Malverne Teacher Earns National Certification

Malverne teacher Janis Romanoff not only brought great pride to her school district when she recently earned national certification, but she also represented Long Island well as the only educator from the region to be invited to a forum at the White House.

Romanoff, a reading specialist at earned National Board Certification for Literacy from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Romanoff had to complete a year-long process, which requires educators to submit four 20-paged portfolios, plus a videotape, in which the applicant analyzes and reflects on his or her teaching. She was one of only about 600 teachers to meet the national standard in their respective fields.

"The rigor that a teacher has to go through is unreal," said Malverne Assistant Superintendent Richard Bayon, adding that only one other teacher in the school district currently has the certification. "It takes a lot of time and effort."

“It’s a lot of work, but it really makes you think about what you do and look closely at the decisions you make...how you plan your lessons,” Romanoff said of the process.

In addition to receiving national certification, Romanoff was also selected as the only educator from Long Island to participate in a national forum at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House in October. Only 100 educators who received national certification were offered the opportunity to attend this event, which centered around current educational issues, promoted policies for effective teaching, and encouraged participants to become more involved in leadership and policy-making within the organization.

Davison Avenue Principal Ed Tallon said Romanoff is "a truly gifted teacher."