American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence

The American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence, often referred to as the American Board, was launched with a $5 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education in 2001. The non-partisan, non-profit organization’s mission is to certify subject experts, experienced professionals, career changers, and military veterans as teachers and was endorsed by U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige.Shawn Arévalo McCollough serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer.

The online, alternative teaching certification program is approved in Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Utah, and was launched in Arizona as the Arizona Center for Teacher Preparation in 2013.[4] Former Arizona Governor Jan Brewer endorsed the program, which addresses the shortage of math and science teachers in the state.