PEABODY-Assistant Superintendent Joseph Mastrocola is hoping to “get the snowball rolling,” but he?s not talking about Tuesday?s flurries. The snowball he imagines is made of teachers signing up for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) Certification.?Like in any other field,” said Mastrocola, “This is one good credible piece.”The NBPTS is an independent, non-profit organization whose goal is to improve the quality of teaching and learning and creating professional standards through a completely voluntary process. With its growing popularity across the country, it?s often used as a gage for hiring new teachers.?If I were a first year teacher, I wouldn?t hesitate to do it,” said Mastrocola, who almost made it through the process during his years as a teacher. He considers it one of the most powerful teaching experiences of his life.However, the application process isn?t exactly a breeze and it?s not exactly free, either. It takes five months to complete and costs the teacher $2,500. And, said Mastrocola, neither Peabody nor the State of Massachusetts has the money to put toward it right now, which might be why not a single teacher within Peabody Schools is currently certified by the NBPTS.There are a few options to cut costs, such as the $1,000 scholarship provided by the State. Also, Mastrocola was lucky enough to get 35 scholarships to cover the cost of Take One, the first portion of the application process, which typically costs $395. To date, 10 teachers have signed up.Ten teachers out of the many who work in Peabody might not sound like a successful turnout, but Mastrocola thinks it is, especially with how “maxed out” people are these days. He also believes that by next year, the state will offer a stipend for teachers to participate, which will result in more applicants.Mastrocola likens the process to that of earning a Master?s degree: It?s done entirely on your own time and takes serious commitment and self-motivation. He thinks that more teachers would opt to complete the certification if, simply put, they had the time to do so.The process varies depending on the teacher?s area of instruction, but it typically involves portfolios of videotaped classroom sessions, as well as precise self-reflections and analysis of how they teach and what lesson plans they use. Their submitted applications are then scored by a panel of board members. If they don?t pass, well, it?s better luck next year.But, Mastrocola is most certain that all of his participating teachers will pass the Take One portion, if not the whole thing.Those who signed up are expected to begin their process within the next week or so. If they wish to continue through the entire certification, portfolios must be submitted by March 31 and can expect results by next November.?This is just a good opportunity for our school to be on the forefront,” said Mastrocola.