President Elect Candidates

 Stephen Weltsch

Winston Churchill once said, “We shape our dwellings, and afterwards our dwellings shape us.”

Career and Technical Education shapes and prepares students to be college and career ready, and afterwards these same students shape our neighborhoods and workplaces. CTE programs are an intimate part of the community. Programs serve as centers of learning, skill acquisition and career development, and have a profound influence on our society by providing students with:

• Rigorous curriculum, aligned with state standards, that prepares students for post-secondary education and training
• Hands-on learning that parallels business and industry practices
• Strong advisory councils, bridging classroom instruction and career development
• Active CTSOs that connect students with meaningful experiences in leadership development and community service

The CTE Delivery Model is the premier learning system, providing an environment for all students to learn through meaningful and relevant experiences. CTE strengthens academic achievement, promotes post-secondary connections and purposefully develops communities.

In order to maximize this vision, Arizona needs to develop a comprehensive, measureable definition for career-readiness. How do we know a student is both college and career ready? While CTE teachers are passionately committed to preparing students for career success, the State has not clearly defined how this is measured. We must bring together all stakeholders to develop a definition and identify appropriate assessment tools that truly measure career-readiness.

As an association, ACTEAZ is tasked with serving as an advocate for CTE programs and you – the education professional. ACTEAZ must continue to strengthen valuable professional development opportunities aligned with the CTE Delivery Model and collaboratively develop a measurable definition for career-readiness.

Together as a united group, we will continue to make a difference for the students and our local communities.

 Treasurer Candidates

Amanda Shively

I have been a CTE professional for 21 years. Nineteen of those years I was a business and marketing instructor in the Glendale Union High School District. I have also held the CTE curriculum coordinator position in my district. This position allowed me to work with and provide professional development opportunities for CTE teachers. This year I am serving as the CTE Director in my district, where I am honored to continue my work for CTE teachers and students.

I have also served as the treasurer for my local NEA affiliate, the GUEA (Glendale Union Education Association). I held this position for five years. In this position, I was responsible for collecting and paying dues, establishing a budget, filing city and state paperwork appropriate for a non-profit entity, filing state and federal taxes, providing checks for scholarships, managing bank accounts, and all of the other day to day financial operations necessary for continued operation.

I would like to be your ACTEAZ Treasurer so that I may expand my service to our professional organization. This position will also allow me to draw upon my previous experience as a treasurer. I would be honored if you would consider voting for me for ACTEAZ Treasurer.