Kentwood — In math teacher Courtney Steketee’s Algebra 2 class at East Kentwood High School, students worked together on their feet on whiteboards, using various strategies to solve problems.
Junior KJ Williams took a moment to check his work with Steketee. “You’re overthinking,” she said, walking him through a strategy.
KJ knew it was time to simplify.
“She makes math very easy to understand, and if you really don’t understand it, you can either come in at lunch or stay after class,” said KJ, who carries a golden calculator earned earlier this school year from Steketee for his hard work in the class. “You can come to her for individual help and she will break it down slowly for you.”
Steketee, a 21-year teacher, combines academics and high expectations with relationship-building in her classroom — and she’s reflecting on her craft more deeply than ever.
She is one of seven Kentwood Public Schools teachers to earn National Board Certification in December after a two-year process through TeachMichigan, a statewide initiative powered by Teach for America Detroit.
The program invests in the retention, development and ideas of high-impact educators who teach and lead in under-resourced public schools across the state, according to the National Board’s website. Thirteen more KPS teachers are pursuing the certification.
“I want to lead instructionally,” Steketee said. “That’s the big thing about National Board: It’s not about being whatever a good teacher is, it’s about ‘Can you reflect on your work that you do and why you do it?’’’
The certification is the highest an educator can earn, yet fewer than 1 percent of Michigan teachers have the certification, according to information from the website. Twenty-four TeachMichigan fellows from across the state earned the certification in 2025, including the Kentwood teachers.
Along with Steketee, they include Endeavor Elementary fourth-grade teacher Kristin Alles; Meadowlawn Elementary third-grade teachers Lindsey Greenfield and Annie Hammill; Discovery Elementary first-grade teacher Sarah Kresnak; Glenwood Elementary third-grade teacher Amanda Tollas; and East Kentwood history teacher Matthew Vriesman.
“(They) are phenomenal teachers who go above and beyond in everything,” said Carrie Tellerico, KPS executive director of elementary education. “The process they go through is so extensive — it makes the teachers self-reflect so they are coming up with ways they can improve. That is one of the most powerful components.”
The teachers were part of a fellowship that started in 2023 with 29 KPS teachers. The district has added two more groups of fellows since then, leading to a total of 92 teachers who have completed or are currently involved in TeachMichigan. Applications are open for a fourth group.
‘Teachers become über reflectors. I think about what a powerful thing that is — they can say why they are doing the thing they are doing.’
— Debbie Schuitema, KPS director of new teacher development and curriculum.
National Board Certification is one of several fellowships available through TeachMichigan. Others serve the spectrum of educators, from early career teachers to those aspiring to be building leaders, teachers who are involved in state education policy, and leaders who are involved in district planning from a systems perspective. KPS has fellows in each group.
Teachers receive $35,000 over the course of the fellowship on top of their salary. Those in the systems fellowship do not receive the compensation.
Reflecting on the Craft
To achieve accreditation, teachers seeking National Board Certification have to demonstrate their teaching and the purpose behind their instructional practices to educators who work as assessors. They submit videos of their teaching and a written explanation of the teaching shown. Other components considered include classroom testing data, and an analysis of how teachers practice differentiation to meet the various needs of students.
At Meadowlawn Elementary, about three miles away from Steketee’s East Kentwood High classroom, third-grade National Board certified teachers Lindsey Greenfield and Annie Hammill were also teaching math across the hall from each other.
“In the National Board process, it was so nice to have my teammate right across the hall to get us through this together,” Hammill said.
Greenfield, a 16-year teacher, said the certification process led her to increase efforts to get to know students.The teachers created a spreadsheet of students’ interests, families, language and culture, past teachers and school experience.
“The main thing I’m using from that experience is reflection, (to ask) ‘How can I continue to be better and bring more to the classroom?’” she said. “I love the kids, I love watching them learn and grow, and building those connections. I love learning about their cultures, especially here in Kentwood (the most diverse district in Michigan).”
Hammill, in her 13th year as a KPS teacher, said she also sought the certification to take a deeper look at her teaching.
“It was definitely one of the hardest things I’ve done,” she said, noting that the support and coaching she received through TeachMichigan was helpful. “It just made me more reflective as an educator, and constantly asking ourselves, ‘Why am I doing this? How can I do this better?’”
Investing in Their Own
Kentwood administrators say TeachMichigan is a way to invest in their own teachers, cultivate belonging and provide ongoing support and opportunities for advancement as teachers progress through their careers.
“With this generation of teachers and educators that we hire, a question they ask is, ‘How will I be supported and what will be my opportunities for growth?’ That wasn’t a question we heard 15-20 years ago,” said Jamie Gordon, KPS executive director of human resources. “If we really want to retain the best talent … that’s what they are seeking.”
Debbie Schuitema, KPS director of new teacher development and curriculum, said National Board certified teachers will open their classrooms to other teachers as learning labs, sharing the knowledge they’ve gained.
“They can speak very well to the moves they are making and why, which is a huge part of that process (of certification). “They become über reflectors. I think about what a powerful thing that is — they can say why they are doing the thing they are doing.”
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