Brooke Hugo during a Texas Teachers Collaborative Professional Learning Day at Salado Middle School.
For Brooke Hugo, a 17-year teaching veteran in Salado, a small rural district in Central Texas, the desire to improve didn’t fade with experience. If anything, it grew.
“As an avid learner, I was excited to be offered the opportunity to reflect and grow in my craft through my own classroom experiences within the National Board Certification process,” Brooke says. “I was eager and hit the ground running immediately.”
National Board Certification is one of the most respected credentials a teacher can earn. It is not a typical professional development course or a standardized test; rather, it is a rigorous, multi-year process where teachers deeply analyze their own classroom data, student work, and teaching methods to prove they meet high national standards.
For teachers in large urban areas, support networks and mentors for this process are often close at hand. But for teachers in rural districts, pursuing this advanced certification can be an isolating journey.
To bridge this gap, the Charles Butt Foundation launched the Texas Teachers Collaborative. The initiative is designed specifically for rural Texas schools, providing teachers with the funding, mentorship, and peer networks they need to complete this challenging certification process.
Brooke Hugo alongside her peers 2026 during a TTC Professional Learning Day for National Board Certification hosted in partnership with Charles Butt Foundation with Salado ISD in Salado Middle School.
Brooke joined 60 other teachers from eight rural districts to form the program’s very first cohort. Over 18 months, this group met regularly to break down the complex requirements of the certification, shifting the experience from an isolated task into a shared mission.
“Our TTC cohort consisted of a supportive, kind, and loving group of peers who became friends,” Brooke notes. “Success was achieved because of discussions surrounding the components. I left each meeting feeling on track, with clear goals in mind for the steps in my component assignments. Having the cohort group gave me a feeling of accountability, but I also felt proud of our shared successes. This is the kind of group that cheers for others and I was honored to be a part of it.”
In the last year and a half, I have completed what I consider to be the best professional development of my career.
BROOKE HUGO
The deep reflection required by the process immediately impacted Brooke’s classroom. It forced a closer look at the subtle difference between students simply following rules and students truly absorbing a lesson.
“In the last year and a half, I have completed what I consider to be the best professional development of my career,” Brooke says. “Reflecting on my own classroom practices in such detail has given me better insight into the impact of the lessons I create, compliance vs. thinking in the classroom, parents and community involvement, and the learning goals and success criteria for each and every student.”
This professional growth required a significant investment of time—one that extended beyond the school walls and into Brooke’s home.
“My own family showed so much kindness by giving me the time I needed to complete my work to write, read, and reflect,” she says. “I hope that I have modeled to my children that working hard to become better in something you love is worth the investment.”
With her extensive component work and deep reflections now submitted, Brooke looks back on the experience as a defining chapter in her career.
“My experience with TTC through this cohort has been such a positive part of my career and I’m appreciative of the opportunity,” she says. “I am grateful that the Charles Butt Foundation invested in me, my career, and my students.”
The Texas Teachers Collaborative is now accepting applications for its second cohort, expanding the program to support 80 teachers across rural Texas districts. If you are a rural Texas school leader or a teacher ready to invest in your professional growth, visit the Texas Teachers Collaborative application page to learn about eligibility and start your district’s application.
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