WEIRTON — Several educators from Weirton Elementary were recently recognized for achieving or maintaining National Board Certification status.

Denise Mirasola, Jackie Fodor, Donna Carnes, Sherry Paull and Sarah Howells were celebrated for their expertise, reflection, and leadership at Weirton Elementary, which officials note reaches beyond test scores to shape classrooms where young learners feel challenged, supported and inspired in positive learning environments.

National Board-Certified Teachers represent one of the highest professional achievements in education. Earning National Board Certification is a voluntary, rigorous process that requires teachers to demonstrate advanced knowledge of content, effective instructional practices, and a deep understanding of how children learn.

National Board Certification is awarded by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Teachers pursuing certification must complete a multi-year process that includes written analyses, classroom videos, assessments of content knowledge and reflection on instructional decision-making. The focus is not simply on what teachers know, but how they apply that knowledge to meet the diverse needs of students.

At Weirton Elementary, this often translates into stronger foundational literacy instruction practices, more effective differentiation for struggling and advanced learners, intentional integration of formative assessment, instruction that supports critical thinking and problem solving, share effective teaching strategies, leading data-driven conversations and promoting continuous improvement.