Earlier this month, the White House hosted Celebrating Innovations in Career and Technical Education (CTE) to recognize leaders in CTE from across the country. In attendance were some of the NASDCTEc Excellence in Action award winners, including Dr. Sandra Clement, Principal at Foy H. Moody High School, who was invited to speak and credited the strong focus on CTE to Moody’s excellent graduation rates and continued improvements.
As Clement reflected on the event she said, “Everyone was genuinely very interested in the work our students were doing in CTE. This is very refreshing because a lot of times CTE is not given the validity of the impact it has on students.”
While Clement described how exciting the event at the White House has been for her school and district, she noted the expansion of the U.S. Presidential Scholars program to include CTE has put CTE on a national platform. “Recognition of CTE will be much more monumental, and students will have a variety of pathways to choose from while still being recognized for their good work,” said Clement.
Despite this recognition for Moody’s already stellar CTE programs, Clement plans to continue to expand CTE programming including developing a pathway surrounding computer software engineering and offering more certifications in health care, a growing industry in her community.
Foy H. Moody High School was a 2014 Excellence in Action award winner in the STEM Career Cluster. Learn more about the school and their Innovation Academy for Engineering, Environmental, and Marine Science, here.
Katie Fitzgerald, Communications Associate