Page 22 - The Edge - Back to School 2017

SUMMER CONFERENCE & EXPO

BY DON HARRIS

Educator Touts CTE, Says College Degree

Not Necessary for Many Quality Careers

A myth that career Arizona currently has 14
and technical education Joint Technical Education
only provides a path to Districts (JTEDs) serving
low-paying, unskilled most of the state except
jobs needs to be dispelled, for a few rural areas and
an official of West-MEC elementary school districts.
said in a breakout session Donovan said he expects a
at the AASBO Summer move at the Legislature next
Conference and Expo on year to change the name of
July 20. JTEDs to Career Technical
Greg Donovan, West- Greg Donovan Mark Davenport Elizabeth Hawkins Tyler Shupe Education Districts
MEC Superintendent, (CTEDs) to better-reflect
was joined by Mark Davenport, their role.
Partner, SPS Plus Architects; Shupe of McCarthy
Elizabeth Hawkins, Architect, “You get to college by the direction you take. construction said people often
Senior Associate, DLR Group; There are a lot of good paying jobs and think of JTEDs as specializing in
and Tyler Shupe, Project Director, auto shops and home economics.
McCarthy Building Companies. careers that do not require a degree. But they “JTEDs today are much more
West-MEC (Western Maricopa involved in careers that require
Education Center) is a public do require education beyond the 12th grade. specialized training, Shupe said.
school district that focuses on A lot of opportunity is about the economy – For example, he said today’s CTE
hands-on learning, leadership provides training in several highly
development training and industry what are the needs of the community? We specialized careers, including
certi cation to help prepare today’s engineering science, respiratory
students for tomorrow’s careers. don’t need to be training people for things therapy, surgical technician, heavy/
Reciting the o cial de nition that don’t exist. The education system is industrial equipment maintenance
for career and technical education, te chnolog ies, business
Donovan said: “Career and about economics – giving people pathways to management and administrative
Technical Education (CTE) is services, aircraft mechanics,
the part of American high school careers that are sustainable.” hospitality management, so ware
that provides the link between the — Greg Donovan, West-MEC Superintendent development, and computer
needs of the labor market and the security coding.
needs of young people, to be fully “Students don’t just think of
prepared to move into the workforce and continue their career- graduating high school, they realize the opportunities available to
focused education.” high school graduates,” Shupe said. He singled out the prospect of a
But Donovan added: “We need to break the myth that somehow teenager learning how to work on an airplane engine or becoming
you choose to go to higher education OR choose to go to work. a pharmacy technician.
Ultimately, we all go to work.” Davenport of SPS Plus Architects mentioned other careers that
To improve its image, CTE is moving away from the term a CTE program may lead to, such as dental assistant, veterinary
vocational education. Vocational has “baggage,” he said. A science and understanding the ow of electricity at an APS plant.
dictionary de nition of vocational education is any job or career He told of students watching as certi ed veterinarians perform a
not requiring higher education, Donovan said. “All careers today procedure on a live animal. Other students get hands-on experience
require continued education, higher education, more education,” working on airplane frames, he said.
Donovan said.
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