ACTE Announces Arizona Counselor Liaison as National Award Finalist

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 28, 2018

Contact: Jarrod Nagurka
jnagurka@acteonline.org, 703-683-9312

ACTE Announces Arizona Counselor Liaison as National Award Finalist

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Today, the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) announced Shelly Thome, Counselor Liaison at West-MEC of Glendale, Arizona, as the recipient of the 2018 ACTE Region V Career Guidance Award. This award recognizes school counselors and career development professionals who have demonstrated commitment to connecting students with opportunities for success, shown innovation in career exploration and development, and have advocated for CTE as a viable option for all students.

Thome works to implement and review practices that improve access and equity for current and future students. A significant accomplishment in this area was the development of the district’s comprehensive intervention system. Through the creation of a multi-tiered system of support and student study teams, struggling students are identified and intentional intervention practices are put in place to build student success while engaging staff, parents and students.

Thome also aided in developing a system to identify students with disabilities, health matters, or McKinney Vento (homeless and unaccompanied youth) status. In 2018, Thome spearheaded a new grant initiative that was created for students who receive free and reduced lunch or are in McKinney Vento status, which eases the financial burden for some or all students.

She was also part of a team that developed student action plans to allow students to demonstrate mastery of prerequisite requirements through a menu of options rather than simply a grade on a transcript.

Thome is one of 5 finalists for the 2019 national title. The national winner will be announced at the ACTE Awards Banquet, a dinner and award presentation recognizing the best CTE educators in the country. The event will take place on Wednesday evening, November 28, during ACTE’s CareerTech VISION 2018 in San Antonio, TX. The Awards Banquet is sponsored by Express Employment Professionals, the US Army, CareerSafe, and Stratasys. For more information about the ACTE Excellence Awards, visit our webpage.

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About ACTE
The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is the nation’s largest not-for-profit association committed to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for successful careers. ACTE represents the community of CTE professionals, including educators, administrators, researchers, school counselors, guidance and career development professionals and others at all levels of education. ACTE is committed to excellence in providing advocacy, public awareness and access to resources, professional development and leadership opportunities.