Two local educators have become the first from Lawrence County to join the elite ranks of Ohio teachers who have earned a National Board Certification.

Amy McCallister, a kindergarten teacher at Chesapeake Elementary School, and Sandy Mers, assistant principal at South Point Middle School, were honored.

The Ohio Department of Education announced Wednesday that an additional 383 Ohio teachers representing more than 180 Ohio school districts have earned National Board Certification bringing Ohio's total to

2,172, ranking fifth in the nation. The state was sixth in the number of candidates that were newly certified.

National Board Certification is a rigorous and voluntary process of self-evaluation that requires one to three years to complete. Candidates must submit portfolios of student work, classroom videotapes, evaluations and other documentation to affirm their knowledge of the subject they teach. They must also pass a comprehensive exam focusing on classroom practices, student assessment and the teacher's content area.

McCallister, a kindergarten teacher in Chesapeake for the past 11 years, worked on getting the certification all of last year and over the summer. She said she decided to undertake the difficult task because she was bothered by the fact that no one from the county was certified.

Overall, McCallister said she could not have done it without the support of her friends, family and co-workers. Despite the hard work, she said it is very rewarding and she would encourage others to strive for this goal.

"I hope more teachers in Lawrence County will try for National Board Certification because we teach in a great county," McCallister said.

"Just because we are from southern Ohio and not a financially affluent area, doesn't mean we do not have great teachers. I want us to show that."

The relationships with the children and the growth that occurs in the first year of schooling keeps her going, she said.

"When they come here they are tiny babies. When they leave, they are writing me stories," she said. "The educational growth you see during that year is big. They change so much."

Mers has been with the South Point district for 14 years. It also took her about a year to receive a certification in language arts.

She agreed with many of McCallister's sentiments about the honor and hard work involved.

She said she was so anxious to see how she did that she checked the Web site as soon as the results were posted.

"Personally, it was an experience that helped me become a better teacher," she said. "I already had a master's degree, but this is just a further step. You really had to examine your teaching methods. It was a lot of self-analysis and a wonderful education."

Like McCallister, Mers said she couldn't have done it on her own and would encourage other teachers to seek certification.

"My students were awesome," she said. "My family and staff were also very supportive. I couldn't have done it without them. It is a team effort."

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), which administers and scores the only national credential program in the country, reports that approximately 50 percent of candidates achieve passing scores. Ohio's passing rate for the 747 candidates completing their work in 2003 (including re-takes) is 51.2 percent.