A career-centered education built on real experience
One of the most transformative aspects of Career and Technical Education is how it connects learning to real life. When students understand that what they’re learning is preparing them for long and fulfilling careers, they engage more deeply. They build confidence, competence, and the practical skills employers seek in today’s competitive economy.
I’ve seen that transformation firsthand, both as a teacher and someone who spent two decades outside the classroom as a financial analyst working with entrepreneurs. I began teaching Agricultural Science in 1987, but stepped away for 20 years to gain real-world experience in banking and finance. When I returned to teaching, I brought those experiences with me, and they changed the way I taught.
Financial literacy in my Ag classes was not just another chapter in the curriculum–it became a bridge between the classroom and the real world. Students were not just completing assignments; they were developing skills that would serve them for life. And they were thriving. At Rio Rico High School in Arizona, we embed financial education directly into our Ag III and Ag IV courses. Students not only gain technical knowledge but also earn the Arizona Department of Education’s Personal Finance Diploma seal. I set a clear goal: students must complete their certifications by March of their senior year. Last year, 22 students achieved a 100% pass rate.
Those aren’t just numbers. They’re students walking into the world with credentials, confidence, and direction. That’s the kind of outcome only CTE can deliver at scale.
This is where curriculum systems designed around authentic, career-focused content make all the difference. With the right structure and tools, educators can consistently deliver high-impact instruction that leads to meaningful, measurable outcomes.
CTE tools that work
Like many teachers, I had to adapt quickly when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. I transitioned to remote instruction with document cameras, media screens, and Google Classroom. That’s when I found iCEV. I started with a 30-day free trial, and thanks to the support of their team, I was up and running fast.
iCEV became the adjustable wrench in my toolbox: versatile, reliable, and used every single day. It gave me structure without sacrificing flexibility. Students could access content independently, track their progress, and clearly see how their learning connected to real-world careers.
But the most powerful lesson I have learned in CTE has nothing to do with tech or platforms. It is about trust. My advice to any educator getting started with CTE? Don’t start small. Set the bar high. Trust your students. They will rise. And when they do, you’ll see how capable they truly are.
From classroom to career: The CTE trajectory
CTE offers something few other educational pathways can match: a direct, skills-based progression from classroom learning to career readiness. The bridge is built through internships, industry partnerships, and work-based learning: components that do more than check a box. They shape students into adaptable, resilient professionals.
In my program, students leave with more than knowledge. They leave with confidence, credentials, and a clear vision for their future. That’s what makes CTE different. We’re not preparing students for the next test. We’re preparing them for the next chapter of their lives.
These opportunities give students a competitive edge. They introduce them to workplace dynamics, reinforce classroom instruction, and open doors to mentorship and advancement. They make learning feel relevant and empowering.
As explored in the broader discussion on why the world needs CTE, the long-term impact of CTE extends far beyond individual outcomes. It supports economic mobility, fills critical workforce gaps, and ensures that learners are equipped not only for their first job, but for the evolution of work across their lifetimes.
CTE educators as champions of opportunity
Behind every successful student story is an educator or counselor who believed in their potential and provided the right support at the right time. As CTE educators, we’re not just instructors; we are workforce architects, building pipelines from education to employment with skill and heart.
We guide students through certifications, licenses, career clusters, and postsecondary options. We introduce students to nontraditional career opportunities that might otherwise go unnoticed, and we ensure each learner is on a path that fits their strengths and aspirations.
To sustain this level of mentorship and innovation, educators need access to tools that align with both classroom needs and evolving industry trends. High-quality guides provide frameworks for instruction, career planning, and student engagement, allowing us to focus on what matters most: helping every student achieve their full potential.
Local roots, national impact
When we talk about long and fulfilling careers, we’re also talking about the bigger picture: stronger local economies, thriving communities, and a workforce that’s built to last.
CTE plays a vital role at every level. It prepares students for in-demand careers that support their families, power small businesses, and fill national workforce gaps. States that invest in high-quality CTE programs consistently see the return: lower dropout rates, higher postsecondary enrollment, and greater job placement success.
But the impact goes beyond metrics. When one student earns a certification, that success ripples outward—it lifts families, grows businesses, and builds stronger communities.
CTE isn’t just about preparing students for jobs. It’s about giving them purpose. And when we invest in that purpose, we invest in long-term progress.
Empowering the next generation with the right tools
Access matters. The best ideas and strategies won’t create impact unless they are available, affordable, and actionable for the educators who need them. That’s why it’s essential for schools to explore resources that can strengthen their existing programs and help them grow.
A free trial offers schools a way to explore these solutions without risk—experiencing firsthand how career-centered education can fit into their unique context. For those seeking deeper insights, a live demo can walk teams through the full potential of a platform built to support student success from day one.
When programs are equipped with the right tools, they can exceed minimum standards. They can transform the educational experience into a launchpad for lifelong achievement.
CTE is more than a pathway. It is a movement driven by student passion, educator commitment, and a collective belief in the value of hard work and practical knowledge. Every certification earned, every skill mastered, and every student empowered brings us closer to a future built on long and fulfilling careers for everyone.
Dr. Richard McPherson is an Agriculture Science Teacher at Rio Rico High School in Arizona. A former financial analyst and CTE advocate, he returned to the classroom with a passion for combining real-world experience with purpose-driven instruction.
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The NCAA owes a former college football player and his wife $18 million, a South Carolina jury decided while finding college sports’ major governing body negligent in failing to warn the player about the long-term effects of concussions.
Following a civil trial that wrapped up late last week, Orangeburg County jurors awarded $10 million to 68-year-old Robert Geathers, who played at South Carolina State University from 1977 to 1980 as a defensive end. His wife, Debra, was awarded $8 million, according to a court document.
A physician diagnosed Robert Geathers with dementia several years ago, The Times and Democrat newspaper in Orangeburg reported. Now he has trouble with day-to-day tasks such as dressing himself and helping make meals.
Other physicians who testified at the trial said Geathers displays symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease found in former football players who received repeated blows to their heads while playing. CTE can be diagnosed only posthumously.
The couple’s attorneys argued to jurors that blows Geathers took during practices and games for the historically Black school in Orangeburg caused trauma that didn’t show up until decades later, the newspaper reported.
Geathers’ attorney, Bakari Sellers, alleged the NCAA knew about concussion risks since the 1930s and when Robert Geathers’ college career ended but didn’t tell coaches or players about those risks until later.
“All of the information they knew, they withheld,” Sellers told jurors, adding that “their job was to keep the boys safe.”
The verdict can be appealed. NCAA spokesperson Greg Johnson said Saturday in an email that the organization disagreed with the verdict and that it “was prepared to pursue our rights on post-trial motions and on appeal, if necessary.”
Johnson said the “NCAA has prevailed in every other jury trial around the country on these issues” and that the South Carolina State team standards “followed the knowledge that existed at the time, and college football did not cause Mr. Geathers’ lifelong health problems.”
NCAA trial attorney Andy Fletcher said at the trial that Robert Geathers has several health conditions that influence dementia-like symptoms, and that the NCAA’s football rules committee is composed of representatives of member schools who could propose rules.
“There’s going to be head-hits. That’s inherent to the game. You can’t take head-hits out of football,” Fletcher said in closing arguments.
According to the newspaper, the jury determined the NCAA “unreasonably increased the risk of harm of head impacts to Robert Geathers over and above the risks inherent to playing football.” And it also determined the NCAA “voluntarily assumed duties to protect the health and safety of Robert Geathers” and that the NCAA “negligently breached their duties” to him.
After the trial, Sellers said the result provided justice: “I felt good to hug Debra Geathers. She gets to go home and tell her husband some good news.”
Educators are embracing AI and career and technical education (CTE) as keys to preparing students for their future after high school, according to the 2025 Savvas Educator Index from K-12 learning solutions provider Savvas Learning Company.
The annual national survey of K-12 teachers and administrators offers a pulse check on what educators see as the most pressing challenges and promising solutions in U.S. education this coming school year and beyond.
“Educators are embracing new possibilities for student success and are eager for innovative tools that empower more effective, relevant learning experiences,” said Bethlam Forsa, CEO of Savvas Learning Company. “This year’s Savvas Educator Index highlights a collective demand for solutions that meet the moment, including AI and CTE, without compromising durable, essential skills like critical thinking, communication, and collaboration.”
AI in classrooms? Only if it builds real-world skills
Educators are cautiously optimistic about AI, with 66 percent planning to increase AI use in the 2025-26 school year–up from 57 percent last year. Of those who teach or oversee high school, more than half (56 percent) believe understanding AI is “very” or “extremely” important for students’ future success.
But that optimism is tempered by concern.
Only 5 percent of educators are confident that their students know how to use AI responsibly and critically.
The majority (70 percent) of educators say they have received no professional development to support students in learning to use AI for schoolwork.
Nearly half (43 percent) of all educators believe current AI use is negatively impacting students’ development of durable skills like communication and critical thinking. This increases to 51 percent among grade 6-8 teachers and 68 percent among high school teachers.
The disparity between educators’ optimism around implementation and concern around students’ durable skills sends a clear signal: educators want AI tools that come with guardrails, guidance for implementation, and controls meant to develop those skills, not create shortcuts.
CTE Is the leading model for future workforce readiness
While traditional academic routes like Advanced Placement (AP) courses have fallen behind in educator favor, CTE is the clear frontrunner when it comes to preparing students for life beyond high school, according to the survey.
More than double the number of educators selected CTE (63 percent) as the top program to best prepare students for success after high school compared to those who selected AP courses (26 percent).
Among educators who believe CTE programs help students be successful after high school, 87 percent identified job-ready skills and technical training and 79 percent identified early exposure to career pathways and interests as the key benefits students gain from participating in CTE programs while in high school.
Among teachers who believe CTE programs help students be successful after high school, 77 percent said CTE enhances students’ employability after high school; that number jumps to 79 percent among administrators.
Dual enrollment is a critical bridge to success
As part of the broader shift toward workforce readiness, the survey found dual enrollment programs are also powerful tools to help students prepare for college and career pathways. Among high school educators whose schools offer these courses, the benefits are clear and compelling.
The opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school was cited by 88 percent of educators as a major advantage.
Reduced tuition costs followed closely behind as a major advantage at 75 percent, and a smoother transition to postsecondary education at 70 percent, underscoring dual enrollment’s role in making higher education more affordable and accessible.
Beyond cost savings, educators emphasized the importance of early exposure to college-level work and future career pathways, aligning with a national push to introduce students to postsecondary options earlier in their academic journeys.
Without relevance, students struggle to stay motivated
Educators are also sounding the alarm on a persistent and systemic issue: student motivation.
Three-fourths of educators surveyed (75 percent) cited lack of motivation as a leading challenge for the coming school year, with half of those respondents saying it is the top challenge students face.
Sixty-four percent of high school educators said motivation is a major barrier to earning a living wage after high school, and 45 percent said it hinders students’ college success.
These concerns further reinforce the demand for learning that feels connected to students’ lives and futures, and educators overwhelmingly point to intentional use of AI-powered tools and CTE offerings as ways to deliver student success beyond their K-12 education.
WATSONVILLE, Calif. — Gavin Abundis watched as firefighter Adrian Chairez demonstrated how he uses pulleys and harnesses to rappel down buildings. “You’ve probably seen it in the movies where they’re going down ‘Mission: Impossible’ style,” Chairez said with a laugh one day this past winter as he prepared to step off a tower. “We get to do that.”
Abundis, a then-senior at Aptos High School in Santa Cruz County’s Pajaro Valley Unified School District, has a friend whose home burned down a few years ago in a fire sparked by lightning. He said it’s pretty common to know someone who has been affected by fires in California, especially as they become more frequent and intense because of climate change. That drew him to this class on fire technology, and may steer his career.
“Knowing that there’s something that I can do about it to serve my community definitely encourages me to pursue this career,” said Abundis.
Demand for the course has grown so much in recent years that the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, which jointly runs the class with the Watsonville Fire Department, doubled the number of classes offered, from two to four, this school year. “There was a time when we would go into the schools and recruit students,” said Rudy Lopez Sr., fire chief of the Watsonville department. “Now, they just sign up.”
As climate change alters the environment and economies, the need is growing for jobs that help prepare for, respond to and lessen damage caused by fires, floods and other natural disasters. That’s led schools and community colleges to explore how to prepare students for careers in such fields as fire science, protecting and restoring watersheds and other ecosystems, forestry management and search and rescue. In some cases, student interest is driving the new courses — surveys show teenagers and younger adults are more environmentally conscious than older people and more likely to support action on climate change.
Watsonville, Calif., Fire Chief Rudy Lopez Sr. talks with students during a Fire Youth Academy class at Watsonville Fire Station No. 2. Credit: Minh Connors for The Hechinger Report
Kate Kreamer, executive director of Advance CTE, a nonprofit that supports state leaders who oversee career and technical education programs, said more school districts are offering climate-related CTE courses, but it’s challenging to find statistics because the issue is so politicized and because what the classes are called differs by school, district and state. One example of that growth: A “resiliency careers in forestry” program, which trains people as foresters, fire program managers and log truck drivers at five California community colleges, enrolls some 700 students compared with 37 when it launched three years ago, according to the Foundation for California Community Colleges.
Students in Santa Cruz’s yearlong fire science course say they love that it’s so hands-on. They practice putting on and taking off more than 70 pounds of equipment in under 90 seconds, watch water cannons blast from the top of fire engines and get a chance to hold “attack lines,” 200-foot-long water hoses. They also learn about the specialized vocabulary of firefighting, the range of jobs available and the certifications that are required. The course helps expose students to careers in firefighting, which is facing a significant shortage of people to fill jobs in California and some other regions of the country. In the state, entry-level jobs pay between roughly $50,000 and $100,000 per year, according to the statewide group California Professional Firefighters.
Charlotte Morgan, a soft-spoken then-senior from Aptos in the Watsonville class, said she wanted to take this course specifically because of her interest in climate change: “Growing up in Santa Cruz, we spend so much time outside and we care so much about it, and I want to protect that.”
Her friend Bellamy Breen said she felt the same way, though she’s interested in working on water conservation issues. “With climate change there’s more droughts, there’s more saltwater intrusion, and with all the agriculture here, it’s very important,” she said.
Related: Want to read more about how climate change is shaping education? Subscribe to our free newsletter.
Watsonville firefighter Adrian Chairez rappels from the top of a building during a Fire Youth Academy class in Watsonville. Credit: Minh Connors for The Hechinger Report
President Joe Biden championed such initiatives as the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which invested billions of federal dollars in supporting jobs that tackle climate change, including clean energy manufacturing, water infrastructure projects and wildfire prevention and preparedness efforts. Under President Donald Trump, who calls climate change a hoax, there has been a swift reversal of those initiatives. In recent months, the federal government has let go of hundreds of climate scientists, halted research funding and canceled 400 grants to help communities prepare for more extreme weather events.
Yet for communities that have been hit with natural disasters, there is a demand for jobs that transcends politics, even in conservative communities where climate change is sometimes dismissed as fake science.
John Gossett, president of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College in North Carolina, said that after Hurricane Helene devastated his region last year, college presidents in Mississippi and Louisiana who have endured catastrophic natural disasters told him to expect an enrollment drop of 40 percent to 50 percent. But Gossett said that while enrollment in several programs has remained flat, courses in fields that were highly visible during the hurricane — such as fire and rescue, EMT and paramedics and nursing — have drawn more interest from students.
Police officers played a big role during the disaster, participating in search and rescue missions and directing traffic. Gossett said the college had to double its number of basic law enforcement training cohorts from two to four this semester in response to the unexpected demand. It also reinstated a course in geomatics, or land surveying, and added a class in agri permaculture, an approach to land management that imitates natural ecosystems in rebuilding. The college’s construction program offers additional environmentally friendly certifications, including in green buildings and solar technology.
Gossett sees a strong link between these in-demand courses and economic development of the region, even though there is no mention of climate change in course descriptions. “It’s in our mission, it’s what we do,” he said. “We’re trying to help people get to a better place in life, where they can make more money and have more options. And all of that is wrapped around workforce development.”
Southeastern Kentucky has also been hit recently by disasters, including catastrophic floods in 2021, 2022 and 2025 that led to a devastating number of deaths, unsalvageable homes and mud-filled businesses and school buildings. It’s the region served by Hazard Community and Technical College, with 4,400 students across campuses in Central Appalachia. “You just can’t believe how much water there was, there was 6 feet of water in one of our buildings,” recalled its president, Jennifer Lindon.
Students wait as firefighters prepare a demonstration during a Fire Youth Academy class in Watsonville. Credit: Minh Connors for The Hechinger Report
She said the college is rethinking course offerings to be more responsive to the disasters. Hazard offers an annual firefighter training, but water rescue is becoming such an important part of the job that the college is adding a swift water rescue component, focused on saving people from fast-moving floods, for first responders from across the state. Its classes in construction are changing too, to incorporate information on how to rebuild homes on higher ground to better withstand winds and floods. Because of the demand, Hazard now runs several construction courses simultaneously, and the curriculum is accelerated — what would have taken 16 weeks now takes six.
Lindon said there are waiting lists for Hazard’s heavy equipment and line worker classes, as the community clears debris and rebuilds infrastructure. The college is also designing a new course on water treatment systems, after a plant flooded, leaving several counties with no drinking water for days. Lindon said the county is building a new treatment facility, which means there will be several jobs available.
“It’s time to really sit down and think about how we plan for 10 years, 20 years, because I don’t think that these disasters are one-offs,” she said. “What we thought was a 1,000-year flood has happened in three of the last five years. So it’s a different time for sure. Most of us all really love this area. We want to stay here, so we need to figure out how to better protect it.”
Other institutions are seeing the need to reach out to students to get them interested in these careers early on. John Boyd leads Mayland Community College, about an hour’s drive from Asheville, North Carolina, which was devastated by Hurricane Helene.
Boyd’s community is still cleaning up from the storm, and the college has lost students as many residents moved out of the area. But it hired a firefighter instructor to teach the area’s all-volunteer firefighters and work with K-12 schools to expose younger students to careers important in the region. The college is also building an environmental science center featuring exhibits for children to give them a better understanding of local environmental changes, like how physical damage during Hurricane Helene caused rivers to become permanently wider and deeper.
In this deep red area, no one mentions climate change. “We’re a very, very conservative area here,” said Boyd. “We focus on what it is and what we do now, not how it got there.”
The college is also training operators of large machinery like backhoes and bulldozers. Half of the trees in one local county were downed in the storm, and other debris still needs to be cleared. “That timber in another year is going to become a massive fire hazard,” said Boyd. “For the next few years we’re going to have a lot of fuel laying on the ground.”
Kreamer, with Advance CTE, said disaster-related coursework is one piece of a bigger shift, with high schools around the country altering courses in fields as diverse as construction, HVAC, fashion technology and cooking to adapt for climate change. Matt Siegelman, president of Burning Glass Institute, which analyzes labor market data, said many traditional jobs now require an understanding of green technology. Construction, for example, increasingly relies on sustainable materials, energy-efficient designs and newer construction techniques. Green jobs are growing at about 2 percent a year, but traditional construction jobs that require some green skills are growing much faster, he said.
Kreamer said that as demand for these roles grows, a number of challenges must still be overcome, including improving collaboration between education and industries and between community colleges and K-12 schools. “You can only do so much by reskilling,” she said. “Adults have to look at the next generation as part of that pipeline strategy,” by introducing students to career options in elementary and middle school.
Jack Widman is dragged on the floor during a demonstration on how a firefighter would rescue someone during the Fire Youth Academy class in Watsonville. Credit: Minh Connors for The Hechinger Report
In firefighting, career opportunities differ by geography, with rural areas often relying on volunteer squads and larger cities on paid workers. Concerns about the health risks facing wildfire firefighters have also been intensifying.
In California, more than 6,500 wildfires have broken out so far in 2025, putting this on pace to be one of the worst years for fires on record. In Santa Cruz, district administrators expect more than 110 students to complete the fire science program this school year, compared with 57 last year.
Students say they learn not just about fighting fires, but also about standing up for others, persevering and not getting discouraged. “It’s super-valuable life advice,” said Jack Widman, a then-senior, during last winter’s class at the Watsonville fire station. Like his classmate Gavin Abundis, Widman is considering a career in firefighting.
“Firefighting doesn’t solve climate change,” added Abundis, “but I feel I’m part of the solution.”
Contact editor Caroline Preston at 212-870-8965, via Signal at CarolineP.83 or on email at preston@hechingerreport.org.
The Hechinger Report provides in-depth, fact-based, unbiased reporting on education that is free to all readers. But that doesn’t mean it’s free to produce. Our work keeps educators and the public informed about pressing issues at schools and on campuses throughout the country. We tell the whole story, even when the details are inconvenient. Help us keep doing that.
Man who killed four at New York office building had low-stage CTE, medical examiner says – CBS News
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New York’s chief medical examiner confirms that the gunman who killed four people at a Manhattan office building in July had low-stage CTE. CBS News reporter Andres Gutierrez has more.
As football fans were riding the highs of triumphant victories or weathering the lows of an early season loss, President Donald Trump criticized a recent NFL rule change.
“The NFL has to get rid of that ridiculous looking new Kickoff Rule,” he wrote Sept. 15 on Truth Social. “How can they make such a big and sweeping change so easily and quickly. It’s at least as dangerous as the ‘normal’ kickoff, and looks like hell. The ball is moving, and the players are not, the exact opposite of what football is all about. ‘Sissy’ football is bad for America, and bad for the NFL!”
His post misleads about the recent rule adjustment’s dangers — 2024 season data showed it made the game safer.
Trump was talking about the “dynamic kickoff,” a rule introduced ahead of the 2024 season. The change has kickers line up at the 35-yard line, and the rest of the team line up along the receiving team’s 40-yard line. Only the kicker and returners can move before the ball hits the ground or a returning team member touches it inside the 20-yard line. In 2024, kicks that went beyond the end zone were ruled touchbacks and went to the 30-yard line. This year, the league tweaked the rule so that teams receive the ball on the 35-yard line in that situation.
The NFL arrived at the rule change after years of review and experimentation as it sought to balance keeping the game entertaining and improving player safety.
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Early evidence shows that this season’s change boosted the return rate to its highest point since 2010. Nearly 77% of kickoffs were returned in the first two weeks of play this season, The Washington Post reported.
Before, players on opposing teams ran toward each other at high speeds and collisions often caused significant injuries. With players starting closer together, they collide at lower speeds.
Trump has previously denied the severity of brain injuries. In 2016, he criticized the NFL’s concussion protocols. In 2020, he described traumatic brain injuries U.S. service members sustained during a missile strike as “headaches” that he didn’t consider to be “very serious injuries” compared with people who lost limbs.
Here are three data points that shed light on the NFL’s change:
#1 Concussions decreased 17% after the 2024 rule change
In February, the NFL released data showing a 17% decrease in concussions during the 2024 season compared with the 2023 season.
“The new Dynamic Kickoff rule worked as intended,” the league reported. “Returns increased 57% in the regular season and there were 7 kickoffs returned for touchdowns, the most since 2021. The new rule slowed the average player speeds, as intended, which led to a lower concussion rate (down 43% vs. 2021-2023).”
During the 2015 to 2017 seasons, an NFL injury data review showed that while only 6% of plays were kickoffs, they represented 12% of concussions.
“Data suggested that players had approximately four times the risk of concussion on the kickoff compared to running or passing plays,” the NFL said.
A player who experiences one concussion becomes more vulnerable to future concussions, exercise physiology professor Melissa Anderson told Ohio Today.
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington (6) runs with the ball as he returns a kickoff for a touchdown during an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sept. 14, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP)
#2: Researchers found nearly 92% of former NFL players they’d studied had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.
In 2023, researchers at Boston University’s CTE Center said 345 out of 376 former NFL players’ brains — nearly 92% of the study subjects — had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a rare, degenerative brain condition likely caused by repeated head injuries such as concussions.
For comparison, when Boston University researchers studied 164 people from the general population who’d donated their brains to the Framingham Heart Study in 2018, it found only one with diagnosable CTE. The person was a former college football player, the university said.
CTE is incurable and can be diagnosed only after death. It can affect a person’s memory, thought processes, mood and personality and motor functions.
Boston University’s research could overstate the prevalence of CTE among NFL players because people might be more likely to donate their brains for research if they suspect they have CTE.
But the NFL and the sports medicine community have acknowledged that player safety is a significant concern. CTE was discovered in the early 2000s after the deaths of former NFL players. In December 2009, the NFL first acknowledged that concussions have long-term effects and introduced stricter rules about when players could return to play after concussion symptoms.
A 2019 study looking at injuries in high school sports found that football has the highest concussion rate of 20 sports evaluated, including soccer, basketball and baseball.
From 2015 to 2024, the NFL has reported 2,210 concussions — including those sustained during practices, preseason games and regular season games. There are about 1,700 NFL players during a regular season — 53 players for each of the league’s 32 teams.
#3: In 2013, the NFL settled a concussion-related lawsuit for $765 million.
After more than 4,500 former players sued the NFL, in 2013 the league agreed to compensate retired players for concussion-related brain injuries, pay for medical care and fund research.
The league denied wrongdoing, but the settlement followed decades of heightened scrutiny on NFL concussions, the league’s knowledge of concussion risks and NFL head injury protocols.
In 1994, the league created a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury committee, seemingly in response to high-profile incidents. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, for example, took a knee to the head during a 1994 championship game and later told his agent he had no memory of playing in the game. Merrill Hoge, a Chicago Bears player, retired in 1994 because of the dangers of continuing to play after several concussions, including one that left him unable to recognize his wife and brother.
Two studies are revealing new insight into the effects of head impacts while playing sports like soccer. One study focused on frequent soccer headers by amateur players. Dr. Michael Lipton, who led the research, joins to discuss.
America’s future is not made in factories or innovation labs — it’s forged in classrooms. We can’t bring good jobs back to U.S. shores if we don’t first educate a workforce capable of doing them. The latest National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, known as the Nation’s Report Card, paints a grim picture, with test scores down since 2019 for eighth graders in science and 12th graders in math and reading.
The lowest-performing learners lost the most ground, leaving large percentages of students unable to perform the strong academic work required for postsecondary life. Only about 1 in 5 high school seniors scored at the NAEP Proficient level in math. That puts them at a terrible disadvantage since STEM positions make up a growing percentage of the workforce. Nearly half were working below even the NAEP Basic level, meaning they likely don’t know how to use percentages to solve real-world problems.
This isn’t the first bad report card we’ve seen since the pandemic upended learning five years ago, but progress in American education has generally been stalled for at least a decade. Leaders at every level need to stop using the pandemic as an excuse and start looking for solutions. There have been times in the past when Republicans and Democrats have come together around education. While that may be difficult to do today, it’s needed more than ever.
We need new approaches, more resources and all hands on deck to help students develop the knowledge and skills to thrive in an increasingly complicated world. The teens who took the 12th grade tests are now out of school. They’re facing a workforce disrupted by AI and demanding more from them — not less. Even young people who opt not to go to college, such as those looking to work in manufacturing, for example, need more advanced STEM and literacy skills than in the past.
There are some areas of educational progress around the country we can learn from. For example, Indiana is remaking the American high school experience to personalize it and connect it to the world of work, while Rhode Island is reinvigorating career and technical education to embed it with more rigor and ensure it provides an on-ramp to an array of postsecondary options, including college.
We can also expand on the reforms that are taking root in elementary education. An emphasis on the research behind teaching children to read, sometimes referred to as the science of reading, is effective. And states like Mississippi and Louisiana, leaders in this movement, have seen strong literacy gains. We can apply that kind of evidence-based approach across K-12 subjects and grades.
It’s also vital to listen to what students are saying. Fortunately, the Nation’s Report Card can help with this.
Survey data accompanying the eighth grade science assessment suggests that inquiry-based learning is in decline. Fewer students say they’re spending time on things like designing experiments to answer research questions. That kind of instruction helps students build science knowledge and develop key skills like the ability to think critically and to collaborate with peers, exactly the kind of skills that AI can’t replace.
The best instruction has a purpose for learning, explores real-world problems and makes connections to work. Most states have passed science standards that promote this kind of instruction, but more resources are needed to get aligned materials into schools and provide teachers with the training to use them effectively.
Getting kids out of the classroom helps too. I invited elementary school students to my farm in western Massachusetts a few years ago and vividly recall a fourth grader’s aha moment, finally understanding decimals when collecting 2.25 inches of rain in a vial. It was a terrific example of how interdisciplinary science is and how powerful it is in experiential learning settings.
It’s true that science resources, such as lab materials, can be expensive; however, schools can tap into community partners and business leaders for assistance. In Massachusetts, for example, General Electric has helped bring mobile technology labs into schools.
One thing I am grateful for, even amid all this bad education news, is the high-quality data shining a light on the problems we’re facing. There are too many voices today calling for a rollback of testing. That’s a mistake. Obtaining meaningful data, such as that found on the Nation’s Report Card, is crucial. Of course, what we do with it matters even more.
It has been 42 years since American leaders from across political parties and sectors came together to bring attention to “A Nation at Risk,” a landmark report that spurred significant education reforms. And it’s been 36 years since 49 governors came together and defined the state role in K-12 schooling.
After these milestones, the nation saw sustained progress on NAEP. We need that same leadership now.
Republican Jane Swift is a former governor from Massachusetts who serves on theNational Assessment Governing Board, which oversees the Nation’s Report Card. She is also the CEO ofEducation at Work, a nonprofit that connects college students with work-based learning opportunities.
This story about NAEP scores was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for Hechinger’s weekly newsletter.
The Hechinger Report provides in-depth, fact-based, unbiased reporting on education that is free to all readers. But that doesn’t mean it’s free to produce. Our work keeps educators and the public informed about pressing issues at schools and on campuses throughout the country. We tell the whole story, even when the details are inconvenient. Help us keep doing that.
LOCKHART, Texas — Sometime last year, Alfonso Sifuentes was on a bus tour as part of a chamber of commerce’s efforts to map out the future of the bustling Central Texas region south of Austin where he lives and works.
There was chatter about why San Marcos, a suburb along one stretch of the Interstate 35 corridor, had little interest in a proposed expansion of Austin Community College into that area. Voters previously rejected the idea because of the property tax increase it would have required. As he swayed in his seat on the moving bus, Sifuentes, a businessman in the waste management industry who has long been involved in community development, thought about his hometown of Lockhart — like San Marcos just 30-some miles from Austin — and about the opportunities the college’s growing network of campuses could bring. Somewhere along the bus route, he made a declaration for all to hear.
“Well, if San Marcos doesn’t want it,” Sifuentes said, “Lockhart will take it.”
This November, the college is coming to voters in the Lockhart Independent School District with a proposition to begin paying into the Austin Community College taxing district. In exchange, residents would qualify for in-district tuition and trigger a long-term plan to build out college facilities in this rural stretch of Texas, which is positioning itself to tap into the economic boom flowing into the smaller communities nestled between Austin and San Antonio.
Community colleges have long played a crucial role in recovering economies. But in Lockhart, ACC’s potential expansion could serve as a case study of the role colleges can play in emerging economies as local leaders and community members eye the economic growth on the horizon.
That is, if they can convince enough of their neighbors to help pay for it.
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At the edge of two massive metropolitan areas — Austin to the north and San Antonio to the south — Caldwell County is dotted by quaint communities offering small-town living. While the streets in other small rural communities are lined by shuttered storefronts or sit in the shadow of industry long gone, local leaders pitch this as a place “where undeniable opportunity meets authentic Texas community.”
Lockhart, the county seat, is revered as the barbecue capital of Texas with an established status as a day trip destination. About 30 miles southeast of Austin, its picturesque town square hosts a regular rotation of community events, including a summer concert series on the courthouse lawn and a series of pop-ups on the first Friday of the month featuring some mix of live music, receptions at a local art gallery, and sip and strolls and cheesecake specials at the antique store.
The county’s population of roughly 50,000 residents is dwarfed by the big cities and the nearby suburban communities that often rank among the fastest growing in the country. But what the county lacks in population it makes up for with a relatively low cost of living, space to make room for industry, housing and, potentially, Austin Community College.
The potential annexation is an example of how colleges are becoming more nimble and more responsive to both emerging economies and the needs of students, said Maria Cormier, a senior research associate for the Community College Research Center at Teachers College, Columbia University. But Cormier argues such expansions must be intentionally designed with equity in mind to envision multiple pathways for students so that, for example, students from marginalized backgrounds aren’t limited only to certificate-level programming. (The Hechinger Report is an independent unit of Teachers College.)
Representatives of Austin Community College speak with community members to help them learn about the institution at an event in early October in Lockhart, Texas. Voters decide in November whether to accept a tax hike in exchange for the college expanding into their rural region. Credit: Sergio Flores for The Hechinger Report
“These sorts of questions become important when colleges are proposing these kinds of expansions: To what extent are they thinking about longer-term pathways for students?” Cormier said.
ACC already partners with Lockhart ISD on an early college high school that allows students to complete transferable college credit hours while earning a high school diploma, and proponents of annexation highlight the affordable higher education opportunities it would generally provide students in the Lockhart area. But their sales pitch emphasizes what it would mean to leverage ACC for the whole community. While the share of adults with a high school degree within Lockhart ISD’s territory is roughly aligned with the state, the share who have a bachelor’s degree — just 16.8 percent — falls to about half of the state rate.
“An effort like this can never be wrong if it always is for the right reasons,” said Nick Metzler, an information technology manager and consultant who serves as the president of the Greater Lockhart for ACC political action committee, which formed to pursue the college’s expansion.
First established in 1973, ACC has steadily grown its footprint in Central Texas through annexation. Though not commonly used, a provision of Texas education law grants a community college the ability to expand its taxing district by adding territory within its designated service area. Working within a service district roughly the size of Connecticut, ACC first expanded its reach in 1985 when voters in the territory covered by the Leander Independent School District, a northern suburb of Austin, agreed to be annexed.
In the years since, neighboring communities in the Manor, Del Valle and Round Rock school districts followed with large majority votes in favor of annexation. ACC’s expansion into Austin’s southern suburbs didn’t begin until 2010, when annexation passed in the Hays Consolidated Independent School District.
The collective initiative to bring ACC to Lockhart has been the topic of discussion for many years, but the current effort was formally triggered by a community-led petition that required locals to gather signatures from at least 5 percent of registered voters. Fanning out at youth sporting events, school functions and other community gatherings, PAC members met with neighbors who indicated their children would be the first in their families to go to college, if they could afford it. Others were adults excited by the prospect of trade programs and certifications they could pursue and the transformative change it could bring to their families as new industries move into Caldwell County.
A billboard promoting Austin Community College in Spanish sits on a highway that leads to Lockhart, Texas. Credit: Sergio Flores for The Hechinger Report
“Those things would catch a lot of the individuals who couldn’t make it to four-year universities or couldn’t afford to go to four-year universities,” Metzler said. “That’s always been kind of where we as a community have kind of been lacking.”
Lockhart also has an incentive for partnering with ACC: A recent assessment commissioned by the city identified the need to partner with a postsecondary institution for job training if it wanted to meet its economic goals and compete in its target business sectors, namely large-scale auto and electronic manufacturing, food processing and tourism. It also identified the lack of skilled administrative workers along with computer and math specialists as a challenge to reaching those goals.
In the end, PAC members easily surpassed the threshold of the 744 signatures they were required to submit — they turned in 1,013.
On the ballot now is a proposal for homeowners to trade $232.54 a year on average — a rate of $.1013 per $100 in property value — for in-district services. That includes a steep discount for in-district tuition that comes out to $85 per credit hour compared with $286 for out-of-district residents, though high school graduates from Lockhart ISD would also qualify for free tuition under a recently adopted five-year pilot program going into effect this fall.
“We are very interested in providing access to high-quality, affordable education in our region because we think it’s a game changer for families,” Chris Cervini, ACC’s vice chancellor for community and public affairs, said in an interview. “We think it promotes affordability by providing folks a lifeline to a family-sustaining wage, so we are very bullish on our value proposition.”
A flier provides information in Spanish about Austin Community College during a community event in early October in Lockhart, Texas. Credit: Sergio Flores for The Hechinger Report
The vote would also allow ACC to grow its tax base as it works to keep pace with its growing enrollment. When classes kicked off this fall, ACC was serving about 70,000 students across 11 campuses in the Central Texas region — an enrollment increase of 15 percent compared with a year earlier. The potential expansion comes as community colleges are adapting to a new state financing model based on student outcomes, including financial incentives for schools if students obtain workforce credentials in certain fields.
The college proposed a three-phase service plan that would begin with expanded offerings in the area, such as evening classes, and eventually work up to a permanent facility tailored to match workforce needs, including demand for certificate programs to “reskill and upskill” for various high-demand careers. Cervini, who has been a main liaison with the Lockhart community, previously said the college was considering whether it could quickly deploy its resources into the community through mobile training rigs for HVAC and welding.
Its timeline could be sped up now that the college has identified a historic building in the heart of downtown — the old Ford Lockhart Motor Company building — as its potential home. During a recent presentation to the Lockhart City Council, ACC Chancellor Russell Lowery-Hart told city leaders he appreciated that the site would represent the community’s history juxtaposed to “what we think the future looks like.”
But ACC leaders said the issue ultimately has to play out in the community. There’s been no apparent organized opposition to the vote in Lockhart, and ACC officials say they’ve been engaged with local leaders who have been supportive in helping inform voters about the annexation process. The proposal recently picked up the endorsement of Lockhart’s mayor, Lew White, who commended ACC leaders for their outreach to the community about their offerings.
“I think that’s what a lot of people have been asking for, and I think you’re really shaping your proposal for this fall election very nicely,” White said. “And I think it’s something that our community needs to get together and get behind and support.”
Even Lockhart ISD leaders frame the college’s pitch as an initiative with potential benefits extending well beyond the increased access it would offer students in the region.
Overseeing a record 6,850 students in a district covering about 300 square miles, Superintendent Mark Estrada said education is essential to cultivating communities where residents can not only actively participate in the sort of growth Caldwell County is experiencing but benefit from it as well.
“I think the real conversation and consideration is how would this benefit the educational attainment of the entire community, which currently is one of the lowest in Central Texas,” Estrada said. “The mid-career switches, people’s opportunity to have access to education to pursue a passion or career they’ve always been interested in — that’s a major consideration for the community. It’s a narrow look if we’re only looking at high school graduates.”
In exchange for paying more taxes, residents in the Lockhart Independent School District would qualify for in-district tuition at Austin Community College, which would also build out college facilities in this rural stretch of Texas. Lockhart grads also qualify for free tuition under a recently adopted five-year pilot program taking effect this fall. Credit: Sergio Flores for The Hechinger Report
Still, Caldwell County remains a conservative area in a conservative state where fighting property tax increases has become a favorite political calling card. Much of that debate has centered on funding for public schools, with the fight over school finance often falling to the question of whether older Texans, who are mostly white and less likely to have children enrolled in public schools, are willing to pay for the future of younger Texans, who are mostly Latino. Roughly 4 out of every 5 students enrolled in Lockhart ISD are Latinos.
Voters in the area have shown at least some unwillingness to foot the bill for education-related expansions. In 2019, they rejected a $92.4 million bond proposed to address the significant growth in student enrollment Lockhart ISD had seen in the prior decade. The bond package would have gone toward making more room for more students through the addition of a two-story wing to the local high school, two new school buildings and renovations throughout the district. It also would have backed improvements to the district’s workforce preparation efforts, including a new agricultural science facility and additions to the district’s career technology center to allow more students to participate in auto repair classes and hospitality training. Opponents of the measure, 1,632 voters, won with 55 percent of the vote compared with 1,340 who voted in favor.
This time around, proponents of annexation are hoping the eagerness they’ve felt in the community from those who signed onto the original petition — and those who come to see the broader benefits it could bring to the community — will translate to votes.
In recounting the interest they fielded in the early days of their efforts collecting signatures, PAC members described one canvas of a local gym in a portion of the county that’s seeing some of the biggest growth but trails in terms of income. Some of the gym-goers were enthusiastic about the possibility of pursuing technical certifications but realized they weren’t registered to vote, a requirement of the signature collection process.
They went out and got on the voter rolls. Then, they came back to put their names on the petition.
The Hechinger Report provides in-depth, fact-based, unbiased reporting on education that is free to all readers. But that doesn’t mean it’s free to produce. Our work keeps educators and the public informed about pressing issues at schools and on campuses throughout the country. We tell the whole story, even when the details are inconvenient. Help us keep doing that.
Fifty-nine percent of students say they would like more opportunities for career-connected learning, according to a new report from the New Hampshire Learning Initiative and Gallup.
About half of students say while at school, they learned about a job or career they previously did not know about. Students who have a mentor who supports their development are more likely to be engaged at school (36 percent) than their peers (16 percent).
Fifty-nine percent of surveyed students would like more career-related learning opportunities–especially if those opportunities align with their specific interests in jobs and careers. Just under half (48 percent) of high school students and only 25 percent of middle school students report their school’s career-connected learning offerings include the careers they are interested in.
Career-connected learning opportunities can include elective classes, units taught in core classes, career fairs, job shadowing opportunities, internships, and volunteering. Around one-third of students (34 percent) say their career-connected learning experiences have helped them formulate plans for life after high school. What’s more, at least half of students who have held an internship or externship (57 percent), completed a registered apprenticeship (54 percent), participated in job shadowing (51 percent), or taken a volunteer opportunity for a job- or career-related position (51 percent) say such activities helped inform their post-high-school trajectory.
Student engagement also increases with career-related learning opportunities. Fifteen percent of students who did not participate in any career-connected activity are engaged in learning, compared to 26 percent of those who have participated in at least one career-linked learning opportunity. Greater participation in career-related activities leads to even higher levels of engagement–45 percent of students who participated in 10 or more activities are engaged, compared to 22 percent among those who have participated in one to four.
“The NHLI-Gallup survey has been a game-changer for districts, providing data that underscores how important career-connected learning is to student engagement and mindset about the future. The data could not have come at a better time,” NHLI’s Executive Director Ellen Hume-Howard said in the report.
Laura Ascione is the Editorial Director at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s prestigious Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY — Savvas Learning Company, a next-generation K-12 learning solutions leader, today announced the acquisition of Pointful Education, a provider of innovative, online career and technical education (CTE) courses that prepare students with the industry knowledge and skills needed for future careers.
Specializing in career-focused courses and certification exam preparation for middle and high school students, Pointful Education offers a wide range of virtual and blended learning solutions that engage students in career exploration and prepare them for the workforce. Its robust catalog features 55 courses that are aligned with nationally recognized career clusters. The courses offer engaging instructional design packed with interactives, videos, projects, language translations, and text-to-speech functionality.
The acquisition of Pointful Education follows news in February of Savvas Learning Company’s strategic acquisition of Outlier, which offers high-quality, online college-level courses that enable high school students to earn dual credit while never having to leave their school building. Outlier by Savvas provides immersive, cinematically-produced courses in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences taught by world-class, charismatic instructors from NASA, MIT, Harvard, Yale, and other top institutions.
“There’s a growing demand in the education marketplace to provide secondary students with multiple pathways for college and career learning that ignite a passion for career exploration,” said Bethlam Forsa, CEO of Savvas Learning Company. “In addition to providing students an opportunity for college learning with our Outlier offerings, the acquisition of Pointful Education allows us to provide the millions of secondary students we serve with a broader array of high-quality technical, career-focused courses for high-demand, high-skills, and high-paying careers.”
From CTE courses to exam preparation, Pointful Education courses give students the edge they need to be successful in their field of choice and master career-readiness skills training. Its catalog of elective and career-focused digital courseware includes titles such as: Adobe InDesign; Agriscience; Career Exploration in Healthcare; Construction: Fundamentals and Careers; Cybersecurity; Drones: Remote Pilot; Early Childhood Education; Robotics: Applications & Careers; and Social Media Business Marketing. Nearly half of Pointful Education courses are directly aligned to an industry-recognized certification exam, so when students are done with the course they are prepared to take the exam.
“We built our courses to give students the tools they need to develop the job-specific knowledge and skills for success in their future careers,” said Steve Southwick, CEO and founder of Pointful Education. “We’re so excited to join Savvas and be able to accelerate the development of new, high-quality career-focused courses that help schools support and expand their CTE pathways and grow their program offerings.”
ABOUT SAVVAS LEARNING COMPANY
At Savvas, we believe learning should inspire. By combining new ideas, new ways of thinking, and new ways of interacting, we design engaging, next-generation K-12 learning solutions that give all students the best opportunity to succeed. Our award-winning, high-quality instructional materials span every grade level and discipline, from evidence-based, standards-aligned core curricula and supplemental and intervention programs to state-of-the-art assessment tools and the industry’s most well-rounded portfolio of college- and career-readiness solutions — all designed to meet the needs of every learner. Savvas products are used by millions of students and educators in more than 90 percent of the 13,000+ public school districts across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as well as globally in more than 125 countries. To learn more, visit Savvas Learning Company. Savvas Learning Company’s products are also available for sale in Canada through its subsidiary, Rubicon.
eSchool Media staff cover education technology in all its aspects–from legislation and litigation, to best practices, to lessons learned and new products. First published in March of 1998 as a monthly print and digital newspaper, eSchool Media provides the news and information necessary to help K-20 decision-makers successfully use technology and innovation to transform schools and colleges and achieve their educational goals.
Editor’s note: This article was produced with support from the Education Writers Association Reporting Fellowship program.
In a state full of rural, tucked away corners, Lincoln County is one of Montana’s most rural and tucked away.
The county of 20,000 people is located in the state’s far northwest corner, bordering Canada and Idaho’s panhandle. Its communities are dotted around the Kootenai National Forest, whose 2.2 million acres of firs, pines, spruces and towering mountains define the craggy landscape.
Libby, the county seat of 3,100 residents, is 69 miles from Eureka, the county’s second-biggest city of 1,500 residents.
Lincoln County is rural and rugged, forged by industry and ecology and steeped in a complicated history of extraction, exploitation and economic struggle. It is a place where everyone knows someone who knows your cousin — a place where the future is still being dug out of the past.
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Montana’s changing economy is palpable in Lincoln County, where formidable mills and mines once powered its small towns. The area used to be a historic powerhouse of timber and vermiculite production before shifts in the natural resource economy in the 1990s and 2000s marked the closure of nearly every local timber plant and Libby’s vermiculite mine, leaving thousands unemployed.
At the vermiculite mine, workers for decades were exposed to deadly asbestos fibers that killed hundreds, and trains carrying asbestos products blew toxic chemicals across town. As of 2021, 694 Libby residents had died of asbestos related diseases. The mine’s owner, the W.R. Grace Company, kept workers in the dark about the dangers of asbestos exposure.
It is under the shadow of the shuttered mills and mines that Lincoln County is forging ahead, crafting a future that community leaders hope will honor its history while breaking free from its dependence on extractive industries. At the center of that future is a local community college, which is helping Lincoln County residents adapt to a brave new world, building careers close to home and granting them a once elusive future in the community that raised them.
It’s a future that, according to Megan Rayome, the director of the college, is built on the premise that Lincoln County “hasn’t been left to die.”
Megan Rayome, Program Director of the Flathead Valley Community College’s Lincoln County Campus in Libby, pictured on Aug. 12, 2024. Credit: Hunter D’Antuono | Flathead Beacon
“It was almost like a guaranteed job,” Kathy Ness, executive director of the Eureka Chamber of Commerce, said of the logging industry in Lincoln County.
On an early summer day in the small town, Ness recounted her own journey to Eureka.
Ness “married in” to Eureka, settling in the town with her husband who was raised there. She’s been in Eureka for 45 years, a period during which she watched the economy ebb and flow, including her husband’s now long gone career as a logger. Her children and grandchildren have largely left home, seeking jobs in bigger markets. While they’d like to come home, “There’s not a lot in Eureka,” Ness said.
After decades of strong timber markets in Montana, a confluence of local and global factors began to slow the industry’s production in Lincoln County. Overharvesting led to a downturn in timber availability on National Forest land. Economic uncertainty in the 1990s and 2000s forced fluctuations in demand. Environmental litigation shut down operations. Four mills in Lincoln County shut down between 1993 and 2005, leaving more than 500 residents without work.
Following the closure of Libby’s vermiculite mine in 1991, the county’s unemployment rate reached 29%. A decade later, after Libby’s Stimson Lumber Mill closed in 2002, unemployment hit 15.8%.
“It was very damaging to the overall psyche,” Rayome, who grew up in Libby, said.
Rayome is the director of Flathead Valley Community College’s (FVCC) Lincoln County Campus (LCC). LCC is a satellite campus of FVCC, which for four decades has offered career training and college courses to local students. It’s a small campus, boasting seven employees who work in its sole building near downtown Libby.
As a kid, Rayome remembers when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency set up shop in Libby in the late 1990s, tearing up lawns and attics in order to remove toxic asbestos. She remembers her father, a former miner, attending classes at LCC to learn computer skills in hopes of building a new career. She sometimes attended classes with him when he couldn’t find childcare.
Rayome also remembers moving to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, during her youth so that her mother could pursue a degree in nursing. While critical for her mother’s career, the move was disruptive for Rayome, who had known nothing but Libby her entire life.
“I did not enjoy that my mom moved me from my childhood home,” she said. “It’s a small town where you have the same friends and your family is all there. It was difficult for us, in a lot of different ways, for our family.”
Rayome finished high school in Idaho, then moved to Arizona for college, where she earned her bachelor’s and law degrees from Arizona State University.
While in Arizona, Rayome read about how people from rural communities who sought advanced degrees were often forced to leave home to do so, many never returning. The phenomenon, often called rural “brain drain,” stuck with her. She knew she needed to go back to Lincoln County.
After law school, Rayome returned to Libby to practice law. When LCC needed a director in 2020, she jumped at the opportunity.
Aerial view of Libby on March 19, 2024. Credit: Hunter D’Antuono | Flathead Beacon
Lincoln County’s first college program was born in 1979, after a group of local stakeholders identified a need for a college-level course in supervisory and management skills to meet industry needs. The coalition of local residents partnered with FVCC in Kalispell to bring a supervisory management certificate to Libby the next year. It proved so successful that the Libby Chamber of Commerce formed a committee to investigate expanding higher education.
Four years later, FVCC and the county reached an agreement to open a satellite campus in Libby. LCC classes were initially held in local high schools before the college found a home in an old school building on Mineral Avenue.
By 1987, the campus enrolled 73 full-time students, ranging from teenagers to middle-aged mothers heading back to work. According to local reporting, the campus’ “bread and butter” was non-traditional college students, including those who were looking for job changes, facing career-altering injuries or rebounding from layoffs. By 1994, enrollment had risen to 150 students.
A financial dispute between LCC and FVCC’s main campus in Kalispell nearly severed the colleges’ ties in the late 1990s, but the campuses were able to make amends.
In 2002, LCC moved to its current building, which was formerly occupied by the U.S. Forest Service.
“For the first time in the history of the LCC, we will take on the image of being a viable college in Libby and Lincoln County,” interim director George Gerard told the Daily Inter Lake at the time of the move.
LCC Director Pat Pezzelle in 2004 made local headlines after appearing at a board meeting virtually — a rarity at the time — through the campus’s first interactive, video teleconferencing (ITV) equipment. The distance learning classroom further expanded access for rural students. It was acquired through a $350,000 grant championed by then-U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns.
Flathead Valley Community College’s Lincoln County Campus in Libby, pictured on June 28, 2024. Credit: Hunter D’Antuono | Flathead Beacon
According to college leaders, LCC’s success has been grounded in a collective impact framework that designs programs from the ground up, rather than the top down. It’s a model that responds directly to industry needs, carving out degree programs with local relevance and, for graduates, long-term economic benefits.
After the Stimson Timber layoffs in 2002, college leaders vowed to retrain Libby’s nearly 300 displaced workers.
“We have to figure out what kind of training we can provide to make these people employable,” LCC instructor and advisor Chad Shilling said at a staff meeting after the closure, according to newspaper archives. “I don’t know if they’re going to be here for the long-term commitment, but we’re going to be here to take care of their immediate needs the best we can.”
FVCC President Jane Karas said she has “lots of those kinds of stories” about locals who showed up at the college’s door jobless and left with a new career.
Karas described one student who, before being laid off by the Owens and Hurst Mill in Eureka in the mid-2000s, had “never done anything but run logs through this mill.” After enrolling in FVCC, he completed a degree in computer science and went to work in IT.
In 2011, the college trained its first batch of welders through a 10-week program that catered to workers who had been laid off from mining and timber jobs. The program was designed to place workers at Stinger Welding, an Arizona-based bridge building company that brought 70 jobs to Libby before its closure in 2013.
When Kalispell-based Nomad Global Communication Solutions (GCS) announced its expansion into Libby in 2022, the need for welders and machinists grew. LCC worked with the local school district to launch an evening welding class at Libby High School. In its first class, the college filled seven of eight welding booths with eager learners from all walks of life.
Through the Running Start dual enrollment program, eight Libby High School students this spring passed their 3G 3/8 Welding Qualification in a college-level course. Many said they plan to expand their skills next year in pursuit of the 6G test.
“We focus on how to be most cost-effective, support our community and meet the needs of our students and our employers,” Karas said.
The landscape of Lincoln County near Eureka on May 29, 2024. Credit: Hunter D’Antuono | Flathead Beacon
“What the college did, that is extremely important in terms of working with smaller rural communities, is to go out and establish a relationship,” Lisa Blank, executive director of workforce development for FVCC, said. “Not waiting for them to come to you, but you going out to them.”
Blank acts as the conduit between FVCC, businesses, the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, public schools and students, all of whom have a vested interest in the college’s career programs. Her job was created specifically to streamline communication between those stakeholders.
“There were lots of things going on on campus — great opportunities — but they weren’t necessarily synergistic or integrated,” Blank said. “One of the tasks that this position was given was to come up with a way to integrate the effort so that we can better leverage it for the use of students.”
Blank sought out grants to expand LCC’s capacity in welding, commercial driving and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining following the expansions of Nomad GCS and Alpine Precision into Lincoln County. She helped to create a fully online land surveying program, which will begin this fall. She worked with the Montana Logging Association to buy a $100,000 state-of-the-art forestry simulator to prepare students for jobs in logging.
Blank says the college is the “linchpin” that holds together stakeholders in Lincoln County, but that it is not alone. Blank works closely with the Libby School District, Libby Job Service, the Department of Labor and companies in fields from healthcare to heavy machining.
“Everyone needs to be at the table,” she said.
Tabitha Viergutz, Libby Community Officer for the LOR Foundation, and an alumna of the Libby community college, pictured in a cafe in downtown Libby on June, 28, 2024. Credit: Hunter D’Antuono | Flathead Beacon
For Rayome and LCC administrators, the college’s work goes beyond developing hard skills. It is an institution that breaks down many of the barriers to higher education faced by rural students.
“Being rural is hard,” said Tabitha Viergutz, a longtime Libby resident and the local community officer for the LOR Foundation, a community development fund that works in small towns across the West.
Sitting in a combined coffee shop and carpet store in downtown Libby, Viergutz described her own arc at the college, one that brought her to her current work in the community.
Viergutz moved to Libby 13 years ago as a nail technician. Unable to get her esthetician business off the ground, she struggled to feed her family. She decided to enroll in LCC with the goal of earning an associates degree in social work. While at the college, she took a combination of in-person and virtual classes through the ITV system, which she described as “amazing.” When LOR needed a local leader to run its Libby branch, mentors from the college tapped Viergutz.
“I wouldn’t have gone back to college had LCC not been here,” she said.
Viergutz’s story is common in Libby. A young mother, the idea of moving to Missoula or Kalispell for college was out of the question. The cost of full-time enrollment was daunting. So, too, was the idea of becoming a non-traditional student in a traditional classroom setting.
Before financial aid — which, FVCC officials note, there is plenty of — a full semester of tuition and fees for an in-district student at LCC costs $2,810. Comparatively, an in-state resident at the University of Montana in the same semester will pay $4,273. At Carroll College, a private university in Helena, a semester costs $20,066 before aid.
“When you become a resident of a small, rural area, that’s where your heart lies,” she said. “The idea of going to a large college just isn’t in the cards.”
Jayne Downey, director of the Center for Research on Rural Education at Montana State University, said that beyond being smaller and more affordable, rural colleges like LCC are able to draw on the “unique strengths and assets” of their small towns, building curriculum and preparing students for careers in a way that is rooted in specific community needs.
“These smaller graduating classes, everybody knows everybody. You are known. You are cared for. Your academic needs can be addressed individually,” she said. “The places where our schools are situated — the communities are a wealth of knowledge and resources, of history and culture, of science and technology. It surrounds them.”
A Logger Nation flag flies in downtown Libby on Oct. 5, 2023. Credit: Hunter D’Antuono | Flathead Beacon
Viergutz is an unofficial spokesperson for the new Libby. She said the town is “changing our focus to what we have versus what we lost.”
Libby’s first brewery, Cabinet Mountain Brewing Company, just celebrated its 10th anniversary. A kickboxing studio came to town last fall. In the new Kootenai Business Park, a former Stimson Lumber facility, there’s a pickleball court and a large Nomad GCS office. Dollar General is now in Libby and Eureka.
“I think that Libby is still very much ingrained in our history, and very much would love to see those industries come back,” Viergutz said of mining and timber. Yet, she added, there’s “a forward facing view on reality.”
Rayome said Nomad GCS’s arrival in town “increased the upward spiral of hope.”
“We’re seeing people not just coming in to ogle at our sadness,” Rayome said.
Blank, FVCC’s workforce development director, said the future of LCC’s success lies not just in training workers, but in developing local leaders who can spearhead programs and help recruit a next generation. Cultivating homegrown leadership is part of the community resilience model that Blank bases her work off of.
“We want to build leadership in these communities,” she said. “They know what they need most, and they will always know better because they live there.”
In the future, Rayome hopes to open a dedicated building at LCC for hands-on trades education. She wants to invest in new technology, revamping the college’s ITV infrastructure. Like Blank, she wants to continue to foster leaders who were born and raised in Libby — those who want to help the town move into the future. As more jobs arrive, so too will demand for restaurants, healthcare facilities, homes, schools and the workers who power them. It’s all part of the “upward spiral of hope” that she described. Though it will be challenging, Rayome said, Lincoln County will adapt to a new economic future.
“They’re doers. They believe in themselves,” she said of Libby. “It’s a community of survivors.”
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For the last three years, I have worked as a digital integration specialist for Anderson School District 5 in South Carolina. In this role, I support teachers by providing high-quality learning opportunities through innovative integration of instructional technology. One of the schools I serve is a CTE high school and I am always on the hunt for new tools to prepare these students for their future careers.
According to a study conducted by ECMC Group, 81 percent of high school students surveyed said learning skills they need to be successful in the real world is a top criterion in choosing a path after they graduate. But there’s a disconnect between what students know they want to learn and what they do learn. A YouScience survey found 83 percent of today’s learners can’t connect the skills they have and learn in school to future employment. Many students simply don’t have access to industry professionals to get a better look at careers they are interested in and understand what skills and abilities are necessary for those fields. This can lead to thinking that pursuing that career in the future is impossible.
Knowing this, I work to provide students with opportunities for career-focused learning that encourages them to be curious about different careers. Here are some tools that I love to use and have found effective with my students:
Career Connect
I was invited to pilot Discovery Education’s Career Connect platform during the 2023-2024 school year (and I’m happy to report that it is now open to all 4.5 million educators who use Discovery Education!). Through Career Connect, students connect with working industry professionals to learn about career journeys and what it’s like to work in the field. Teachers can virtually connect students with industry professionals to talk about their careers, the concepts they use to solve problems, and the path they have taken to get to where they are today.
Career Connect offers many industry professionals for teachers to choose from, including software engineers, microbiologists, financial analysts and planners, and many more. For example, I worked with our computer science teacher to choose a professional that fit into her curriculum and submit a request through the Career Connect platform. The students were able to connect virtually with a Software Engineer and a Vice President of IT at a technology company.
It’s not just about the connection with the professional, though. I help make the learning last by utilizing the turnkey worksheets. With this resource, students are prompted to share three things they learned, two things they can do to prepare for their future, and one way the speaker inspired them. At the end of both conversations, students were given an opportunity to ask questions and have a meaningful conversation with the professional.
A Day in the Life
A Day in the Life is a free digital archive of first-hand written accounts of what it’s like to work in a specific field or role. Students will be able to find jobs that reflect their interests and get excited about their future. From social media manager, to oncology charge nurse, to video game lead animator, there are countless different career paths to explore.
These blogs are snippets of one day in the life of these industry professionals. Each one is time stamped, starting from when the professional first begins work that day and going until they arrive back home. Some articles provide additional background into their role’s responsibilities, such as explanations of the research conducted by an entry-level scientist in biotech, before going into a description of a typical day.
Students can explore a diverse range of careers connected to their current interests through these short, easily digestible articles. The standardized format, regardless of industry, makes the insights accessible and engaging, allowing students to quickly dive into a wide range of possible careers.
Forage: Free Virtual Work Experiences
Forage offers free-to-use job simulations that expose students to a wide array of careers and skills. Through partnerships with top companies, students get a unique look into what being an industry professional would be like. Industries range from marketing to software engineering, with popular companies such as J.P. Morgan and Lululemon offering job simulations. This is a great tool for students looking to develop industry-related skills and explore real-life projects.
These short, self-paced, open access lessons guide students through a variety of tasks, giving them insight into the company and developing the skills needed to hold this position. Students follow along with videos and text resources and compare their answers and projects to real company deliverables. For example, Lululemon explores Omnichannel Marketing, walking students through creating integrated marketing plans and key data analysis tasks.
My advice: Just begin!
Career planning can seem daunting to students, especially if they do not feel they have the necessary connections or skills to enter the work force. Forging connections between students and industry professionals is key to opening their eyes to future possibilities. These resources are a great way to encourage your students to consider different career paths, giving them access to key professionals and skill development opportunities. So now, the challenge is to just get started.
Joanna McCumber, Anderson School District 5
Joanna McCumber is a Digital Integration Specialist for Anderson School District 5 in South Carolina.
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The family of former NFL player Phillip Adams, who killed six people outside Rock Hill before killing himself in 2021, added the NFL to a wrongful death suit over his alleged brain injuries from football, court documents show.
The lawsuit that added the NFL and NFL Properties Inc. as defendants was re-filed this week in Orangeburg County civil court, where Adams played college football at S.C. State University. S.C. State is also a defendant in the lawsuit originally filed in 2023, but denied wrongdoing in legal documents.
Phillip Adams was from York County and lived with his parents at the time of the killings. The lawsuit was filed by Adams’ father on behalf of Adams’ minor son, court documents show.
The lawsuit claims the NFL failed to exercise care for Adams. The NFL “knew or should have known that it was engaging in activity detrimental to the safety of Phillip Matthew Adams when Defendants knew or should have known such conduct would result in harm,” the lawsuit states.
Efforts to immediately reach an NFL spokesperson were unsuccessful Friday afternoon.
Adams, who was 32 at the time of his death, played for the San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders, New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons.
The lawsuit claims Adams suffered head trauma while playing in the NFL from 2010 through 2015.
The Herald has also reached out to the lawyers for Adams’ family but has not received a response.
What happened in 2021 mass shooting?
York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson said in April 2021 Adams shot and killed Dr. Robert Lesslie, his wife Barbara Lesslie and two of their grandchildren, Adah, 9, and Noah, 5. Two HVAC workers at the Lesslie home that day — James Lewis and Robert Shook of North Carolina — also died after being shot.
Adams lived with his parents nearby at the time. Adams killed himself that night at his family home, the sheriff said.
A doctor in Boston said after examining Adams’ brain that the former football player suffered from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE. It’s a brain condition caused by repetitive head trauma, and sometimes found in former football players.
Dr. Ann McKee, a neuropathologist at the Boston University CTE Center, said in a December 2021 news conference in Rock Hill that Adams had “stage 2 CT.” McKee said Adams’ “frontal lobe pathology” was “abnormally severe.”
In the news conference, McKee said Adam’s brain showed extensive damage when it was examined after his death — the only time such a determination is possible.
“His 20 years of football gave rise to his CTE,” McKee said in 2021.
Check back for updates on this story.
Charlotte Observer reporter Alex Zietlow contributed reporting.
Related stories from Charlotte Observer
Andrew Dys covers breaking news and public safety for The Herald, where he has been a reporter and columnist since 2000. He has won 51 South Carolina Press Association awards for his coverage of crime, race, justice, and people. He is author of the book “Slice of Dys” and his work is in the U.S. Library of Congress.
The lack of computer science technology educators in middle schools continues to be a genuine crisis, especially considering the critical role of STEM education in preparing students for future careers. Traditional hiring practices often result in non-specialist educators teaching computer science, leading to challenges in delivering effective instruction.
Graham Celine, VP of Business Development & Marketing for Intelitek, which offers the online platform CoderZ, emphasized this topic last month at FETC and in this conversation with eSchool. CoderZ aims to address this gap by providing comprehensive tools and resources for both students and educators, enabling structured and engaging computer science education.
With increasing recognition of computer science as a fundamental skill, particularly evidenced by state standards mandating its inclusion in curricula, CoderZ offers a solution aligned with educational goals and industry demands. Graham says the program’s flexible implementation options cater to various educational settings, from individual subscriptions to district-wide adoption. Moreover, he points to the product’s assessment strategies focused on student outcomes, employing a combination of automated evaluations and teacher-led assessments to ensure comprehensive learning assessment. Have a listen:
Key Takeaways:
Urgent Need for Computer Science Educators: There exists a significant shortage of computer science technology educators, particularly in middle schools, where STEM education is crucial. The traditional approach of assigning non-specialist educators to teach computer science often leads to ineffective instruction due to a lack of expertise and confidence in the subject matter.
Comprehensive Solutions for both faculty and students: CoderZ addresses the shortage by offering a comprehensive educational platform equipped with tools, resources, and support for both students and educators. The program is designed to facilitate structured and engaging computer science instruction, aligning with educational standards and industry requirements.
Flexible Implementation and Assessment: CoderZ offers flexible implementation options, catering to individual users, school clubs, or district-wide adoption. Assessment strategies focus on student outcomes, utilizing automated evaluations and teacher-led assessments to provide a comprehensive view of learning progress. This approach ensures effective learning outcomes and supports diverse educational settings and needs.
Below is a machine-generated transcript of the interview:
00:00:20 Speaker 1
Because nobody goes to learn how to be a computer science teacher and then goes to to, to, to elementary schools. If you’re a computer science educator, you go teach in high school or university.
00:00:33 Speaker 1
So what lands up happening is we take.
00:00:35 Speaker 1
The math teacher.
00:00:36 Speaker 1
Or the science teacher or the librarian. We say. Hey, teach computer science.
00:00:41 Speaker 2
Right.
00:00:41 Speaker 1
And that doesn’t always work because they’re afraid of technology. They’re afraid of teaching something that they don’t know. And So what we’ve done at Codez is we’ve created an environment which not only is engaging for the students, and it’s not only accessible to the students because being online, they can take it anywhere they want from home, in the class, in the library.
00:01:02 Speaker 1
On their phone, on their computer, on their iPad.
00:01:06 Speaker 1
But it’s got all the tools and capabilities that enable the uh, the educators, the instructors to uh, implement those type of programs. So we’ve got professional development, we’ve got teacher guides, we’ve got pacing guides, we’ve got slides, we’ve got background material, all that the teachers need in order to prepare.
00:01:27 Speaker 1
Properly and to be able to deliver there and to build environments like peer teaching environments where the the strongest students will help the weakest students and to keep the the, the the teacher doesn’t have to be involved.
00:01:39 Speaker 1
But then why is computer science? It’s then becoming important because it’s becoming a mandate. It’s in some states. It’s this, it’s a it’s recognized as a as a language. In some states, it’s becoming a standard, notably Texas and and and and New Jersey. Sorry, New York have got.
00:01:59 Speaker 1
State standards and they’re requiring schools to teach computer science and digital literacy as part of their program in the 242025 school year. So from an administrative perspective, this is important.
00:02:15 Speaker 1
And so having a program that is not just some software that you can download off the Internet and let your students play around with and say, OK, we taught them a little bit about coding, having a a program that is structured that allows you to teach computer science in a very structured.
00:02:36 Speaker 1
Logical way that aligns with the goals of these CSA NGSS taxes. New York and other standards is really important. That’s where code Z fits.
00:02:48 Speaker 1
In so we’ve created an education tool that really fits what the market needs.
00:02:49 Speaker 2
OK.
00:02:55 Speaker 2
Now let me ask this the the implementation. This is is sort of a a district wide implementation or is this something that say can start from the a bottoms up sort of adoption in schools? I mean how does that happen both?
00:03:07 Speaker 1
It it it, it can be both. Uh, you know, in the end we we we have users that are individuals, parents who just want their kids to learn more and so they can sign up on our website.
00:03:19 Speaker 1
And and get a subscription we have a.
00:03:21 Speaker 1
Lot of clubs.
00:03:22 Speaker 1
So a lot of those computer science and robotics clubs are now taking it to the next level. We have many thousands of schools around the the the country and around the world, and we have districts from our perspective, obviously the best way to implement this is from the top down.
00:03:40 Speaker 1
Because the teachers get the most support.
00:03:43 Speaker 1
That way they get the the.
00:03:44 Speaker 1
The the right tools, the most support and the results.
00:03:48 Speaker 1
Visible in the end, that’s what the administrators want to see. So we put this new program in how many students registered for the program, how many students completed the program? How many hours were taken of the program, what were the outcomes of the program? And that’s a top down approach. But from our perspective.
00:04:08 Speaker 1
We deal with it in all different directions.
00:04:11 Speaker 2
I’ll talk about the the assessment aspects of it when you, when you talk about collecting that sort of data, are you talking about collecting it on the uses of the of the, the faculty themselves or do you mean from as a professional development tool, but also as a student? So kind of give us the the assessment?
00:04:28 Speaker 1
Is on a student level.
00:04:29 Speaker 2
OK.
00:04:30 Speaker 1
Obviously the the the.
00:04:31 Speaker 1
The we have all.
00:04:32 Speaker 1
The professional development and all the tools for the student, for the teachers. But we’re not testing the teachers.
00:04:37
What we’re.
00:04:38 Speaker 1
We’re analyzing is.
00:04:39 Speaker 1
The students, and there’s two ways to do that. There’s.
00:04:43 Speaker 1
There’s uh, automatic or passive evaluations. So we look at how many hours did they complete missions. Now if if there’s a mission and it’s all gamified, so they’re making this robot move around the the, the, the, the screen. But it says you got to do this five times using a loop.
00:05:02 Speaker 1
Well, we can evaluate that automatically. Did the student use a loop in their program?
00:05:07 Speaker 1
If yes, we know that they’ve learned how.
00:05:10 Speaker 1
To use loops.
00:05:11 Speaker 1
There are other factors that are more subjective and so there we give this the teacher the the task and we say, OK, you have to grade this exercise. The student was supposed to show that they can document correctly. Did the student.
00:05:28 Speaker 1
Document this.
00:05:29 Speaker 1
Well, now the teacher can open up the students workbook, see what they did, and give them a grade. They did it well. They did it medium. They didn’t do it at all. And so by taking those together, plus adding in just basic assessments, what you know, type of test, the traditional test capabilities, quizzes.
00:05:49 Speaker 1
That that appear along the way throughout the curriculum, we can add that all up and provide.
00:05:54 Speaker 1
A a very.
00:05:55 Speaker 1
Comprehensive view of how the students have have succeeded within the the application now that rolls up.
00:06:03 Speaker 1
A teacher sees their classroom or their multiple classrooms. A principal will see all the classes in the school and administrator would see all the schools in a district.
00:06:15 Speaker 2
Gotcha. Talk a little bit about the day-to-day use. Is this something that is a is a supplement that is done after school? Is it in school kind of give us kind of a a day-to-day kind of use of the tool both I guess?
00:06:31 Speaker 1
All of the above. Yeah, it’s it it.
00:06:33 Speaker 1
I would say.
00:06:35 Speaker 1
I I wish you know, I can’t really tell you a percentage, but it’s really both. I mean, there are a lot of schools that still state schools, districts that are still in the mode where this is an add-on. This is an either an elective or an after school program.
00:06:52 Speaker 1
But more and more, this is part of the school’s day, so it may be one day a week for an hour. It may be every day for an hour for a few weeks within a semester, and in some cases it’s a it’s a required.
00:07:06 Speaker 1
Subject Within the school program. So we’re seeing across the board more and more it’s becoming part of the the the, the formal education program and again the sweet spot is traditionally the OR right now is probably in the middle school environment. We’re seeing more and more middle school students taking.
00:07:25 Speaker 1
Part in that program.
00:07:27 Speaker 2
That is interesting. I’ve had conversations about how when you, when you talk about STEM subjects, that it is starting to kind of get younger and younger. That as as the years progress, what is that a cause of? I mean can you can you can you point to something specific in terms of society where you know we’re now putting?
00:07:47 Speaker 2
These ideas in the into the minds of of of children, even before they get into high school.
00:07:52 Speaker 1
Yeah, I think it’s just societal. In the end. I mean, if we think about what, what, you know what, the math that I studied in university, my daughter studied in high school. And I think today.
00:08:02 Speaker 1
Middle school kids are learning that math, and I think they’re on the one hand, they they they’re getting exposure a lot earlier the, the, the, the Internet.
00:08:11 Speaker 1
The the tools that.
00:08:12 Speaker 1
They have just provide them with more exposure to technology, to industry, to work, to the world that that we ever had when we were growing up and.
00:08:24 Speaker 1
And I think it’s, you know, there’s the demand for it in the end. The bigger thing with with STEM and why is?
00:08:29 Speaker 1
Stem. So important.
00:08:31 Speaker 1
Because if you start, you know, I grew up in a in a different country in a different time and somewhere in the middle of high school I had to choose my direction, where I was going. I think today, kids who get to high school, it’s too late to.
00:08:45 Speaker 1
Decided direction.
00:08:46 Speaker 1
And so if we don’t introduce students to stem to the concept of science, technology, engineering and math, and really the piece that’s missing is technology and engineering, they see the science and the math, but the technology and engineering, if we don’t introduce students to that in elementary school, we might lose them. Now, when they may go off to be doctors, which is great, or lawyers, which is not so great.
00:09:08 Speaker 1
But they may look, they may may go off to be McDonald’s workers, and if they’ve got the the skills and the capabilities to work in a STEM world, but they just don’t know it exists.
00:09:21 Speaker 1
That’s a problem, and so STEM is important to bring people into that world of technology. The world of innovation, the world of of invention.
00:09:32 Speaker 1
And in TeleTech we take that to the next step because when we go from stem to CTE, we’re taking them into a tech world that is specifically focused at that type of you know, whether it’s medical equipment or manufacturing or industrial or automotive versus, for example going into CTE worlds or healthcare.
00:09:52 Speaker 1
Or or or.
00:09:54 Speaker 1
Hospitality or finance? We take them into the the CTE world of technology.
00:09:59 Speaker 1
That’s our uh end to end approach of career to to kindergarten, to career.
00:10:06 Speaker 1
Pick them up at early age, introduce them, take them somewhere, and obviously our focus is to take them into industry.
00:10:15 Speaker 2
Well, obviously, you know, the past few years have brought a lot of a lot of change, a lot of different changes in thoughts about education and and where to go. CTE has been a big part of that too in terms of people starting to understand, maybe there’s more of an emphasis there versus the traditional higher Ed route. When you look into your crystal ball over the.
00:10:36 Speaker 2
The next couple of years. Uh.
00:10:39 Speaker 2
Where do you see the the progress going when it comes to not only the advancement of STEM but also the advancement of CTE and baking that into the everyday educational experience?
00:10:52 Speaker 1
Well, I think the the you know one the, the the one of the main areas is diversity inclusion and you know.
00:11:01 Speaker 1
Again, I I know I’m I’m I’m old, but when when I I went.
00:11:08 Speaker 1
I think it was 1992. I went to a Harley-Davidson factory for a visit and there were only men there. There were very few women working there. I think today if you went to that same factory, there would be a a mix and I. So I think that having the the diversity side of it is is really important that it’s going.
00:11:28 Speaker 1
To make a big change.
00:11:30 Speaker 1
It grows our workforce.
00:11:32 Speaker 1
In the end, we’re giving people that were traditionally told. That’s not the type of job you want the opportunity to go into that job, and that’s really important. But the flip side is, you know, the economy has changed.
00:11:46 Speaker 1
Uh, since cold, there is a lot more being done in the United States, which was previously offshore, and that’s being brought back. And the reason it’s being brought back is not necessarily because globalization doesn’t work. That’s because we’ve got, we need skilled workers.
00:12:08 Speaker 1
A factory worker is not someone who puts bolts onto a screw and comes on.
00:12:13 Speaker 1
The factory worker runs a process, takes care of equipment designs, builds and installs equipment. This is a good, well, good, well paying job and so we need to fill that gap because for many years.
00:12:31 Speaker 1
You either went to university and became a professional, or you dropped out and you went into retail.
00:12:39 Speaker 1
And we’ve got to refill that bucket of of skilled workers in that middle tier employment range. And it’s a good career to have. It’s a lifelong career. It pays well and you will be able to have that job for your entire life.
00:12:56 Speaker 1
And that’s what what, what we need, we need to fill that and I think.
00:13:00 Speaker 1
That promoting stem promoting CTE, that’s what we’re we’re trying to achieve. We’re trying to fill the bucket with, with, with, with labor, they’re, you know, there’s the the, there’s the semiconductor industries building fabs all around the country. You know talking about 10s of thousands of of employees that are short the statistics in manufacturing.
00:13:22 Speaker 1
10s of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of employees missing.
00:13:26 Speaker 1
Talking in in, in, in very, very large numbers.
00:13:30 Speaker 1
We can’t train that many people even.
00:13:33 Speaker 1
If we try, but we’ve got to.
00:13:34 Speaker 1
Try and so we’ve got to fill that bucket and that’s what stem is doing. It’s taking people that maybe will not find a place for themselves in.
00:13:45 Speaker 1
In in in the workforce, unless they know that there’s the space for technology and that they become familiar with it and they go into it, that’s that’s what what we’re we’re focused on and told.
00:13:58 Speaker 2
Well, exciting stuff. Look forward to seeing, and TeleTech and Coder Z next week down on the show floor in person, but in the meantime again, Graham, I appreciate your time and and your insights into the work that you do. It’s it’s impressive stuff.
00:14:12 Speaker 1
It’s a pleasure. Thank you very much for your time.
Kevin is a forward-thinking media executive with more than 25 years of experience building brands and audiences online, in print, and face to face. He is an acclaimed writer, editor, and commentator covering the intersection of society and technology, especially education technology. You can reach Kevin at KevinHogan@eschoolnews.com
Lubbock, TX – Putnam County Schools in Tennessee is recognized by iCEV, a leading producer of Career & Technical Education (CTE) curriculum, industry certification testing, and data management, for having the 100,000th certification earner on the iCEV Testing Platform.
Serving more than 12,000 students across 22 schools, Putnam County Schools has long been recognized as a leader in promoting equitable access to CTE programs and career opportunities. In Putnam County Schools, CTE courses are aligned to relevant industry certifications that will help earners begin successful careers.
“It’s important that we provide equal access to all of our students,” said Jaclyn Vester, CTE Program Director for Putnam County Schools. “We want to make sure all of our students are leaving with the tools they need to be college and career ready.”
Having the 100,000th earner demonstrates the significant role certifications play in ensuring students in Putnam County Schools are prepared for their careers.
“We want them to really explore and think about what their next steps are, and we want to make sure as a school system that we are providing them with the skills they are going to need for those next steps,” said Vester.
By partnering with organizations such as iCEV, Putnam County Schools will continue to fulfill its mission to provide CTE students with employable skills that will help them lead successful careers in the fields of their choosing. In the previous school year alone, Putnam County Schools certified more than 1,500 students, including 374 through the iCEV Testing Platform.
“This milestone celebrates the success of Putnam County Schools and countless other CTE programs across the country,” said Dusty Moore, iCEV CEO. “The certification earners are now better prepared for their careers and are serving in communities across the country. iCEV is proud to partner with schools nationwide to provide opportunities for individuals to enhance their knowledge and validate their skills.”
With 18 industry certifications created by industry-leading businesses and organizations, the iCEV Testing Platform offers opportunities for learners to demonstrate they have the knowledge and skills necessary for work in a wide range of industries. The milestone of 100,000 certification earners represents that there are now 100,000 individuals more prepared to pursue their academic and career goals.
About iCEV Since 1984, iCEV has specialized in providing quality CTE curriculum and educational resources. iCEV is the most comprehensive online resource for CTE educators and students, offering curriculum for several major subject areas, including agricultural science, trade & industrial education, business & marketing, career exploration, family & consumer science, trade & health science, law enforcement and STEM education. iCEV also acts as a certification testing platform for industry certifications. Recognized companies and organizations utilize iCEV as the testing platform for their certifications. Additionally, iCEV offers Eduthings, a CTE data management platform that simplifies reporting for industry certifications, work-based learning, CTSO participation, and more. For more information, visit www.icevonline.com.
eSchool Media staff cover education technology in all its aspects–from legislation and litigation, to best practices, to lessons learned and new products. First published in March of 1998 as a monthly print and digital newspaper, eSchool Media provides the news and information necessary to help K-20 decision-makers successfully use technology and innovation to transform schools and colleges and achieve their educational goals.
In 2024, career and technical education (CTE) is not simply an alternative for students whose future plans don’t include college. It’s a fundamental part of the K-12 experience and a viable career pathway for many students.
CTE lets students understand the relevance of what they’re learning in school. It exposes them to career pathways they might not have known about otherwise. It prepares them for rich and rewarding careers in high-paying, high-demand jobs, whether they go on to attend college or not.
For K-12 leaders to succeed in creating high-quality CTE programming, here are five key trends and challenges I believe will affect this important field in 2024 and beyond.
Administrators (and parents) need to understand that CTE career pathways are highly attractive.
A generation ago, CTE career pathways (aka vocational schools) were widely considered to be appropriate only for students with few other options. This created a vacuum over time and a huge shortage of workers for lucrative, life-long careers. Take manufacturing, for instance: Many jobs were moving overseas, the workplace environment was noisy and dirty, and the opportunities for advancement were seen as very limited.
But that’s all changing now. Aided by advancements in technology, manufacturing has made a huge comeback in the United States, and skilled workers are now in high demand. Today’s manufacturing facilities are clean, modern workplaces that offer many exciting opportunities for students to work with cutting-edge technologies, such as cloud computing, robotics, programmable logic controllers, or PLCs and simulation software
CTE training gives students a head start in preparing for high-growth, high-wage jobs, even those students whose plans after high school include a college education. It’s no longer a dumping ground for students, but an opportunity for everyone to thrive.
Students are benefiting from learning about careers at an earlier age.
High schools often hold career days to help students understand various career options, but waiting until high school is too late: Many students have already eliminated entire career paths from their minds by then.
By exposing children to possible career pathways at an earlier age, we can open up many more worlds of possibilities for them. This is why a growing number of school systems are introducing students to career pathways at younger ages. That is why STEM education is so important in elementary and middle school.
Giving students early exposure to career options is a critical strategy for closing economic gaps and putting them on a path toward college or directly to ahigh-paying career, the nonprofit Center for American Progress (CAP) argues—especially those from low-income communities.
Connecting what students are learning to possible career pathways not only helps them make more informed choices about their future, but it also deepens their engagement in school, as many educators have found. When students can see how the skills they’re learning in the classroom apply to various careers, this helps them answer the all-important question: “Why do I have to learn this?” It also helps them become more confident in their abilities, because every child learns in a different way. For example, think about learning about X, Y, and Z in math classes. If students have the opportunity to learn about robotics, they will be able to directly apply the math learning with a real-world robotic application.
Schools need to find alternative paths for recruiting CTE instructors.
Recruiting and retaining CTE instructors was already challenging for many districts—and the pandemic has only exacerbated the situation. According to the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), 28 states and territories have reported CTE teaching shortages to the U.S. Department of Education for the 2023-24 school year.
With school systems competing with industry employers for talent, many schools already struggled to hire enough CTE teachers to meet their needs. Somebody who can teach about PLCs and robotics can easily make six figures applying those skills within a manufacturing facility, instead of making $50,000 a year teaching those skills to students.
After the pandemic, the shortage of qualified CTE instructors has only grown. COVID placed enormous stress on educators, and especially CTE teachers who were trying to teach historically hands-on courses in a completely new way, using technologies they weren’t comfortable with. In the wake of COVID, many teachers have taken early retirement or left the classroom for the private sector.
School systems need to be creative in finding new ways to recruit CTE instructors. For instance, they might consider establishing programs for pulling future CTE teachers from their current student pool. K-12 leaders also must work with policy makers to establish flexible credentialing options for CTE instructors. It’s bad enough that districts face a pay gap when competing with the private sector for talent—but if employees also have to go back to school to earn a master’s degree and a teaching certificate if they’re leaving an industry position to become a CTE instructor, that’s just not realistic.
Virtual tools that can support effective CTE instruction are emerging.
One positive trend to emerge from the pandemic is that tremendous strides have been made in the development of augmented and virtual reality software, simulation tools, and online learning platforms.
These technologies can help bridge the gap between theory and application of career-based skills. They don’t completely replace the need for hands-on learning within CTE programs, but they can give students a solid foundation at an earlier age, while reducing the amount of time that students need in a lab setting to get the kinetic, hands-on experience of actually performing a task for real—such as programming a robot or repairing a motor.
Online simulations can also supplement a teacher’s capability, which can reduce the challenges associated with hiring CTE instructors. For instance, a gamified computer science environment can help good math or science teachers to be confident in teaching coding skills to students even if they aren’t a coding expert for themselves.
Policy makers must understand the need for more CTE funding.
The main source of federal funding for CTE is the Perkins Basic State Program from the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. In the 2023 fiscal year, Perkins grants were funded at $1.44 billion. However, this funding source has remained relatively flat since the 1990s. During that time, the practical impact of Perkins grants has fallen by more than $900 million in inflation-adjusted dollars—amounting to a 45-percent reduction in the program’s purchasing power.
At the same time, technology is evolving rapidly, and schools don’t have the budgets to keep up with these changes. In addition, the gap between the skills that students are graduating with and the skills that employers require is widening.
CTE programs are pivotal in helping to close this skills gap, but that can only happen if lawmakers make the necessary investments in CTE instruction. ACTE is calling for a $400 million increase in Perkins grants to address this funding deficit.
To summarize these thoughts: Despite millions of job openings around the country, nearly three out of four employers in this ACTE report note a persistent mismatch between the skills they require and the skills their workers possess. CTE in schools can help prepare students more effectively for the jobs of the future, provided that administrators, parents, and students see the value of CTE pathways and students are exposed to career options earlier in their education. Schools must find creative ways to increase the pipeline of CTE instructors and integrate new technology tools into CTE courses, and policymakers must invest more in CTE programs.
Tony Oran
Tony Oran is the CEO of CoderZ and Intelitek, which offers scalable and equitable learning experiences to support schools implementing STEM and CTE education programs from Kindergarten to Career.
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This episode of Innovations in Education, hosted by Kevin Hogan, is sponsored by McGraw Hill.
In this special edition of Innovations in Education, Content Director Kevin Hogan speaks with McGraw Hill’s Patrick Keeney about various aspects of career and technical education (CTE), including its expansion beyond traditional vocational or trade-focused subjects, the importance of soft skills, and the curriculum and teaching methods used in CTE courses for middle school students.
Patrick emphasizes the value of helping students explore different career paths and develop essential skills early in their education. The conversation also highlights the evolving nature of CTE in middle schools and its potential to provide students with a more comprehensive and purposeful educational experience.
Kevin is a forward-thinking media executive with more than 25 years of experience building brands and audiences online, in print, and face to face. He is an acclaimed writer, editor, and commentator covering the intersection of society and technology, especially education technology. You can reach Kevin at KevinHogan@eschoolnews.com
Updated work-based learning platform aims to bridge the skills gap and address early workforce issues
DENVER, July 11, 2023 (Newswire.com)
– Transeo, the leading platform for connecting work-based learning opportunities to K-12 schools, announced today a new name and visual identity that reflects the long-term vision of the company – PATHWAYos. With this transformation, PATHWAYos has significantly enhanced the software platform to better support corporate partners, educators, and students and to fill the pipeline with skilled workers.
With vibrant colors and unique graphics, the PATHWAYosbrand identity represents students in motion, paving the path forward by connecting students to career opportunities.
“Our new brand identity marks a new era for our company and our platform,” said Cecilia Retelle Zywicki, Chief Executive Officer of PATHWAYos. “PATHWAYos is reimagining our software capabilities and simplifying work-based learning program management to make it easier for educators to help students find their way forward.”
The PATHWAYos team will provide a single, upgraded platform with new features and capabilities. To augment work-based learning and community service programs, users will experience a simpler user interface, intuitive navigation, and integrated service functionality. The platform also offers a seamless onboarding process and ongoing updates to ensure the software remains relevant and valuable.
“Creating pathways to alternative careers helps to bridge the global skills gap and address ongoing workforce issues by filling the pipeline with skilled workers in the industries that need it most,” said Zywicki. “Work-based learning has proven economic benefits, a positive impact on career outcomes, and countless benefits for students. These factors underscore our desire to help the next generation explore, learn, and thrive.”
About PATHWAYos:
PATHWAYos® is the innovative software at the center of all career-connected learning. School districts, higher education institutions, and career centers can now collaborate with businesses to expand work-based learning programs. The software streamlines processes while allowing partners to provide numerous opportunities that enhance the development of skills required by the workforce of the future. The world-class platform is quickly becoming a household requirement for innovative school districts.
A new study finds the chances of football players developing the brain disease CTE isn’t just about the number of impacts to the head, but the combined force of those hits over a career also plays an important role. Dr. Daniel Daneshvar, lead author of this study and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, joined CBS News to talk about his findings.
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