Washington Teachers Among Nations' Best


Eastside Preparatory School. A New School of Thought. Click.

For a year, Newport High teacher Van Onishi spent hundreds of hours thinking, reviewing and writing about the way he teaches English to freshmen and sophomore students at the Bellevue school. He wrote 151 pages' worth of material about his methods and approach, videotaped his lessons and took a three-hour exam about teaching. Last month, Onishi learned the work paid off. He was one of 1,248 Washington teachers who passed the rigorous National Teachers Board certification, a prestigious feather in any teacher's cap, and one that puts more money in the paycheck as well. The state ranked second in the U.S. this year in the number of teachers that received certification. North Carolina was first.