D.C. based education non-profit American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE) names Michelle Bernard, president and CEO of the Independent Women's Forum (IWF) and an MSNBC political analyst; Frederick M. Hess, Director of Education Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute; and Doug Mesecar, Vice President for Scholastic, to its board of directors.

(Vocus) -- The American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence, a non-profit, Washington, D.C. based teaching certification program, has named three new members to its board of directors.

Joining the ABCTE board were Michelle Bernard, president and CEO of the Independent Women's Forum (IWF) and an MSNBC political analyst; Frederick M. Hess, Director of Education Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI); and Doug Mesecar, Vice President for Scholastic.

Bernard, an attorney by training, is a regular panelist on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews and The McLaughlin Group. She is a Sunday columnist with The Examiner and a political commentator for The Hill's Congress Blog. Bernard is the author of Women's Progress: How Women are Wealthier, Healthier, and More Independent than Ever Before. She has spoken on topics including education reform and school choice. Bernard recently hosted the live town hall About Our Children, featuring Bill Cosby, on MSNBC.

Hess, a former public high school social studies teacher, has authored several books and taught education and policy at universities including Georgetown, Harvard, Rice, the University of Virginia, and the University of Pennsylvania. He is executive editor of Education Next and a faculty associate with Harvard's Program on Education Policy and Governance. Hess also serves on the board of directors for the National Association of Charter School Authorizers and on the review board for the Broad Prize in Urban Education.

Mesecar oversees the editorial, marketing and sales efforts for Scholastic's suite of math products and is involved in Scholastic's long-term math strategy and new product development. Prior to joining Scholastic, Mesecar served in the U.S. Department of Education as Assistant Deputy Secretary, Office of Innovation and Improvement. There he oversaw efforts to make strategic investments in promising educational practices. Mesecar oversaw the administration of over 28 grant programs related to education improvement, school choice, teacher quality and technology. Before coming to Washington, Mesecar worked as a fifth grade teacher in Colorado.

"Our organization is in the midst of a tremendous period of growth. The experience and knowledge these individuals bring to our board will only further strengthen our organization as we work to ensure that every student has a great teacher," said ABCTE CEO David Saba.

ABCTE has issued over 2,000 teaching certifications to-date, with a focus on mid-career professionals. The organization offers certification in ten subjects including the high-need areas of math, science and special education. The program is currently accepted by nine states for public schools: Florida, Idaho, Missouri, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Utah. Many charter schools and private schools in other parts of the country also accept ABCTE certification.

ABCTE The American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence is a non-profit organization, dedicated to recruiting, preparing, certifying and supporting dedicated professionals to improve student achievement through quality teaching. ABCTE is accepted in nine states and offers an innovative teacher preparation and certification program for highly knowledgeable individuals who want to change careers and become teachers. For more information, please visit www.abcte.org.