Whereas National Board Certification signifies professional teaching excellence based on rigorous standards developed by teachers for teachers to demonstrate their ability to advance student learning and achievement; Whereas research shows that students taught by National Board Certified Teachers learn more than their peers, especially for low-income students; Whereas access to just one Board-certified mathematics teacher increases a student’s lifetime earnings by $48,000; Whereas National Board Certified Teachers play a critical role in addressing the learning loss incurred during the COVID–19 pandemic by accelerating student learning by 1 to 2 months of instruction per school year; Whereas National Board Certified Teachers often amplify their expertise positively by serving in leadership roles as teacher mentors, principals, administrators, and district leaders; Whereas analyses show that National Board Certified Teachers are more likely to stay in the profession, leading to improved teacher retention rates that are critical to mitigating staffing shortages; Whereas, according to the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders, National Board Certified Teachers rank Board Certification as their most important ongoing formal education, above graduate-level coursework and other training programs; Whereas 29 States provide salary incentives for National Board Certified Teachers, including 13 States prioritizing incentives in high-needs schools; Whereas 44 percent of National Board Certified Teachers serve students in Title I schools; Whereas, in 2023, 3,571 teachers earned their National Board Certification for the first time, and 6,697 successfully maintained their certification, benefitting thousands of students across the country; and Whereas there are now a total of 137,015 teachers who have achieved National Board Certification: Now, therefore, be it