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Winter Quarterly News Update

Greetings from the VP,

It was wonderful to see so many of you this year at ACTE's CareerTech VISION! The Region III networking session was a tremendous success, bringing together key topics and insights that resonate with members from all six states in our region. Thank you for your engagement and contributions!

As we enter the new year, it’s a great time to reaffirm our professional commitments. ACTE offers a wealth of resources to help you achieve your goals, from advocacy tools to professional development opportunities. One event to consider is ACTE's National Policy Seminar, taking place March 16–19, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. This event is an excellent chance to deepen your understanding of how to effectively advocate for career and technical education (CTE). Here is a link to the conference website for more information. I hope to see some of you there!

Additionally, don’t miss the Region III Conference this summer — a perfect opportunity to connect, collaborate, and learn with peers from across the region. Please mark your calendar to join us in Joliet, Illinois June 9-11. Check out the Illinois update below for more information about the conference and keep an eye on your email inbox as more details are shared. We expect registration information to go out around the end of January.

Finally, if you're interested in serving on one of our task forces — Communications or Teach CTE — please contact me. If you’ve already expressed interest, rest assured you’re on the list, and you’ll be contacted soon.

Here’s to a successful and inspiring year ahead for CTE professionals across Region III!

See you at NPS and/or the Region III Conference!

Brandon Russell

VP, ACTE Region III

The State of CTE: News from Across Region III

Illinois

The 95th Annual Illinois Association for Career and Technical Education (IACTE) Conference will take place Feb. 12-14, in Springfield, Illinois. The event will be hosted at the prestigious President Abraham Lincoln Hotel and Bank of Springfield Convention Center. This year’s theme, "Empowering CTE Leaders," reflects our commitment to equipping educators, administrators, and stakeholders with the tools and insights necessary to drive innovation and excellence in CTE. 

The 2025 CTE Legislative Showcase, is scheduled for March 19 in Springfield, Illinois. This annual event provides a unique platform for CTE students from across the state to:

• Engage with Legislators: Students will share their experiences and highlight the transformative impact of CTE on their education and career aspirations.
• Advocate for CTE: The event will emphasize the critical role of CTE in preparing the workforce of tomorrow and advancing the state’s economic priorities.

By elevating student voices, we aim to strengthen legislative understanding and support for CTE initiatives statewide.

Illinois is proud to host the ACTE Region III Conference from June 9-11, in Joliet, Illinois. This highly anticipated event will bring together educators and leaders from across the region to explore innovative practices and forge meaningful connections.

Conference Highlights:

• Tours of Joliet Junior College and Local Industry: Attendees will have the opportunity to tour cutting-edge facilities and observe exemplary partnerships between education and industry.
• Pre-Conference Workshops:
• AI in CTE: Explore how artificial intelligence is shaping the future of education and the workforce, with practical applications for CTE programs.
• Work-Based Learning: Gain insights into creating impactful work-based learning experiences that connect classroom learning with real-world application.



Registration details will be sent to all Region III state leaders by the end of the month. We encourage early registration to secure spots for the workshops and tours.

Indiana

We had around 400 attendees (200 new teachers) for the September Indiana ACTE Conference and we are jumping into planning our 60th anniversary conference for September 2025. State policy day at the Indiana Statehouse is happening on Feb. 6, and we are looking forward to working with our CTE Director organization and State CTSO Officers on a great day of advocacy! We are keeping our eyes on any bills that will impact CTE in Indiana and letting our members know to reach out to their legislators. New diploma requirements and enrollment, employment, and enlistment diploma seals were voted on and approved in December.

Certain CTE classes can help meet STEM-focused credit requirements for students starting with the class of 2029. Indiana ACTE is looking to host some regional professional development opportunities in our state and offering even more PD online. We are looking forward to an exciting year in 2025 and hope to see many of you at ACTE's National Policy Seminar in March!

Iowa

Iowa is working on re-writing our Perkins V state plan, including performance indicators. A group of stakeholders were convened on Oct. 10, 2024. Two facilitators from ACTE, Alisha Hyslop and Catherine Imperatore, guided the group through data analysis on current performance indicators and then conducted a root cause analysis for challenges related to teacher retention, concurrent enrollment, work-based learning, and earning industry credentials. Taking the feedback, CTE Bureau at the Iowa Department of Education should release a draft of the new state plan this spring and offer 30 days for public comment, with the goal of finalizing the new plan by May.

Continuing work on the updated definition for work-based learning (WBL) in Iowa, the CTE Bureau at the Iowa Department of Education conducted a webinar on Jan. 1 on how to align course reporting for CTE courses containing WBL elements. They also answered questions related to Quality Pre-Apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship programs. Click here for more information.

Many Career & Technical Student Organizations (CTSO) have held district meetings and competitions in preparation for state conferences to be held this spring. Student enrollment and participation in CTSOs continue to grow statewide.

Iowa will bring students and CTE teachers together on Feb. 11 for CTE Day at the Capitol.

The Iowa ACTE state conference will be held June 18 at the Prairie Meadows Convention Center in Altoona, Iowa. Workshop time in the afternoon will focus on helping participants develop action plans to align with Iowa's new performance indicators.

Minnesota

Minnesota State hosted the CTE Summit with over 400 teachers, administrators and local CTE leaders in attendance. There were many on the waiting list and we are excited about the energy around CTE in Minnesota. Minnesota's ACTE's new President is Holly Strand-Rysgaard and Sarah Shanley will now be leading Minnesota Association for Career and Technical Administrators. We continue to focus on licensure and finding alternative routes towards securing CTE licenses to support our shortage. During our next legislative session, we will push to increase CTE Reimbursement from 35% of expenditures to 50%.

Missouri

The Missouri ACTE state conference, held this July in Springfield, Missouri, brought together an impressive 1,100 attendees, underscoring the strong connection between conference attendance and organizational membership. This year, the Missouri Department of Education extended its support to all divisions, enhancing the event's reach and impact.

A notable highlight was the increase in vendor participation and sponsorships, reflecting growing enthusiasm and investment in career and technical education across the state. The conference also featured the Administration Division's special recognition, where the outgoing Governor, Mike Parson, was honored with the prestigious inaugural CTE Legacy Award for contributions to the field.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin had a great turnout at ACTE's CareerTech VISION in San Antonio, Texas, with strong participation from secondary and postsecondary members. Attendees returned with valuable insights to advance CTE in our state. Thank you to all who presented and contributed to the event's success.

We are thrilled to share updates on our ongoing efforts to establish a statewide CTE organization in Wisconsin. The demand and enthusiasm for this organization have been overwhelming, and we are taking deliberate steps to ensure it meets the diverse needs of our CTE community. Three work groups have been formed to guide this effort:

• Initial Leadership Group - Comprising representatives from K-12, postsecondary institutions, and state teacher organizations, this group ensures the organization is inclusive and addresses the needs of all CTE stakeholders in Wisconsin.
• Bylaws Group - This group is collaborating closely with ACTE to establish the organization's foundational structure. Their focus is on ensuring legal compliance and thoughtful planning to create a robust and sustainable framework.
• Program of Work Group - A larger group tasked with setting the initial activities and focus areas for the organization. Their work will guide the priorities and initiatives that the new organization will undertake in its early stages.

Looking ahead we’ve made significant progress on forming a unified CTE organization in Wisconsin, thanks to the input and participation of stakeholders statewide. We look forward to seeing this evolve to empower Wisconsin’s educators, inspire students, and strengthen industry connections.

From ACTE

ACTE Announces Board of Directors 2025 Election Results

ACTE recently held its board of directors’ election, which was open to the Association’s membership of approximately 28,000 CTE professionals. We sincerely thank all of the candidates for their dedication and willingness to serve the Association. Congratulations to the newly elected Board members:

• Brandon Russell, President-Elect
• Jonathan Walker, Business Education Division Vice President
• Michael Herrera, Region I Vice President-Elect
• Michael Ogas, Region IV Vice President-Elect
• Robert Torres, President (appointed by the ACTE Board of Directors)
• Lavyne Rada, Agricultural Education Division Vice President (appointed by the ACTE Board of Directors)

Celebrate CTE Month!

Generously sponsored by NAHB

Each year in February, we celebrate professionals like you and educate the public about the importance of career and technical education (CTE). Here are some ways to get involved!

• Share our CTE social media messages by following ACTE @actecareertech and @actecareertech1 on Instagram, and then share your own success stories on social media with #CTEMonth.
• Download graphic resources, including the CTE Month logo, available in English and in Spanish, for use with any of your print and digital outreach.
•  Gear up with festive CTE Month merchandise. 

Submit Your Session Proposals for VISION 2025!

Join your peers at ACTE’s largest annual conference of the year for CTE professionals! ACTE’s CareerTech VISION 2025 will take place Dec. 10–13 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. We are seeking session proposals that address high-quality secondary and postsecondary CTE and showcase program innovations, stories of successful collaborations and the most pressing issues facing CTE professionals today. The deadline to submit session proposals is March 15.

Raise Awareness for CTE at NPS 

Join CTE professionals from across the nation to voice your vision on policy and programming. Attend ACTE’s National Policy Seminar (NPS), happening March 16–19 in Arlington, Virginia.  

• Engage on key federal education policy priorities. 
• Influence federal policies related to CTE advocacy and messaging. 
• Participate in Capitol Hill visits. 
• Hear from featured keynote speaker Melanie Zanona, senior congressional reporter for Punchbowl News.

Register by Feb. 16 to secure early bird rates. 

Join Us at Our Annual WBL Conference  

Happening April 2–4 at the Hyatt Bellevue on Seattle’s Eastside in Bellevue, Washington: the ACTE Work-Based Learning (WBL) Conference 2025! ACTE’s fastest growing event offers focused professional development for WBL professionals in secondary and postsecondary CTE programs and institutions.  

Key topics 

• Partnership engagement and relationship management 
• Equitable access to WBL opportunities 
• Compliance with insurance and worker’s compensation-related laws and regulations   
• Internships, job shadows and apprenticeships 
• New and innovative WBL initiatives
• WBL advocacy and learning how to market and grow your program 

CTE Educators: Encourage Your Students to Enter ACTE’s Student Design Contests!

This year, ACTE is delighted to host three student design and video contests:

• CTE Month-NASA HUNCH Student Video Challenge: The theme for this year is “What is Artemis?” Encourage your students to create and submit videos, two minutes or less in length, by April 1.
• Student Merch Design Contest: In honor of ACTE’s 100th anniversary in 2026, we invite students to submit original artwork for a chance to be featured on our official centennial merchandise! Entries are due by May 1.
• Student Trophy Design Contest: Have your students design the 3D-printed trophies for ACTE’s prestigious Excellence Awards. Submissions are due by May 1.

Encourage your students to showcase their creativity and talent in these exciting contests!

Apply for the Achieve 100 Award  

ACTE's Achieve 100 Award is presented to schools and institutions that achieve 100% membership among their CTE staff and faculty. This is a distinguished award that showcases an organization's dedication and commitment to career and technical education. Applications are due Feb. 1.