T E X A R K A N A M A G A Z I N E
our school is very proud of is that CTE dual credit courses are completely free to high school students.” Curtis also said, “If a high school student wants to continue on from these certificates, they have a direct pathway towards an associate degree. Our CTE program provides opportunities for all high school students to obtain a high demand job quickly and efficiently.” Local school districts see the value in CTE programs and are constantly investing in their students. Charlotte Leon, Assistant Principal for Student Advancement at Texas High School, spoke about the numerous CTE programs at Texas High and their highly qualified, passionate and experienced instructors. Leon said, “Mark Ahrens, a Computer Science and Robotics teacher at Texas High School, was recently selected among thousands of teachers as a 2021 Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award recipient. He received a prize package of $30,000, which includes $25,000 to expand computer science and/ or robotics education and a $5,000 teacher cash award.” Leon also spoke about a new initiative being implemented at Texas High called Camp ROAR. “This camp is to excite and motivate students for a CTE pathway and to showcase the many opportunities for obtaining a high demand job after graduating from high school,” Leon said. “We are molding and promoting our future by investing in our students and these CTE programs. The Tiger Family is phenomenal, and we want what is best for our students and for them to be successful.” Pleasant Grove ISD has big goals for developing students into productive, successful, and well-rounded citizens. Jennifer Gibson, Director of Career & Technical Education at Pleasant Grove High School, said, “Pleasant Grove ISD has taken full advantage of the opportunities offered by the Texas Education Agency to grow and enhance the Career and Technical Education programs over the past seven years. Through the expansion of programs within 13 career clusters, we have a full course offering to guide our students into careers that best suit their interests and the needs of our community.” Gibson also said they are able to offer 35 industry-based certifications within various
Rodney Fellers, Automotive Instructor, with a student in the Automotive Technology program at LEHS. Photo by LEHS Journalism
Robotics program at TISD. Photo by THS Commercial Photography
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B U S I N E S S & P O L I T I C S
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