NYSACTE Fellowship Program

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The NYSACTE Fellowship Program will be open to all career and technical education educators who want to improve their leadership skills while learning more about career and technical education in NYS.  The program provides an opportunity for participants to learn from one another while exploring the various CTE delivery models within the state and becoming more involved in CTE professional organizations at the state level.  

This program represents an opportunity for extended professional development and will allow NYSACTE affiliate organizations the opportunity to take a more active role in shaping future career and technical education leaders.  

Purpose: 

• To bring CTE educators together to develop their leadership skills and further their involvement in CTE professional organizations 
• To provide CTE educators an opportunity to become familiar with the variety of content areas and delivery models in NYS in order to better understand the strengths and challenges of CTE in NYS 
• Provide professional development opportunities in order to share and build best practices in CTE 
• Support activities that increase leadership characteristics and provide leadership opportunities for career-technical educators by contributing to NYSACTE. 

Fellows participate in monthly zoom meetings and complete a series of tasks/assignments known as the program of work throughout the fellowship year. The program of work will begin in October and will conclude in August each year.

The time commitment for the fellowship program is approximately 52 hours. This includes attending the monthly zoom meetings and completing the program of work. It does not include attending PD. CTLE hours can be awarded if needed.

NYSACTE Fellows receive a $300.00 stipend for participating in the program.

Paula Boughton and Connie Costley are currently serving as the co-coordinators of the NYSACTE Fellowship Program. 

Applications can be submitted between April 1 – May 15 . Applications will be reviewed by the Fellowship Coordinators, NYSACTE President and affiliate organization President. Applicants will primarily be selected based on the quality of their responses and the strength of their letter of recommendation. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance by June 30.

Click here to apply: NYSACTE Fellowship Program 2021

If you have questions about the fellowship program please email Paula Boughton at pboughto@monroe2boces.org 

2020-21 Fellows 

Amy Moran

Amy is a CTE Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher  at Brighton Central School District. She has a Bachelor’s degree from D’Youville College Buffalo, NY and a Master of Education from Oswego State University. She has taught in the community for years, Rochester City Schools and Fairport Schools before my current position. In her current position, Amy is an advisor to the school store and culinary club. Her educational focus is to guide students on a path that gives them opportunities to grow, make connections to the world and learning and to inspire students to continue to push to achieve their own greatness and gain sold skills for life! She is the youngest of nine siblings which prepared her for most interpersonal situations. Amy is proud to be from a long line of Educators. She is the grateful parent of three amazing young people doing good work!

Alison Matthews

Alison Matthews currently serves as Work-Based Learning Coordinator at Harborfields High School in Greenlawn, NY.  In this role, Mrs. Matthews facilitates student internships, coordinates the Harborfields Industry Advisory Board (IAB), and instructs the Career Awareness courses.  Mrs. Matthews also oversees the Business & Entrepreneurship Academy at Harborfields High School.  Mrs. Matthews is the advisor to the multicultural and DECA clubs and is a member of the district’s technology and black history month committees.

Prior to her role as Work-Based Learning Coordinator, Mrs. Matthews served a full-time teacher in the Harborfields High School’s business department, instructing College Marketing, College Accounting, College Business Law, Computer Applications I and Computer Applications II: MOS Certification courses.

Mrs. Matthews received her Bachelor of Science degree in business education from Delaware State University.  She earned her Master of Science in educational technology from LIU/Post, where she also completed an advanced certificate in school building leadership.  She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education degree in educational administration and supervision at St. John’s University.

Emily Anderson

Emily Jane Anderson is a CTE integrated science teacher at Delaware, Chenango, Maddison, Otsego BOCES in Sidney Center, NY. Career and technical education has been her passion since she entered her high school agricultural classroom. Her primary focus is to use the program’s CTE curriculum and find where the Next Generation Science Standards fit in. Before teaching at DCMO BOCES Emily worked in informal education at Cornell Cooperative Extension where she secured grant funding totaling over $40,000 for agricultural plastics recycling, SciGirls programming, Wasp Watchers, and a program that promoted gardening and nutrition to preschool children. Emily has worked as a teacher in four different states. Her most meaningful experience was in Marurmori, Japan. Emily believes that working with students in CTE provides a natural environment for teachable moments and the facilitation of learning important scientific concepts. CTE provides students with lifelong skills that can be used anytime.

Lindsay Simmons

Lindsay was born, and raised, in the Capital District. She ventured off briefly to obtain her BSBA in Sports Management with a minor in Education from Western New England University (formerly Western New England College) in Springfield, Massachusetts.  Upon graduation, She worked at M&T Bank, but decided to concentrate on furthering my education.  Lindsay went on to attend the College of Saint Rose, earning her Masters of Science in Adolescence Education with a concentration in Business and Marketing Education.

Lindsay was fortunate to join the Albany City School District where she became a part-time teacher in the Extended Day Program at Albany High School in 2005.  This led to a Teacher Assistant position in January 2006, and then a full-time position in the Business Department for the 2006-2007 academic school year. During her 15 year tenure with the Albany School District, she strived to be more than just a teacher in a classroom. Lindsay has been the Senior Class Advisor, First New York Falcon Branch Co-Founder/Advisor, a new teacher mentor, volunteered to assist at the Freshman Summer Academy and for the last two years co-coordinator of our Extended Day Program. She is most excited about my newest role as a Work-Based Learning Coordinator. In this role, she enjoys the excitement of placing diverse students with diverse talents into internships throughout the Capital District.

In Lindsay’s free time she enjoys traveling and count Iceland, London, Paris, and Wildwood NJ a few of her favorite destinations.  She loves going to concerts and cherishes time with my family and friends.

Catherine Bennett

Originally from Schenectady, NY, Catherine’s parents moved into their new home in Western, NY the same week she moved into her freshman dorm at SUNY Geneseo. Graduating in 1994 with a BS in Psychology, she started her professional career at a local substance abuse agency in Livingston County as a prevention educator. About three years later, Catherine moved into a county civil service position at the Workforce Development agency in Geneseo. There, she helped adults reintegrate into the workforce, or access funding for educational programs to retrain the dislocated workers impacted by NAFTA, and the downsizing of some of our major local industries, such as Kodak, Xerox and the Salt Mine. While working at the Workforce Development Department, Catherine collaborated with the Genesee Valley BOCES to provide those educational opportunities for her clients, and it was then she realized that she wanted to work at BOCES, with the first-hand knowledge of how Career and Technical Education was the best-kept secret!

In 1999, Catherine started her career at GVBOCES as a work experience coordinator with adult students (some of the same adults she had placed there through her work at Workforce Development). She quickly realized that working with the high school students in CTE is where her heart gravitated. Catherine decided to pursue her master’s degree in school counseling and attended the University at Buffalo. She was soon promoted to Coordinator of Student Services in CTE at the Batavia Campus. Soon after, she decided to attend SUNY Brockport on the path to an administrative degree, and by 2010 she had earned her CAS in School Administration. A few short years later, Catherine earned the position of Assistant Principal, and has been enjoying that role ever since.

Over the years, working in CTE, Catherine’s passions have grown to revolve around supporting CTE teachers in all facets of their classroom experiences. Tasked with providing professional development for the entire campus, she implemented a bi-monthly, New Teacher Series for new, untenured teachers, focusing on topics relevant to their career beginning struggles. She also plans conference days and offers PD cafes to staff. Catherine enjoys strategizing with her team to provide the best possible solutions to the challenges facing teachers and students.

On the home front, Catherine has been married over twenty years to John, a Geneseo towny (lifelong resident). She has two stepsons, Devin (35) and Elliott (28), and our son, Ethan (15), a 10th grader at Geneseo Central. Catherine has recently opened a jewelry Etsy shop featuring some handcrafted bling – with a focus on cancer awareness bracelets, providing an additional creative outlet. In her spare time, Catherine loves hosting and preparing food for friends and family, cookbooks being her most read literature.

Ida Marra

Ida Marra has been teaching for 21 years and is currently the Work-Based Learning Coordinator at Midlakes High School in the Phelps-Clifton Springs CSD. Ida holds a Bachelor in Management/Marketing, a Masters in Business and Distributive Education and a Masters in Educational Leadership. Ida is the Zone Leader for WECA Finger Lakes/Rochester and sits on the WECA Board as the Membership Chair.

Michele Leonardo

Michele Leonardo is entering her third year as a Business Teacher and Work-Based Learning Coordinator at Baldwin High School.  Prior to teaching, she worked in Human Resources across various industries for 8 years.  Michele received her Master’s in Education from Hofstra University in 2018 and will be completing her Master’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing in May 2021. She is also working towards additional certifications in Educational Technology and Family and Consumer Sciences. This fall Michele will be starting the School Building Leader certification program at Molloy College. She is looking forward to being a part of the NYSACTE Fellowship Program as she believes it will broaden her knowledge of CTE and will blend with the other programs that she is pursuing.  

Andrea Rock

Andrea Rock is an assistant principal at Monroe One Educational Services for the Multi-occupational and FOCUS program. She has served as a special education para educator and teacher from 1998-2004, and then served as an assistant principal in various special education programs.  

Andrea received her bachelors degree in special education at Keuka College in 1995, and her Masters degree in special education at Nazareth College in 2001. She received her Certificate of Advanced Study as a School Administrator from SUNY Brockport in 2002. She then received her Doctorate of Education from St. John Fisher in 2017. 

She lives in West Irondequoit with her two teenage daughters.  She looks forward to this new learning opportunity. 

Morgan Boerman

Morgan Boerman is a founding teacher at OnTECH Charter High School in Syracuse, NY. OnTECH focuses on bringing Agricultural and Career and Technical Education to an urban setting; while providing small class sizes, opportunities for over-aged and under-credited students, as well as a community that cares. As an Agricultural Science teacher, Morgan has started the steps to starting a FFA Charter and has been certified as a CASE Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources teacher. 

Morgan’s mission is to create real-world and tangible opportunities for students so that they may discover their passion-places and master the skills and self-confidence needed for the modern work place. As an educator and mentor she strives to model curiosity, creativity, and efficiency by developing innovative, time-saving, and sustainable systems and habits that allow us the time to focus on building relationships and providing meaningful feedback. 

Mike Grant

Mike Grant works for Monroe One Educational Services as the CTE and Special Area Instructional Specialist for the Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Learning. He resides in the town of LeRoy, NY with his wife Cari and their 16 year old twin daughters MaKayla & MaKenna. His wife is also an educator with Monroe One BOCES.

While raising their girls, both Mike and his wife completed their Masters of Education as well an advanced degrees in School Leadership and Supervision. His daughter Makayla is currently enrolled in the Criminal Justice Program at Genesee Valley BOCES and Makenna Plans to attend the Genesee Valley BOCES Health Academy for her senior year next year.

In his position at Monroe One, Mike supports CTE teachers, as well as Special Subject teachers in the areas of Instructional Practice, Curriculum, Response to Intervention, Instructional Coaching and more recently Instructional Technology platforms.

Mike often sees himself suspended between a Special Education Teacher and a CTE Teacher Leader. He has an undeniable passion for both subject areas, and always reflects on his knowledge of each when supporting the teachers and students he works with. As he continues to develop his leadership style and plan his next 5 years, Mike’s goal is to spend time learning how to incorporate the NYS Social, Emotional, Learning Standards into CTE classrooms.

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The NYSACTE Fellowship Program is sponsored by CTE Technical Assistance Center of NYS.