A Busy Month for the 2024 Education Report Committee
The past month has been an eventful one for the 2024 Education Report Committee, as Career and Technical Education (CTE) has emerged as the key focus for this year’s report. CTE is a vital component of aligning education with real-world career opportunities, and the committee has been working hard to understand both the challenges and opportunities within this sector.
The committee kicked off the month with a presentation from Dan Phillips, who provided an overview of the Academies of Nashville (AON). AON offers personalized learning environments across 12 high schools, featuring 36 academies that engage students in career pathways. These academies operate as smaller learning communities, with coaches and interdisciplinary teams helping students align their interests with career opportunities. This personalized support allows students to explore career paths in fields like healthcare, IT, and advanced manufacturing, fostering strong connections between education and future employment.
A major focus of discussions has been the recruitment and retention of CTE teachers, especially in high-demand fields like IT and healthcare. While many CTE teachers come from industry backgrounds, the transition to education often proves difficult. Pay disparities between industry and education, along with state licensure requirements, have been noted as significant barriers. Dan emphasized the importance of creating a supportive environment and bridging the pay gap to attract and retain talented CTE educators.
During Session 4, Daryl Curry provided an update on the New Skills Ready (NSR) grant, which aims to align career pathways, expand real-world work experiences, and close equity gaps in MNPS. As the grant enters its final year, its focus remains on sectors like advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and IT. While MNPS has successfully built strong pathways in healthcare and advanced manufacturing, establishing IT pathways has been more challenging, primarily due to difficulties in recruiting CTE teachers in the tech sector.
Next, Candi Collier, Senior Director of CTE for the Tennessee Department of Education, offered a state-level perspective, highlighting Tennessee’s 16 career clusters and 58 programs of study. She discussed the importance of the Perkins grant in funding these programs and raised concerns about the challenges in recruiting skilled instructors, particularly in fields like IT. Candi pointed out the significant financial burden of the teacher licensure process, which can cost individuals up to $15,000, and expressed optimism about the possibility of a future state-run EPP program to reduce barriers for industry professionals transitioning into teaching.
The committee also heard from Dr. Adrienne Battle, Superintendent of MNPS, who shared insights on the district’s progress with teacher retention, particularly in CTE. While MNPS has seen improvements in overall teacher retention, recruitment of CTE educators in specialized fields remains a challenge. Dr. Battle highlighted adjustments to the salary schedule that now recognize industry experience, which could benefit incoming CTE teachers. In addition, MNPS is continuing partnerships with institutions like Austin Peay and Lipscomb to embed teacher certification opportunities and collaborate with industry leaders to create sustainable CTE pipelines in healthcare, business, and IT.
The committee had the opportunity to hear directly from CTE teachers at MNPS, who shared their experiences and offered valuable insights into the profession. Several teachers mentioned that work-life balance and stability were significant factors in their decision to pursue a career in education. Others discovered CTE after starting careers in other industries and felt that they would have entered the field sooner had they known about it earlier. However, the teachers emphasized that recruitment often happens through personal connections rather than formal channels.
The panel also discussed the challenges of the licensure process. Several teachers described their struggles with completing the required courses and certification exams within the given timeframe. The rigid requirements, high costs, and complexities of the certification process have caused some teachers to leave the profession.
Additionally, CTE teachers emphasized the importance of industry partnerships and experiential learning for students. They called for more involvement from industry partners to provide real-world experiences, such as apprenticeships and internships.
These sessions have provided valuable insights into both the challenges and opportunities in CTE, and the committee is looking forward to finalizing its recommendations for the 2024 Education Report. Stay tuned for more updates as the committee continues its important work!
Stay tuned for updates on the committee’s progress, and be sure to explore the 2023 Education Report to see the impactful work that continues to guide our community’s educational initiatives.
