Changing the Perception of CTE -- It's a Team Effort

In celebration of Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, a five-county collaborative of students and educators was held Tuesday, February 20, 2007, at the N.C. Legislative Building in Raleigh. To help dispel the long-outdated "Voc Ed" image, legislators visited CTE exhibits that filled two large wings of the building. The displays, manned by students and educators, presented wide-ranging examples of CTE curriculum, from sophisticated design/computer programming to apparel development to aerodynamic engineering.

Collectively, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Durham Public Schools, Johnston County Schools, Orange County Schools and the Wake County Public School System brought about 35 teachers and 60 students from 20 schools to represent a sampling of the CTE courses found throughout North Carolina. Wake Technical Community College also participated to highlight the educational opportunities of the Huskins program for our high school students.

In addition to many of the 170 state senators and representatives, also attending the event were N.C. State Superintendent June Atkinson; Howard Lee, chairman of the State Board of Education; Ted Summey, president, NCACTE; and NCACTE lobbyist Dave Simpson.

This CTE Legislative Day 2007 event was coordinated by Wake County Business Alliance Coordinator Megan Kirkpatrick with valuable assistance from Patricia Harris, CTE director, Orange County; Kathi Breweur, CDC, Durham County; Winslow Carter, internship coordinator, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools; and Bill Ellis, Johnston County, VoCATS coordinator.

Photos from the event.

Posted by Chris Droessler at 09:25 AM on February 27, 2007 | Leave Feedback

What Do You Think?

Have an opinion about this article? Let us know, using the form below.

Your Feedback: