Queen Creek Unified School District proudly recognized two outstanding educators—Elizabeth Reynolds of Queen Creek High School and Lara Cox of Faith Mather Sossaman Elementary—for renewing their National Board Certification, the highest certification an educator can achieve. This significant accomplishment reflects their continued dedication to professional growth, instructional excellence, and student success, and QCUSD is honored to have such exceptional personnel serving students every day.
Elizabeth Reynolds brings more than 20 years of teaching experience to QCUSD, sharing her passion for music across multiple grade levels. Currently teaching piano, choir, junior high choir, and even adding elementary band to her schedule this year, Reynolds says music has always been at the heart of her work. “Everything music is what I enjoy teaching,” she shared.
For Reynolds, renewing her National Board Certification represents both personal pride and a professional commitment to improvement. “I was inspired to go through the certification process because I’ve always been somebody who wants to improve what I’m doing,” she explained. “This was another way to reflect on my teaching practices and find ways to be a better teacher for my students.”
The certification and renewal process is rigorous, requiring extensive reflection, analysis, and evidence of impact in the classroom. Reynolds described how the process pushed her to evaluate every instructional decision. “It’s really required me to think about every choice that I make when I’m teaching,” she said. “Is this going to benefit my students in the way I want it to, or is it just something that I’ve always done?”
She also emphasized the importance of district support throughout the journey, sharing how collaboration with the district helped secure resources to better serve junior high choir students with unique needs. “We were able to have students participate in choir in a new way that they were capable of,” she noted.
Reynolds hopes her certification sends a clear message to students and families: “I always want to try to become a better teacher… and hopefully that will inspire my students to work just as hard to become better at what they’re doing.”
Alongside Reynolds, Lara Cox’s renewal of National Board Certification further highlights QCUSD’s commitment to excellence at every level. Together, these educators exemplify the dedication, expertise, and passion that make QCUSD a place where students thrive.