Spokane Education Association offers cohorts for members pursuing their National Boards Certification. The cohorts have been around for over a decade and have been very successful moving candidates to their NB Certification.  Here are a few highlights of SEA’s Cohorts:

• SEA is OSPI approved

• Our facilitators are state-trained (with OSPI) and they are also WEA members

• FREE clock hours earned during cohort sessions for members

• Low candidate-to-facilitator ratio

• Expense is quite less than a local college/university (see fee schedule below)

• Cohort meeting schedules are determined by the needs/availability of your group

Registration for 2022-2023 cohorts is closed. Click here for 2023-2024 Interest Form.

Upcoming Dates:

Component 1 Workshop: A three-hour workshop to prepare for the assesment held in-person at the SEA office on Thursday, April 11, 2023. Register here. 

Information Night: Mid-June | SEA typically hosts an Information Night each spring where Laura Treece, our wonderful head facilitator dives into the process a bit and shares about SEA’s Cohort Support Program. The Information Night usually happens around the time school lets out in June.

WEA JumpStart: Each summer, WEA hosts a very helpful program to get you started on your National Board journey. It is a well-attended, highly-recommended program for those who are ready to start. Keep an eye on this WEA webpage as dates and registration will probably be posted sometime in Spring 2023. 

2023-2024 Cohort Groups: See the Program Outline from last year listed under Resources. This will give you a good example of what to expect regarding meeting dates and times although each group will decide the best dates, times and locations for the coming year.

FAQs:

I'm interested in National Board certification, how can I learn more? Keep an eye on this webpage and INK (for SEA members) for an Information Night in June. If you can attend WEA Jumpstart in summer 2023  you'll be off to a wonderful start! If not, you can have a condensed version at a locally hosted Foundation event. Registration will be open soon, please use the interest form so we can keep you updated.

Who can register for SEA's cohorts? Anyone in the Spokane-area. We will work with folks who are not WEA members but the cohort fees are much less for members. You do not have to be a Spokane EA member to participate, many of our candidates are in neighboring districts in the Spokane area. 

How do I register? Registration is online via Microsoft Forms and will be available by September 2023. Meanwhile, you can fill out an interest form on this webpage to stay updated for the following year. 

What are the cohort meeting schedules? Exact cohort dates will be set once candidates are placed with a facilitator (placement will take place following the kick-off meetings). See an example calendar under "resources" below for approximate dates, meetings run from October-April. Meeting locations will vary.

What are the cohort fees? Your fees to participate in cohorts are separate from fees paid to National Board. WEA member fees are as follows: $100 for Component 1, $190 for each of Components 2, 3 and 4 and $90 for Foundations (for those who did not attend JumpStart). Fees are less for members of the association. A fee schedule is available below under "resources".

If I change my mind about cohorts, can I get a refund? Yes, refunds can be processed on a pro-rated basis depending on the number of meetings attended. If you attend more than 2 meetings for a component (inclusive of kick-off), you are not entitled to a refund for that component. 

Resources 

2023-2024 Interest Form

2022-2023 Program Outline, Calendar & Policies

Cohort Fee Schedule (same rates as 2021-22)

Have questions on the National Boards process? Email Laura Treece or visit the National Boards website  Questions about cohorts can be directed to Amy Poston at SEA at aposton@washingtonea.org.