Kristen Brummel, who earned a BEd in Elementary Education and an MEd in Curriculum Studies from the UH Mānoa College of Education (COE), has been chosen to serve a three-year term on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Elected during NBPTS’s November 2025 board meeting, she joins 28 other education and business professionals dedicated to contributing to an organization that establishes the gold standard for teaching excellence.
Brummel’s role on the Board entails working alongside a diverse group of educators and leaders to oversee the rigorous certification system, approve subject-area standards, and advance education reforms that prioritize student learning. “It is an honor to be able to help attract more educators to this profession, support their success throughout the certification process, and empower teacher voices to shape the future of education,” she said.
As part of her responsibilities on the board, Brummel will also help provide strategic guidance and foster a climate of respect and inclusive governance to ensure the organization’s long-term sustainability and impact. She explained that this appointment is deeply important to her because of her own journey with National Board certification in 2009.
“It was a turning point in my career and the most meaningful professional development I have ever experienced,” Brummel said. “Pursuing certification allowed me to strengthen my practice through focused reflection and research, ensuring I could be the best teacher I could be for my students.”
Brummel currently leads the Hawaiʻi Teacher Induction Center for the Hawaiʻi Department of Education (HIDOE), overseeing the development and sustainability of statewide support systems for beginning teachers, mentors, and complex-area induction teams to ensure a strong foundation for new educators. She also nurtures partnerships with education leaders locally and nationally to elevate teaching, learning, and leadership throughout the state.
Recognized as the 2011 Hawaiʻi State Teacher of the Year, Brummel spent 12 years as a classroom teacher at Noelani Elementary School before serving as a full-release mentor and Induction Program Coordinator in the Kaimuki-McKinley Roosevelt Complex area for five years. She would go on to become an Educational Specialist focused on teacher leadership within the HIDOE’s Leadership Institute where she spearheaded the Hawai’i State Teacher Fellowship and Teacher of the Year Program.
In addition to her current roles at the Hawaiʻi Teacher Induction Center, Brummel continues to support broader Leadership Institute initiatives for professional growth and excellence throughout the HIDOE. She credits the COE with providing her with the foundation for her career.
“My experience at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa College of Education was truly transformative, providing a foundation that launched my career as an educator,” Brummel said. “I was privileged to learn from UH faculty members and cooperating teachers in the DOE who were deeply passionate and knowledgeable, modeling the wonderful examples I needed to affirm my goal of becoming a teacher. Being part of a cohort of peers who consistently inspired and supported me made the journey even more meaningful. I am incredibly grateful for the diverse opportunities I had to learn and grow, which instilled in me a lifelong commitment to the profession.”
Established in 1987, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is the nation’s highest credential in teaching. National Board Certification was created by teachers and is backed by decades of research showing that National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) have a greater impact on student learning and school improvement.
