Two Walton Central School teachers earned national board certification this year, officials from New York State United Teachers said Tuesday.

Lori Rosa, who teaches 10th-grade social studies, and Mary Harper were among 103 state teachers honored by the Virginia-based National Board of Teaching Standards.

The newly certified teachers were announced Tuesday morning during a press conference at NYSUT headquarters in Latham.

Rosa and Harper were the only two local teachers to complete the arduous process to receive certification.

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards has certified 23,930 teachers since 1994 — 285 of them from New York — according to board statistics.

To earn the distinction, teachers must complete a self-evaluation that can take 200 to 400 hours and pass an examination. Even teachers not chosen for the honor say the process was the best professional enrichment of their careers, said Barbara Kelley, chairwoman of the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards.

A board-certified teacher typically becomes an important mentor who can energize and improve an entire school, Kelley said.

The New York State United Teachers union, which honored the winners Tuesday, called on the state to provide a $5,000 bonus for winners to encourage more teachers to attempt the certification. This year, 165 New Yorkers applied and more than 200 are applying for next year, said NYSUT's Carl Korn.

The state provides $1 million for $2,000 grants to cover most of the registration cost. NYSUT provides another $500 for the additional costs as well as a 45-hour course, a staffer and an online resource.

New York also offers a $10,000 stipend for each of up to three years if a nationally certified teacher accepts a job for that time at a low-performing school, Kelley said. In addition, 40 of the state's 700 school districts offer bonuses or raises and the cash seems to prompt more applications, Korn said.

"What we find is when you have a financial incentive in place it actually is the carrot," Kelley said. "It gets their attention ... but what keeps them in the process is how it improves their practice."

State education officials called on the governor and Legislature to provide more support for teachers seeking certification.