Thank you, Ms. Medeiros for your service. Teachers are among the most influential, yet put-down and underappreciated public servants in our society.
National Board Certification is valuable, but it's too small an effort by the powers that be to keep good teachers teaching. It has some hoop-jumping, and does not guarantee teacher quality. It also creates a distraction in the school year while teachers shuffle off some of their energies away from kids, and toward that $5,000.
I further understand that the HSTA is gun-shy about a perceived "caste" system with incentives based on performance. As long as longevity = higher pay, you won't get young people to stay. The state should offer three summers of paid professional development to all new teachers, and any teachers who are on the bubble as far as keeping their jobs. It should also pay Math/Science and English staff more, and give a retention bonus to any particular teacher whose class size exceeds the state average.