Page 8 - January 2018 JobReady

Arkansas Shines At National Career & Technical Conference

he Association of Career
& Technical Education
T(ACTE) held its annual
National Conference Dec. 6
through Dec. 9 in Nashville,
Tennessee, and Arkansas was
well represented. In addition
to the numerous Arkansas
educators in attendance,
many were helping to lead
the conference. Bearden High
School Business Teacher Jana
McWhorter was awarded the
2017 ACTE Region IV Teacher
of the Year Award (see the
full story on the next page).
Beebe High School teacher
Chad Mercado led a workshop
session on his very successful
drone program, which was
well attended by educators Arkansas Department of Career Education's director Charisse Childers, Ph.D. (second
from around the country. from left) is on a discussion panel accompanied by Stephen Pruitt, Commissioner of
Also, Arkansas Department of Education, Kentucky Board of Education (middle); Heather Justice, Executive Director
of the Office of Career and Technical Education, Tennessee Department of Education
Career Education's Director, (second from right); and Steve Partridge, Vice President of Workforce Development,
Dr. Charisse Childers, was part Northern Virginia Community College (right). The panel discusses the challenges to
of a four-person national panel Career & Technical Education.
discussing challenges to CTE
and some of Arkansas's best
practices that are being used
around the state.

The Arkansas Department of Career
Education staff that attended the
conference included Chris Bacchus, Jana McWhorter (middle) accepts her
Will Douthard, Marna Farris, Mary Beck, award for 2017 ACTE Region IV Teacher
Chad Mercado, a teacher at Beebe High Trena Shedd, Jenna Brown, and Cheryl of the Year at the National Association
School, discusses the drone program he Wiedmaier, Ph.D. of Career & Technical Education (ACTE)
has implemented at his school. Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.

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