PCSD Celebrates CTE Month
FEB 2, 2023
Providing support for students, teachers, and administrators involved in CTE is the PCSD Career and Technical Education Department. Located at our district office, this group of women provides…
Stacy Owens, Data Quality Coordinator- Ensures the data reported for all CTE Programs is accurate according to the FLDOE and Perkins Funding standards. Data analysis performed for multiple projects and special reports as requested. Data entry for all Industry Certification certificates to ensure accurate reporting and funding. Policy research and quality control for internal processes. Designated District Reports Coordinator for all CTE/CAPE/Perkins reporting requirements.
Joann Kirkpatrick, Executive Secretary of Career and Technical Education -
Provides some of the behind-the scene operations: answering the phone, organizing files, preparing documents, managing purchases and working closely with and assisting our director and staff. Joann has a love for Career and Technical Education that developed when she first participated in a CTE program in 9th grade. Completing that program eventually led her to run her own business and then inspired her to become an instructor in that field. The love she has for CTE continues to grow here in Putnam County by supporting the foundation of these programs that she was once a part of.
Nickie Gill, Career Ed Facilitator - This is my 6th year in the CTE Department, previously I taught secondary math for 16 years in our district. My responsibilities include handling all of the paperwork and registration for our Dual Enrollment students and Early College Programs in our district. I also help proctor the industry certifications for our automotive, agriculture, and business program students. I am responsible for tracking and presenting our CTE data for CTE enrollment of students in our secondary schools. I assist in our CTE Department training, with the AVID program as needed, working with our business teachers at the secondary level, and supervising on CTE field trips. I enjoy being able to go into the schools and see our students being productive in our CTE programs. Working with our students on both the college and career side is so exciting! I love helping them map out their future plans after high school. Our department is very busy and always challenging. Everyday is a new day and we have a great office staff that truly works as a dream team.
Janet Jungenberg, Career Specialist/Resource Teacher - Works with students to help them plan their college and career pathways. Assists students in interest inventories, applying to college, reviewing Florida Bright Future requirements, and recommendations of what they need to do to satisfy those requirements. Helps students register for ACT/SAT, and gives them resources to help them improve their test scores. Many students need help to register for FLVS and FAFSA, the counselors often refer the students to her to assist them with these tasks. She assists teachers with their programs and creates brochures and posters to advertise their programs in their schools. Many teachers and students will refer to the Career Counseling web page for additional resources and information to assist them in their classes or college and career pathway. Our CTE Team will provide training for teachers and help them plan for guest speakers, field trips, advisory boards, and offsite training for their students. Testing our CTE students for Ready to Work, Soft Skills, and Industry Certification is also a part of what she does to prepare our students for employment. Everyday is different and she loves that she is able to travel to various schools, getting to know more students, and being able to ease the fear of "I don't know what career or college to attend". She loves doing presentations to 7th and 8th graders encouraging them to seek CTE programs and start planning their future early.
Amanda Burney, CTE Program Specialist - As a program specialist, many of her duties revolve around work with our programs. She specifically works closely with our Automotive, Advanced Manufacturing, and Welding programs, but also tries to foster relationships with all of our other programs and program instructors as well. When she stepped into this role, one of Ms. Hough's goals was for her to fill the gaps--work on projects that are necessary, but sometimes get pushed aside for other things. Some of these projects include reinstating our Advisory Boards, building and expanding CTSOs (Career Technical Student Organizations) in our programs, and developing and implementing a program evaluation tool for our programs. She also took charge of stakeholder input for our Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment we are required to complete biannually. One of her favorite duties is to plan CTE Month activities. The other half of her job is as district support for our AVID program. She was not a CTE student in high school, however, in my work as a School Counselor for several years as well as my work with CTE the last five years I see how important these programs are for our students--they open so many doors and opportunities!
Renee Hough, CTE Director - CTE is a passion of hers that has grown over the last 20 years. In her current role as a director, she ensures that all CTE programs have what they need. She also works with the CTE team and the community to develop programs that the community needs. She manages the department which includes working with budgets, making sure all rules, regulations, and state statutes are met, and working closely with administrators at schools, with district administration, and with the community to ensure our programs run smoothly. She wants our students to be successful and have skills that will allow them to be successful adults and members of our community.
An important part of our CTE program is providing students with real-world learning opportunities. PCSD is proud to partner with local industry leaders and businesses in our community. Their support not only provides the students with important insights in their desired career field, but displays how these careers support and positively impacts the community.
Are you a business or industry partner that works closely with our programs? We would love to highlight your organization for CTE Month. Please contact Amanda Burney at a2burney@my.putnamschools.org or 386-329-0536, ext. 1280 if you are interested in sharing how you support our programs.
It is a joy every year to see students enrolled in CTE programs graduate and begin their careers. Many of these students will continue their education by attending a university, technical college, or apprenticeship, while others will enter directly into the workforce. We have had the privilege of sharing some of our student success stories and hope to share many more during CTE Month.
Are you a former CTE student? We would love to spotlight you and your accomplishments and find out more about how CTE impacted your life! Please contact Amanda Burney at a2burney@my.putnamschools.org or 386-329-0536, ext. 1280 if you are interested in sharing your story.
Special thanks to Sign Gypsie for our awesome sign! Throughout the month of February, keep an eye out for our CTE Month sign at your local Jr./Sr. High School!