When I first walked into a welding classroom as an assistant principal, I found myself surrounded by tools and sparks and students in safety gear. I had been trained according to Charlotte Danielson’s Framework for Teaching, focusing on the four domains:
- Planning and Preparation
- Learning Environments
- Learning Experiences
- Principled Teaching
Yet I hadn’t once considered how to coach a teacher in their CTE content area — including safety protocols, hands-on assessments and metal fabrication rubrics, among other things.
That moment revealed a leadership gap I’ve since seen in many schools: CTE teachers are often left out of instructional improvement efforts because administrators aren’t trained to support them. Or the focus remains on core, tested subjects. When we neglect the professional growth of CTE educators, we miss a critical opportunity to improve the career readiness of our students.
As assistant principals, we are in a unique position to change this narrative. This article explores how school leaders can lead and support professional learning communities designed for CTE teachers. These are communities that focus on relevant data, real-world outcomes and teacher collaboration grounded in technical skill development.
The CTE teacher perspective
Many CTE teachers enter the classroom from the workforce rather than through traditional teacher preparation programs. They are former nurses, welders, small business owners and IT specialists — professionals passionate about helping students succeed but who may not be familiar with educational terminology, lesson plan frameworks or the latest in pedagogy. What they do bring is deep content expertise, real-world insight and a powerful connection to workforce needs.
CTE classrooms are unlike any other. Teachers must balance instruction in technical content, safety standards, employability skills and certification preparation. They often teach in specialized environments such as labs, kitchens, shops or clinics, and these are spaces that can feel far removed from the academic classroom next door. Adding to the challenge, many are the only teachers in their discipline, which can create a deeper sense of isolation and disconnection from schoolwide PLC.
In many schools, PLC are built around academic testing cycles, benchmark assessments and state standards. While essential for academic departments, these structures rarely align with the types of data that matter most in CTE, like certification attainment, lab performance and technical skill mastery.
Reimagining PLC for CTE success
If we want to retain and grow great CTE teachers, we must intentionally reimagine what effective PLC look like in the technical education space.
Strong CTE PLC can:
- Focus on credential and cer.tification data (e.g., NCCER, NHA, Adobe).
- Analyze student project quali.ty and lab/shop performance.
- Share rubrics, safety checklists and skill demonstration frameworks.
- Discuss employability skill development and student workplace behaviors.
- Reflect on career readiness portfolios, digital artifacts or WBL feedback.
- Align instruction with industry standards and local employer expectations.
Consider how cross-disciplinary PLC might enrich both CTE and core content areas. For example, a business teacher and an English teacher might collaborate on a unit that includes resume writing, cover letter development and mock interviews. Or an agriculture teacher might work with a science teacher to build crosswalks between animal science and biology.
Encourage vertical alignment, too. Bring in local community college faculty, technical trainers or industry partners to co-design tasks and align competencies. This not only strengthens instruction but also makes the classroom more relevant to students’ future goals.
The assistant principal’s role
Assistant principals are typically tasked with supervising instruction, managing evaluation cycles and supporting teacher growth. Too often, CTE teachers feel left out of that support because their content might be unfamiliar or intimidating. Here’s how APs can lead strategically.
1. Facilitate tailored PLC.
Help organize regular, purposeful PLC for CTE teachers that are relevant to their teaching reality. If your CTE team is small, consider regional PLC or virtual options with nearby districts or post.secondary partners. Referencing “PLC in CTE” by Sandra Adams (2021), encourage teachers to focus on the “how” of instruction, establish best prac.tices for classroom engagement, and ensure that effective strategies are shared and applied across multiple contexts.
2. Support targeted professional development.
Offer CTE-focused PD on lesson planning, instruc.tional strategies and digital portfolios. Partner with Perkins coordinators or CTE directors to connect teachers to state-level resources or credential-based training.
3. Coach with career-focused questions.
When observing or conferencing with CTE teachers, ask questions to help frame growth around career readiness rather than standardized test data. Such as:
- What would a highly employable student look like in your industry?
- How do you assess employability skills alongside technical competencies?
- What trends are you seeing in employer feedback?
4. Promote SMART goal setting.
Guide CTE teachers to set meaningful goals tied to certification pass rates, student employability scores, post-program placement and/or work-based learning participation. These types of goals align with Perkins V and can be integrated into evaluation systems.
5. Encourage peer observation.
Create opportunities for CTE teachers to observe each other, even across disciplines. For example, a health science teacher might learn useful lab management strategies from a culinary teacher. These peer exchanges can help relieve feelings of isolation and build strong professional learning culture.
Leading forward
CTE teachers are critical to our mission of preparing students for life beyond high school — whether that path leads to college, the military, apprenticeships or direct entry into the workforce. They bring unmatched real-world experience and the power to help students envision themselves in future careers. But they can’t do it alone.
As assistant principals, we have an essential role in building systems of support around our CTE faculty. By leading high-quality PLC, offering relevant coaching and creating space for meaningful collaboration, we can elevate CTE. When we invest in the professional growth of CTE teachers, we invest in student success, workforce development and the future of our communities.
Natasha Hampton, Ed.D., is an assistant principal at Arkansas High School.
