Feb. 7, 2023 – Hal Peterson Middle School Art Teacher Amanda Lord has earned National Board Certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

The program requires teachers to undergo a rigorous process to achieve the nationally-recognized certification. Lord achieved this accomplishment in Art-Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood. The process has four components that usually takes teachers about three years to complete. Lord completed all four components in one year.

“I am very proud of what Ms. Lord has accomplished in such a short period of time,” said Heather Engstrom, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction.

“The National Board Certification process is extremely rigorous, and she has exceeded the standards on the most respected professional certification available in education. She is an inspiration to students and to other educators. We are lucky to have Ms. Lord in Kerrville ISD.”

Lord completed all four components and turned in an 88-page portfolio for review in May after working diligently for a year. In December 2022, she received confirmation from the National Board that she had achieved her certification.

“I was relieved, proud and excited,” Lord said when she learned of her success.
“It was definitely challenging, but achievable.”

Lord started the process by taking an intensive test and completing two timed essays, which were “more difficult than any art history course” she took previously. She said she put in a lot of time on weekends, evenings and some early mornings to complete the other three components, including some filming of her teaching in the classroom.

And she did all this while managing four kids, bouts with COVID, moving houses and moving campuses.

Lord is the first Kerrville ISD teacher to receive this certification, and she hopes others will follow suit.

“I want to show other teachers that this is doable,” Lord said. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it.”

The impact of this process has been positive on her teaching and the learning environment in her classroom.

“This teaches you to plan and be more reflective and able to adapt as needed,” she said.

Lord received financial support from the Kerr Women’s Chamber of Commerce through their Women Helping Women Scholarship, which helped cover about 75 percent of the certification cost, along with support from reading teachers at her campus, who helped review and proof some of her work, and support from home.

“I want to thank my husband Joe, for his love and support. I could not have done it without him.”

Lord has been teaching in public education for 10 years and is in her fifth year with Kerrville ISD.