Teachers: You may be eligible for a National Board Certification (NBC)-equivalent salary incentive. The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future provides an NBC-equivalent incentive for teachers in subject areas that do not have a pathway to achieve National Board Certification. The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) identifies specific licensure areas that qualify as NBC-equivalent, meaning that teachers who hold a certificate listed on the MSDE NBC-Equivalent Crosswalk and have no other licensure that maps to an NBPTS certification area may be eligible for NBC-equivalent status.
Baltimore City Public Schools will use this crosswalk as the initial criteria for determining eligibility for NBC-equivalent salary incentives. In addition to the crosswalk, a teacher who meets the following conditions each school year is eligible for a $10,000 salary increase under the following NBC-equivalent criteria:
Holds a valid Maryland professional teaching certificate/license in an area identified by MSDE as NBC-equivalent;
Holds the associated advanced degree in the same area as the license/certification (as required by MSDE for equivalency);
Is a teacher of record or co-teacher who is responsible for students’ academic progress, as verified by their job title;
Currently rostered to teach courses in the same area as the license/certification (as required by MSDE for equivalency);
Eligibility will be re-verified each school year. NBC-equivalent teachers eligible for the $10,000 salary increase who work in schools included on the MSDE Low Performing School List will receive an additional $7,000 in salary.
Submission and Review Process
Teachers who believe they meet the NBC-equivalent criteria must submit documentation in December each year for review and determination of eligibility for the following school year. Please access the NBC Equivalent Submission Form to submit a request for review by Tuesday, October 6.
Notification of Eligibility
Educators whose documentation has been reviewed and verified as meeting NBC-equivalent criteria will receive official notification of eligibility and confirmation of the salary adjustment from the Office of Human Capital prior to the first pay period of the school year following their December submission.
Questions? Please contact NBC@bcps.k12.md.us. For more information on the National Board Certification, click here.