Melissa Santiago, Mary Riveron and Colette Sponer were handed bouquets of red roses during last week's commission meeting for becoming national board-certified teachers.

To receive board certification, the teachers are evaluated for three years by a committee of accomplished educators and child development experts. They measure each teacher's knowledge, skills, attitudes, professional judgment and how their teaching methods function in the classroom, according to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Web site.

"I know many teachers who have been applying for this certification who haven't been fortunate enough to receive this honor," said East Charter Elementary principal Devarn Flowers. "Board-certified teachers only make up one to two percent of the nation's teaching population, so we're extremely proud of them."

Santiago teaches English at Pines Charter High, Riveron teaches kindergarten at West Charter Elementary and Sponer teaches kindergarten at Charter FSU Elementary.