Rachel Glorioso always wanted to be a teacher. Growing up in Anne Arundel County, she would set up her teddy bears and pretend to teach. Now she’s been teaching in her home county for eight years, the last two at Belle Grove Elementary in Brooklyn.

This month, she became a National Board Certified Teacher.

“It is very stressful. There’s a lot involved in it and a lot of self-reflection. And then there’s always, like, the doubt, like, ‘Am I good enough? And are they going to think that I’m good enough?’” said Glorioso. “When I realized I passed, I think I was in shock for like, a week straight.”

Anne Arundel County Public Schools has one of the largest groups of nationally certified teachers in its history, nearly 8% percent larger than last year. A total of 125 educators were certified for the first time and 41 others successfully maintained their certifications. The district now has 551 educators who have earned this status.

According to the organization’s database, this year, 53 Baltimore City teachers, 54 Baltimore County teachers, 53 Carroll County teachers, 42 Harford County teachers and 188 Howard County teachers earned the designation.

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, a nonprofit established in 1987, creates and maintains standards for what teachers should know and do. Candidates select a certification area and complete four components: a knowledge assessment, a portfolio of student work, a video of classroom teaching, and evidence of professional growth. Teachers typically complete the process in one to five years, balancing it with their professional responsibilities.

Recruiting and retaining qualified teachers has been a challenge for school districts across the county amid a national teacher shortage.

A 2024 Pew Research survey found more than half of teachers would not advise a young person to enter the profession due to the working conditions, and nearly 70% of American teachers said their schools are stressful, overwhelming and understaffed.

Certified teachers are sought after for their credibility, and under the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a multiyear education reform initiative, certified teachers can earn an additional $17,000 annually. This year, 1,097 Maryland teachers earned their certifications, compared to 79 teachers in 2020, before the Blueprint passed.

Anne Arundel’s staffing numbers have largely recovered. There are currently 61 teacher vacancies— this time last year there were 113.

“Our multi-pronged approach has resulted in a 76.7% reduction in classroom teacher vacancies over a two-year period. On the first day of classes this year, 99% of our classrooms were staffed with certificated or licensed teachers,” Superintendent Mark Bedell noted in his Dec. 18 budget address.

Teachers who earn their certification must renew it every five years.

Iris Crankfield has been teaching at South River High School in Edgewater for more than 20 years. An Anne Arundel native, she teaches Advanced Placement English and the Advanced Placement capstone program. This year she maintained her status as a certified teacher.

Crankfield sees certification as a way to challenge herself and improve.

“I think it’s really important, especially the longer you’ve been a teacher, that you maintain that reflective component of looking back at your work, making adjustments,” said Crankfield.

Growing up, Crankfield had teachers who made her feel like she was not good enough to pursue her goals. As a teacher, she’s dedicated to playing the opposite role in her students’ lives. Fewer than one in 10 teachers in the United States are Black, according to Pew Research, so Crankfield said earning the certification is particularly rewarding.

“I still love the act of teaching and growing my students, and I honestly find pleasure in that. As corny as that is, I really do enjoy my job,” said Crankfield.

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