ACTE

James Scott teaches Turf, Landscape and Greenhouse Management at Tolles Career and Technical Center (TCTC) in Plain City, Ohio. He manages a 20-acre land labratory on site and serves as a co-advisor and mentor for the FFA chapter. Scott has developed an advisory committeeof 21 representatives from businesses, colleges, parents and students that assists in making decisions about expanding facilities and/or purchasing equipment. In 2006, Scott created Ohio's Sequenced Horticulture Curriculum Model.

Scott joined Tolles in 2004 and his involvement with the program has increased enrollment from nine students with no career placement or college-bound students to 23 students who are 100 percent successfully employed, enrolled in a postsecondary program or in the military. His students volunteer in the community, working on various projects, including "Breakfast With the Superintendent," when the students share program goals for the school year and their career goals at least once a year. The students have created a state-of-the-art greenhouse facility where they grow seasonal flowers and plants that have resulted in nearly $12,000 in sales. Since Scott joined TCTC, he has been able to add more than $190,000 in new equipment and $60,000 in donations from the green industry. Click the play button at the lower left of the video screen to watch an interview with Scott, and his speech at the 2009 National Policy Seminar, below:

Allan Sulser has dedicated more than 28 years of his time to career and technical education. As the Agriculture Education Teacher and FFA Advisor for Wasatch School District of Heber City, Utah, Sulser makes a significant impact on the lives of students through his advocacy and leadership efforts. Sulser served on the National Council for Agricultural Education for three years (2005-2007) and served as President in 2007. During his tenure on the board, NCAE wrote and implemented the National Programs Standards for agriculture education, which provides schools with a comprehensive assessment tool. Sulser also guided NCAE to undertake the goal of achieving 10,000 quality agricultural science programs by 2015. NCAE developed eight priority initiatives to achieve this goal.

Along with his involvement with NCAE, he has been involved with the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE). Sulser served on NAAE's Board of Directors as its Region I vice president, president-elect and president. He was instrumental in merging the NAAE convention with ACTE's Convention and expanding opportunities for both organizations.

Sulser helped rewrite curricula for agriculture systems, horticulture and plant and animal science courses in Utah. He was influential in establishing skill certification testing for program completers and helped develop tests for agriculture technology and horticulture. During Sulser's 28 years of teaching, his students have done very well. In 2006, Wasatch Chapter was chosen as one of the "Models of Innovation" Top Ten chapters in the nation in community service, the only chapter in Utah to receive the award. Watch an interview with Sulser.

For more than 38 years, Linda Laverty has been involved in career and technical education in a variety of roles from home economics teacher to intergenerational day care instructor and coordinator. Since 1999, she is the instructional services coordinator for Canadian Valley Technology Center (CVTC) in El Reno, Oklahoma. She is responsible for coordinating the Technology Center Instructional Service Department, which provides instructional, curriculum and media support to instructors and staff.

After spending 19 years as a classroom teacher, she used her experience to develop projects that would give instructors more time to teach. She and her staff developed a standard syllabus, nine-week calendar of due dates and events for instructors, developed and coordinated a required orientation for substitute teachers and implemented program reviews for the school to address technology needs before they become critical. Laverty's department has also produced videos for community organizations like Compassionate Hands and Yukon FFA to showcase their community service landscaping projects. Watch an interview with Laverty.

As a businesswoman and published author, Carolyn Warner has communicated the importance of career and technical education throughout the state of Arizona and on a national level for more than 40 years. Warner has served on four presidential commissions providing advice on education and worked on various workforce- and economic-development committees. Warner is currently the CEO of Corporate Education Consulting Inc., a company that provides advice to corporations, non-profits and government on the critical role of education plays with these sectors and how to leverage this knowledge successfully.

For 12 years, Warner served as Arizona's Superintendent of Public Instruction, which she focused on CTE. She made connections with business and industry and helped develop advisory committees, internships and a culture of workforce readiness for students. Warner served on the board of Automotive Youth Educational Systems (AYES) and worked at attracting students to enter the automotive industry. She also served on the state school board and chamber of commerce, where she continued to educate business and industry on the importance of CTE in building a qualified workforce for the future. Watch an interview with Warner.

Britt James teaches Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) at Springdale High School in Springdale, Arkansas. Before entering teaching, he worked in the radio industry as a play-by-play announcer for the Lady Razorback Basketball Network. During his days off, he taught as a substitute and found his passion for teaching.

When James joined in 2004, the JAG program was expanding to juniors to offer a multiyear program. JAG serves at-risk students to help reduce the drop-out rate and utilizes a 10-component model with five national perfomance goals. Students enroll in a career and technical education class and a student organization associated with it during the program. In order to understand the 40 JAG competencies, James uses games and videos to help students grasp these concepts. His students receive some of the highest scores on the end-of-the course test given by the Arkansas Department of Workforce Education. After the students graduate, James follows up with the students to check on their progress and offer assistance.

Terry Price has been a supporter and advocate for career and technical education for 29 years. She is a career and technical education consultant for the Jordan School District in Utah and helps oversee a district secondary charter school, an exemplary prison-education program and the district's adult high school. The Jordan School District serves more than 34,000 secondary students, all of whom take two or more CTE classes.

Price provides resources and professional development for district administrators and CTE teachers. She evaluates programs and implements state-of-the-art technology labs in the district. She assisted with the development, funding and implementation of CTE Career Pathways and helped execute and finance a district career assessment/placement center. She has served as an advisor for FCCLA and FACS Department Head. Watch an interview with Price.

For more than 25 years, Carol Dvorak have been teaching her students the value of community service. Dvorak teaches business technology at Meridian Technology Center in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Before entering teaching, Dvorak worked as an officer at a local bank and volunteered to canvas the community for the United Way fund drive. As a teacher, she wanted to use her experience to instill the importance of giving back to her students.

Dvorak's students have volunteered for the United Way, Special Olympics, American Red Cross, chambers of commerce, reading and literacy programs, March of Dimes, Oklahoma Blood Institute, Red Ribbon Week Campaign, Big Brother Big Sisters and the American Heart Association, to name a few. Her literacy program won the National Federation of Republican Women Barbara Bush Literacy Award in 2002. Her students have assisted the Stillwater Business and Professional Women's Club with their fundraising activities and started to develop a scholarship for adult students in the business technology program. Watch an interview with Dvorak.

Amy Wisilosky is vice president of marketing at Virginia Beach Schools Federal Credit Union (VBSFCU). Six years ago, VBSFCU developed a partnership with Virginia Beach City Public School (VBCPS) career and technical education officials by offering guest speakers, donating materials, credit union tours and offering free curricula and training to all interested VBCPS educators.

VBSFCU offers K-12 students a "behind the scenes" work- and career-opportunities tour incorporating 13 Workplace Readiness Skills requirements. Two years ago, VBSFCU introduced two Web-based financial education tools called "IsThatSo?" and "FoolProof," which are used by 500 Virtual Enterprise students in 12 high schools. VBSFCU connected the VBCPS with the founders of FoolProof and are working on developing a "Technical Literacy" Web-based module program to promote the 13 Workplace Skills across the country.

Since 2007, the VBSFCU, Virginia Cooperative Extension and Beach Municipal Federal Credit Union offer a free week-long "Money Camp" for local rising seventh and eighth graders. It focuses on teaching financial skills in a fun setting. VBSFCU was named a Model Partner for Career and Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia and received the Virginia Career and Education Creating Excellence Award for updating a financial skills curriculum. Watch an interview with Wisilosky.

Flint Hills Resources (FHR), located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and its employees have been involved in planning and developing the career academies at Foy H. Moody High School, including the Academy of Industrial Trades and Technology Management and the Academy of Pre-engineering, Mathematics and Science. FHR has participated in the planning of a new academy called Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Starting in 2006, FHR started providing four full scholarships to Moody graduates that enter the process-technology program at Del Mar College. FHR offers teachers the opportunity to participate in summer externships at FHR facilities to learn the latest on refining industry technologies, education levels required, problem-solving skills and advancement opportunities available. FHR provides students with a summer enrichment program for Moody students to spend a couple days at the facility and participate in activities ranging from chemistry labs to model-car racing contests.

FHR assists Moody High School with their Clean Air Fair, which educates students on their role in maintaining and protecting the environment. The students evaluate emission levels of cars brought to the fair. FHR also provides funding for a student t-shirt contest and participates in Moody High School's mock interview program by providing interviewers each year. They also collaborate with other businesses to secure equipment, materials and supplies for industrial labs for all high school programs. Each month, FHR sponsors television air time to recognize outstanding career and technical education students. Watch an interview on Flint Hills.