be a priority in all parts of Alabama,” Stephanie Lowe, Committee of 100 Director of Engagement, said.

This fundraising initiative is the first and largest effort nationwide by the business community to give financial support to NBCTs in public schools, according to National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

On average, students taught by NBCTs show gains of one to two months of learning compared to students in other classrooms. A recent study by the State of Mississippi found that every $1 invested in National Board Certification yields $31 return on the investment.

Compared to other students, kindergarteners taught by a NBCT are 31 percent more likely to achieve a proficient score on the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment. Third-graders taught by a NBCT are 11 percent more likely to achieve a proficient score on the MAP Test in English Language Arts than other students.

Locally, Madison City Schools currently has 58 NBCTs with 33 more teachers in the process of earning the credentials. Huntsville City Schools has 31 NBCTs with 49 in process, and Madison County Schools currently has 25 NBCTs.

In Alabama, 2,704 NBCTs are teaching while 1,069 educators are earning this status. NBCTs in Alabama earn an annual pay supplement of $5,000.

For more information, visit huntsvillecommitteeof100.org/creative-cities or nbpts.org.