Today's Podcasts guests are Jessica Golden, Senior Director, K12 District Partnerships and Peter Kelpin, Director, K-12 District Marketing. 

The educational journey includes so much more than traditional academic subjects. When young people learn about real-world skills in school, they’re equipped with the tools they need to navigate life’s daily challenges and set in motion skills that will propel them towards a successful future.

District administrators work tirelessly to provide resources that empower teachers to develop critical life skills in their students. Used by more than 7,500 districts, EVERFI provides free online programs to teach critical skills in the areas of mental health, financial literacy, health and wellness, STEM, career readiness, and more.

How does EVERFI work with districts?

Created by content experts and paid for by leading organizations passionate about education, all 100+ EVERFI lessons help teachers meet their standards while providing students with the critical skills needed to be successful in life.

EVERFI provides a host of no-cost services to districts ensuring that district learning goals are being achieved through the use of EVERFI’s platform. Districts are provided with an Implementation Specialist whose primary responsibility is to ensure that administrators have everything necessary to:

Impact Reports

Biannually, EVERFI provides Districts across North America with a robust Impact Report. The Impact Report, available to Districts at no cost, shares in-depth data around usage of EVERFI resources in the District, inclusive of student learning insights, attitudinal and behavioral changes of students, and aggregated school and teacher usage data to plan for growth with EVERFI resources. EVERFI Implementation Specialists and District Implementation Leads work with District leaders to review the report and build strategic implementation plans. Click here to continue reading.

Amy currently serves as the Coordinator of Career & Technical Education, World Languages, and Global Studies for the Parkway School District in St. Louis, MO.   As a professional developer, Amy focuses on the systemic and sustainable integration of “how do we do school differently” in order to prepare students for a global society and an ever-changing world.  Her work encompasses creating authentic solutions to meet the needs of all students with rigorous and relevant learning experiences.  In that work, she is exploring choice options for students, experiential learning, virtual course offerings, and global-ready academic programs.  Through community partnerships and establishing global competence as an organic and sustained focus, Amy is building a culture for this work in Parkway through partnerships with The Asia Society, The Stevens Initiative, The Longview Foundation, K12 Global Forum, and ASCD.

A quick search on Google Scholar will show research is deep and wide when it comes to retaining teachers, and Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers are no different. In fact, retention of CTE teachers may have a more profound importance - high school teacher turnover impacts CTE programs due to the dependence on relational connections that motivate a student to continue taking CTE courses. While retention of CTE teachers is vital to the continued success of a pathway, CTE teachers often have options outside of teaching, making it easier for the teacher to transition out of the classroom. In fact, CTE teachers typically have high levels of skill in the career field in which they are teaching, which gives them the ability to transition back to business and industry at any point. Connections with business and industry through advisory committees ensure a continued relationship with the industry the teacher left, keeping the option open to leave at any time. Furthermore, the average occupation-based certified (OCB) teacher applying for certification in Kentucky has worked in their field an average of ten years or more, which often means he or she is taking a reduction in salary to transition into the classroom. In addition to the salary differential, OCB teachers begin teaching with very little, if any, pre-service training and are expected to meet and exceed educational expectations immediately, with responsibilities above and beyond most teachers, including advising students participating in Career and Technical Student Organization chapters, maintaining effective advisory committees, and recruiting of students into their pathways. 

Until recently, regardless of prior education, OCB teachers were also required to complete a 64-hour planned program with one of five participating universities. This included courses in teaching CTE, as well as completing a rigorous internship program in their first year of teaching... 

Continue reading here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12PhfP2bgLvYAgbRfeuf-xD-aUPkB5EFMjuhIaldWfm4/edit?usp=sharing

Additional article: https://www.kentuckyteacher.org/features/2019/07/smoothing-an-alternative-pathway-for-cte-teachers/

Jodi Adams is the Director of the New Teacher Institute, the Kentucky Department of Education certification program for occupation-based career and technical education teachers, as well as a Clinical Instructor for the University of Louisville Department of Educational Leadership, Evaluation, and Organizational Development. Prior to joining the university, Jodi served as Career Pathways Branch Manager in the Kentucky Department of Education Office of Career and Technical Education. Before moving to the state department of education, Jodi taught business in Jefferson County Public Schools, the largest school district in Kentucky, and started a nationally recognized business program at Eastern High School, where she was instrumental in developing dual credit opportunities and work-based learning experiences. Prior to secondary education, Jodi worked in postsecondary recruitment and admissions for adult education programs and taught as an adjunct instructor for a community college and two universities. Her experience owning and operating a large retail store, as well as working in customer service and marketing for a Fortune 100 company, have shaped her approach to education.

Jodi Adam's Contact Info:

Twitter: @jodicoffeeadams

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jodiadams

Website: https://louisville.edu/education/degrees/cte-teacher-certification

For more than two decades Harry Snyder, President and CEO (Superintendent) of Great Oaks Career Campuses, has been committed to ensuring that youth and adults are prepared with the competitive skills necessary for economic growth. Because he understands that this means business and education working together, he has become a major voice in workforce training.

In 2014, the Great Oaks Board of Directors named Harry its fifth President and CEO. He is responsible for four campuses and career technical training for over 20,000 youth and 15,000 adults from 36 partnering school districts. Great Oaks is one of the largest career-technical school districts in the country, covering over 2,100 square miles in southwest Ohio.

Great Oaks has been named a Cincinnati Enquirer Top Workplace for 8+ years. Harry has been acknowledged multiple times as a Cincy Magazine Power 100 recipient.

He continues to hold many leadership roles in both professional and community organizations.  Presently serving on Boards of Learn 21, High Aims, Christian Benevolent Association, Ohio Association of Career Tech Superintendents, Clermont County Chamber of Commerce, Clermont UC Advisory, and the FFA Agriculture Education Foundation.

Harry holds a Master’s Degree in Vocational Education from Wright State University and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from the University of Cincinnati.

Harry has resided in Southwest Ohio his entire life. Presently he resides outside of Batavia with his wife Janet, he has two daughters and one son.

Contact info:  Harry Snyder, [email protected], 513-612-3646

Jim Michlig is the College Career & Experiential Learning Coordinator for the Muskego Norway School District.  Jim is the director of the district's CONNECT Academy which is the umbrella program for all experiential learning within the Muskego Norway School District. Jim believes that building strong relationships with business partners and helping students and families make informed decisions on their career path through CTE and experiential learning is the key to future success for all.

Connect with Jim: [email protected] Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-michlig-strategicadvisor/

STEVE WARD’S PURPOSE - HELPING OTHERS FIND THEIR PURPOSE

Engaging Educational Leaders and Students by bringing the conversation of personal Purpose into the classroom to:

One of the most important contributions Steve Ward makes to the discussion of Purpose-Driven Education is that most people wish to “help other people” with their profession when asked what they wish to do for a career. This innate drive stems from a universal desire to give and show love, and connect with others in a meaningful way. How we give and show love and connect with others is as unique as our individual fingerprints.

https://dreamcatcherprogram.com/resources/speaking-engagements/

Josh Davies is passionate about helping others make a difference in their lives, jobs, and community. Through his work as a speaker and trainer, he has engaged and encouraged professionals across North America, the Middle East, and Asia. His engaging and connecting speaking style combined with relevant content make him an in-demand speaker, giving more than 75 keynote presentations and workshops to education, workforce, and corporate events annually. Mr. Davies has been named by the Global Forum for Education and Learning as one of 2021’s Top 100 Visionaries in Education in recognition for his contributions to education globally. Additionally, Training Magazine named him as one of the 2021’s Top 100 Visionaries in Education in recognition for his contributions to education globally. Additionally, Training Magazine named him as one of the top 10 trainers under 40 in America and the Denver Business Journal tapped him as one of Denver’s 40 Under 40.

Davies is currently the CEO of The Center for Work Ethic Development, an organization committed to developing workplace skills in the global workforce. Partnering with organizations in all 50 states and 6 countries, they equip trainers and teachers to build the workforce of the 21st Century. A graduate of American University, Josh has been awarded the Mile High Energy Award by Visit Denver, and an honorary Doctorate of Foodservice by the North American Food Equipment Manufacturers Association for his contributions to the industry. He finished serving his second term on the Executive Board of the Colorado Workforce Development Council, where he chaired the State Education and Training Steering Committee. He also led the P-Tech Selection Committee for Colorado and served on the board of the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative. In addition to his work in the public sector, Josh also served on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals, was President of the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (CHART) and co-chaired the Colorado State Youth Council.

This past June, Jay became the principal of AmTech Career Academy in Amarillo, Texas, a $60 million renovation of an old Sears/Hastings facility. Tune in to hear about the inception story for this center and his vision for the future of Career and Technical Education in this community. 

Take a virtual tour of the campus here: https://youtu.be/c83_49bo1FI

Find out more about Jay's background and experiences in education and CTE below.

Educational Career

In this episode of the NCLA podcast, Rachael Mann is joined by Dr. Kevin J Fleming to discuss purpose-driven education. Dr. Fleming is an educator, national speaker, entrepreneur, and author. He is the producer of multiple, viral animation videos including Success in the New Economy, author of the educational bestseller, (Re)Defining the Goal, and currently Vice President of Planning and Development at Norco College in Southern California. Dr. Fleming is a passionate advocate for ensuring all students intentionally equip their potential, enter the labor market with a competitive advantage, and find their purpose, on purpose. 

"The process of occupational exploration, choosing a college major, and one’s initial career identification is too frequently haphazard and unintentional.  Most teens have no ideas what they plan to do with their life after 12th grade.  I certainly didn’t know what I wanted to do, except continue to go to school!  As a community college Vice President, I even hear from my college graduates - as recent as this spring - that they still have no idea what they will do after transferring, or what they plan to do after earning their 4-year degree.  Our current educational system has created widespread confusion.  This confusion then translates into high anxiety and directionless professional meandering.  Students end up taking “the wrong courses” while in college, and many change their major an exorbitant number of times, graduating with too many unnecessary units.  The result is too frequently the phrase, “I’ll figure it out later.”  Well, it’s later." Click here to continue reading Dr. Kevin's Blog Post.

www.KevinJFleming.com

Get your copy of (Re)Defining the Goal to help advance your student’s career readiness!

Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn.

In this episode, Rachael Mann is joined by Tiffanie Rosier and Brittany Hollis to discuss initiatives at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) including STEM and leadership opportunities for students. Learn more about the successes that are happening here: https://blogs.nvcc.edu/systemic/2021/04/29/nova-students-recognized-for-clri-success/

Tiffanie Rosier is a STEM Education Coordinator for Northern Virginia Community College.  She has a Bachelor’s in Public Relations from James Madison University, a Masters in Higher Education Administration from Western Kentucky University, and holds the Global Career Development Facilitator Certification.  Tiffanie has worked in Career Services at several institutions. She is also currently a participant in the ACTE Post-Secondary Leadership Success Program for Career and Technical Education Administrators.  Brittany is the Information and Engineering Technology Career Coach for Northern Virginia Community College. She has a Bachelor’s in Biology and Teacher Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Masters in Higher Education from North Carolina State University. Brittany was a former high school science teacher before transitioning to higher education and has worked with several STEM education programs at the collegiate level. 

Brittany Hollis is the Information and Engineering Technology Career Coach for Northern Virginia Community College. She has a Bachelor’s in Biology and Teacher Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Masters in Higher Education from North Carolina State University. Brittany was a former high school science teacher before transitioning to higher education and has worked with several STEM education programs at the collegiate level.