2014 ACTE Teacher of the Year!

Tara L. Berescik, Agricultural Educator & FFA Advisor,
Tri-Valley Central School in Grahamsville, NY!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                        
CONTACT: Sean Lynch
December 20, 2013                                                           
703-683-9312
 [email protected]

CareerTech VISION 2013 : A Dynamic Professional Development Event for 3,500 Career and Technical Educators

ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Association for Career and Technical Education held its annual national professional learning event, CareerTech VISION 2013, in Las Vegas, Nevada, December 4-7. More than 3,500 career and technical education (CTE) professionals attended the three-day event. Participants and speakers discussed current issues facing CTE and various topics in more than 200 educational sessions on issues including Common Core State Standards implementation, teaching strategies for the CTE classroom, program and teacher assessments, new technologies CTE programs can utilize to enhance student learning, and much more.

CareerTech VISION 2013, which took place at the Las Vegas Convention Center, drew CTE professionals from across the country. Attendees heard from notable general session speakers, browsed the newest classroom technologies and tools in the CareerTech Expo, which showcased more than 200 companies, and offered attendees a chance to explore best practices, instructional models, and tactics for integrating rigorous academics and CTE. On Wednesday evening, ACTE honored its 2014 national award winners at an awards banquet. U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan provided opening remarks to the attendees. He thanked CTE educators and challenged the audience, “Teaching and learning must change because the nature of work has changed. “ The Secretary also referenced President Obama’s goal of ensuring every student has some form of postsecondary training or degree to succeed in today’s economy.

Assistant Secretary Brenda Dann-Messier from the Office of Vocational and Adult Education joined the Secretary at the banquet to help celebrate the nominees and winners. ACTE annually honors educators and business and industry leaders for their exemplary work in CTE. ACTE was pleased to work with returning sponsors for two awards this year; Cisco, which sponsored the Teacher of the Year award, and Kuder Inc., which sponsored the Career Guidance award. In addition, this year’s awards were produced with 3D printing technologies provided by Stratasys. ACTE also appreciates the sponsorship provided by Certiport, CEV Multimedia, Successful Practices Network and Yaskawa Motoman Robotics.

ACTE is proud to announce the following award winners for 2014:

·         2014 Teacher of the Year, Sponsored by Cisco – Tara L. Berescik, Agricultural Educator and FFA Advisor, Tri-Valley Central School District, Grahamsville, NY

·         2014 Career Guidance Award, Sponsored by Kuder, Inc. – Jayne Greeney Schill, CTE/Business Education Partnerships/College Bound Program Coordinator/Counselor, St. Cloud Area School District, Waite Park, MN

·         2014 Outstanding Career and Technical Educator –Tony Brannon, Dean, Hutson School of Agriculture, Murray State University, Murray, KY

·         2014 Outstanding New Career and Technical Teacher – Briana Lynn Morton, Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher, Homewood Middle School, Homewood, AL

·         2014 Outstanding Teacher in Community Service – Felicia Williams, Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher, Horseshoe Bend School, New Site, AL

·         2014 Business Leader of the Year – Gordon W. Davis, Founder and Chairman, CEV Multimedia Ltd.

·         2014 Lifetime Achievement – Gary S. Wixom, Assistant Commissioner, Utah System of Higher Education

·         2014 Award of Merit – Joerg Klisch, Vice-President of North American Operations, Tognum America Inc.

·         2014 Carl Perkins Outstanding Service Award – Sandra Hemmert, CTE Coordinator, Granite School District (Utah)

·         2014 Image Award NOCTI – accepted by John Foster, CEO of NOCTI

ACTE will be hosting CareerTech VISION 2014 in Nashville, November 19-22.

About ACTE

The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is the nation’s largest not-for-profit education association dedicated to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for successful careers. Founded in 1926, ACTE has more than 25,000 members; career and technical educators, administrators, researchers, guidance counselors and others involved in planning and conducting career and technical education programs at the secondary, postsecondary and adult levels. ACTE provides advocacy, public awareness and access to information on career and technical education, professional development and tools that enable members to be successful and effective leaders. 

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