Recognition and Support for Maintenance of National Board Certification
The information below reflects changes in the Low Performing Schools identified for the 2026-2027 school year following the vote at the Jan. 29, 2026, Board of Education meeting, and supersedes any previous details shared.
Background
In 2021, the Maryland State Legislature passed the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, which raises the status of the teaching profession and encourages professional development through a performance-based Career Ladder with salaries comparable to those in other professional fields with similar education requirements. Through Blueprint, teacher salary progression and classroom performance will be linked to teacher achievement of National Board Certification (NBC).
Impacted Staff
In partnership, HCPSS and HCEA have determined this includes all staff who have the following workflows in the Frontline Employee Management and Evaluation System:
- Non-tenured teacher
- Tenured teacher
- Elementary library media specialist
- Infant and toddlers teacher
This includes all staff that have Student Learning Objectives.
It does not include staff who have the following workflows:
- Alternative education teacher
- Central office leader
- Instructional specialist
- Pupil personnel worker
- Related service provider
- School counselor
- Secondary library media specialist
- Social Worker/Mental Health Therapist
- Support teacher
NBCT Pay Increase Details
Teachers successfully completing the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards certification program (NBPTS), also known as National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs), who are not primarily responsible and accountable for teaching students in the classroom, shall receive an annual supplement of $2,000 each year their NBPTS certificate remains in good standing.
In accordance with the Blueprint law, teachers successfully completing the NBPTS, who are primarily responsible and accountable for teaching students in the classroom, shall receive an annual supplement of $10,000 each year their NBPTS certificate remains in good standing. To view these scales, see the Board of Education/HCEA Master Agreement, Appendix B (this document will be updated when the master agreement is ratified).
Additionally, NBCTs who teach at schools that are low performing, as defined by the Blueprint law, shall receive an additional annual supplement of $7,000. The NBCT will continue to receive these monies even if the school ceases to be low-performing while the teacher is at the school and remains in an eligible position.
See the Master Agreement, Notes: Article 20, Salary Schedules (this document will be updated when the master agreement is ratified) for complete details.
NBCTs Working at a Low Performing School
NBCTs staying or moving to a Low Performing School will receive an additional $7,000 added to their salary. As long as they stay at that school, an NBCT will continue to earn the salary increase, even if the school shows improvement and is no longer identified as a low performing school.
The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) created two categories of Low Performing School identification:
- State Defined (Required) - schools identified as 1-star and 2-star schools that are not alternative schools.
- Local Flexibility (Optional) - bottom 10% of local schools in the state accountability system..
The HCPSS schools designated as locally Low Performing Schools for the 2026-2027 school year are:
- Cedar Lane School (State Defined)
More information on the HCPSS NBC program can be found on Canvas.