Berkeley Unified School District is characterized by the talent and dedication of its approximately 800 certificated teachers. All are state credentialed, and the vast majority have clear professional credentials (meaning they have completed not only their education, but also satisfied all the post-graduate classes required by the state). Here are a few numbers, though numbers can’t convey the level of commitment our teachers possess and demonstrate in the classroom each and every day.
- Over 40% of the teaching staff boasts a Master’s or a Doctoral degree. This number of advanced degrees is well over the state average.
- The average Berkeley teacher has over 14 years of experience, again significantly above the average for teachers statewide.
- Fourteen of our teachers are National Board Certified, including one of the few teachers in special education to achieve this certification. This is an extremely rigorous certification process. Additional BUSD teachers have gone through the certification process and are awaiting news of their result.
We are proud of our Fourteen National Board Certified Teachers: Jake Disston, Tamara Friedman, Kathleen Giustino, Matthew Hinckley, Juliana Jones, Susan Katz, Nancy King, Allison Krasnow, Deborah Lenz, Elizabeth Little, Charles Pratt, David Stevens, Marlo Warburton, and Silver White.
New Teacher Induction Program (formerly Beginning Teachers Support and Assessment Program – BTSA)
The Berkeley school district provides quality professional development for beginning teachers who are in their first or second year of California-credentialed teaching.
Berkeley Unified is one of 15 districts that partner with the Contra Costa Office of Education Teacher Induction Program. Teachers who hold a preliminary teaching credential and are employed in a partner district of CCCOE Teacher Induction Program must participate in of CCCOE Teacher Induction Program to earn their professional clear credential. The Teacher Induction Program was formerly known as BTSA.
Research has shown that new teachers who receive structured guidance and support during their first two years are far more likely to remain in the profession after five years; BUSD’s goal is to retain high quality teachers with hopes that they will provide many years of quality education to our district’s students.