Goose Creek CISD News
Goose Creek CISD Hosts Ribbon Cutting for Career Academy for Future Educators
01/28/2021
Students stand by competition bulletin board

Students (from left) Victoria Santos, Veda Scott Fleming and Presley Francisco lead tours of the Career Academy for Future Educators for those attending the ribbon cutting ceremony, displaying their bulletin board, which advanced to the Texas Association of Future Educators competition.

 

Photo by Mima Trujillo

 

 

 


 

 

Community members and staff cut ribbon 

The ribbon cutting ceremony signifies the completion of the new Career Academy for Future Educators at Ross S. Sterling High School. Pictured are (from left) Nathan Chaddick, principal; Allison Higdon-Smithwick, academies’ assistant principal; Teresa Lattier, Lee College: Dr. Jade Cox, CTE specialist; Renea Dillon, CTE director; Howard Sampson, secretary of the GCCISD board of trustees; Dr. Sandy Conklin, area executive director; Brandon Capetillo, Baytown mayor; Dr. Demetrius McCall, deputy superintendent of administrative services; Dr. Randal O’Brien, Goose Creek CISD superintendent; Karen Thomas, area executive director and Susan Jackson, deputy superintendent of curriculum and instruction.

 

Photo by Mima Trujillo

 

 

 

Goose Creek CISD Hosts Ribbon Cutting for Career Academy for Future Educators

 

By: Susan Passmore

 

Goose Creek CISD celebrated the completion of the new Career Academy for Future Educators (CAFE) at Ross S. Sterling High School with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Dr. Randal O’Brien, GCCISD superintendent, welcomed guests, explained how the idea for the academy evolved and provided information about the facility.

 

Academy Ambassadors Alondra Santibanez, Raleigh Reimonenq and Myia Griggs led the pledges, and Dr. Jade Cox, career and technical education specialist, recognized special guests Mayor Brandon Capetillo; Nathan Chaddick, Sterling principal; Dr. Julie Bollich, academic dean, Allison Higdon-Smithwick, academies’ assistant principal, CTE teachers Shannon Rogers and Leslie Hemmenway; Brenda Garcia, director of facilities planning and construction; Clem Medina, LAN program manager; Dr. Demetrius McCall, deputy superintendent of administrative services, Susan Jackson, deputy superintendent of curriculum and instruction; Karen Thomas, area executive director, Dr. Sandy Conklin, area executive director and Rickey Trant with Comex.

 

Renea Dillon, career and technical education director, told about the vision for the CAFÉ, pointing out that data from Human Resources identified a large gap between student and teacher demographics and a shortage of teachers in several areas.

 

“Our Instructional Practices programs of study on each campus have always been very successful, but we learned that we needed to develop a plan to intentionally target our marketing strategies and to create a focus on high need areas. Having the plan for this career academy also helped the district win a “Grow Your Own” grant from the Texas Education Agency due to the hard work of Dr. Cox and Ms. Lisa Steele, which has provided further support for this academy and Instructional Practices classes on other campuses,” said Dillon. “It is our vision to eventually increase the quality and number of future educators, especially in the high demand areas, who return to our district to teach and advance into administrative positions.”

 

A highlight of the ceremony was a special message to Goose Creek CISD from Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, congratulating the district on the new academy.

 

“I am so excited to be celebrating the Career Academy for Future Educators in Goose Creek,” Morath said. “Every industry, every kind of profession, every kind of employee, no matter what we’re talking about, always begins with a teacher. And the work that we do in our schools to create future teachers, to help our best and brightest become those skilled neurosurgeons of the classroom that mold eager young minds. This is important and inspiring work, and I’m very excited about what you are doing.”

 

Following the ribbon cutting, Ambassadors took groups on tours of the academy. Students who apply for and are accepted to the CAFE will engage in education curriculum, job shadowing, internships and college preparation activities. Internship opportunities are available through business partners. Applications are available at https://schools.gccisd.net/page/cte.highschooloptions

 

Photos of the Ribbon Cutting