The Gold Standard in Teaching: Erin Lanenga Earns National Board Certification

From powerful choral performances to full-scale musical productions like Singin’ in the Rain, Timothy Christian Schools' Performing Arts Department is shaping courageous leaders through collaboration, communication, and discipline—skills that transfer into every future career path. Behind that work is Erin Lanenga, Director of Choirs (8–12) and Performing Arts Coordinator (5–12), who has now earned National Board Certification—the highest professional credential a teacher can receive and one achieved by only a small percentage of educators nationwide.

For students, this certification matters because it reflects what happens in rehearsals and classrooms every day. National Board Certification is a rigorous, multi-year process that only about 2% of teachers nationwide complete. Often compared to board certification in medicine or the bar exam for attorneys, it requires candidates to demonstrate the very best of their practice through four major components: assessment of student learning, content knowledge, differentiation, and deep reflection on teaching. The process includes extensive written analysis and video evidence from real classrooms and rehearsals, with teachers closely examining how their decisions impact student learning in real time.

For Timothy, Erin’s achievement represents a significant milestone for the Performing Arts program. Her work touches students across grades 5–12—shaping not only their musical skills, but also their confidence and leadership on stage and beyond. This is a powerful example of Timothy’s commitment to igniting academic growth through instructional excellence and inspiring courageous leadership. Please join us in congratulating Erin on this tremendous accomplishment!