Retired CareerTech administrator named state superintendent
Oklahoma CareerTech congratulates retired administrator Lindel Fields on his appointment to the office of state superintendent.
Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed Fields today as the state superintendent to replace Ryan Walters, who recently resigned.
“Today is about steadying the ship. … This work is deeply personal,” Fields said during the press conference, adding that his office will have three priorities: reading proficiency, recruitment and retention of teachers and career pathways for students.
Fields served as superintendent and CEO of Tri County Technology Center in Bartlesville from 2009 until he retired in 2021 after a 30-year career in education.
Read more on the Oklahoma CareerTech website.
CareerTech board approves increased budget request
The Oklahoma CareerTech board approved a $244 million budget request to present to the state legislature to expand programs for Oklahomans, State Director Brent Haken told KFOR-TV.
Expanding CareerTech programs will help more Oklahomans get good jobs that pay well, he told the news station.
“It’s workforce in-depth training, it’s early career exposure, and then it’s wraparound services for students as well. So we think that that robust ask for the legislature is going to really move us forward as a state,” he said.
Read more on the KFOR website.
Southern Tech instructor wins Harbor Freight prize
Robert Adams, a cabinet making and carpentry instructor at Southern Technology Center is Oklahoma’s first-ever winner of the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence.
Adams won $15,000 for himself and $35,000 for his program. He is one of 25 public school skilled trades teachers who won a share of $1.5 million in cash prizes.
On average, 97% of his students earn industry certifications, his SkillsUSA teams have won state and national championships and 94% of his students have career opportunities right after graduation.
“I am passionate about sharing the importance of precision and craftsmanship. I want the value of accuracy, attention to detail, and taking pride in your work to be at the heart of everything my students do,” Adams wrote in his prize application.
Great Plains students meet manufacturers
Great Plains Technology Center students met with local manufacturing companies last week at the fourth annual Great Plains Manufacturing Day event.
Students met representatives from IPEX, Goodyear and BlueArc Innovations, who shared information about their companies. Students were also able to tour the companies.
“We are a pipeline for employers here at southwest Oklahoma, and so we really want to provide those connections for students and employers that they can visit with one another,” Chesley Graham, Great Plains Tech employment adviser, told KSWO-TV.
Read more on the KSWO website and see tour photos on the Great Plains Tech Facebook page.
Useful links
Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @okcareertech and find us on Facebook at OklahomaCareerTech and on Instagram at oklahomacareertech. Find our podcast at https://www.ctconversations.org/ and watch our news show and other videos on our YouTube channel.
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State Agency Assistance at a Glance
National Research Center for Career and Technical Education
OK Career Guide Training Opportunities
The secret to success is good leadership, and good leadership is all about making the lives of your team members or workers better. -- Tony Dungy
