Editors note: As students and teachers return to school, The Chronicle looks deeper at Career and Technical Education in Springfield, Cottage Grove, Pleasant Hill, and Creswell. This is part 2 of 4 of the series. Check this out if you missed part 1. This series was made possible in part by donations to The Chronicle Foundation and the Fund for Oregon Rural Journalism (FORJ).
There doesn’t seem to be one perfect path to becoming a CTE teacher, but Lane County teachers have a passion for helping students become career-ready and a drive to make successful programs.
Naturally, each school faces different barriers, whether it is the cost of CTE certifications, overfull classes, or business connections, but educators across the county agree that the community needs to recognize the benefits of CTE classes and start engaging with them.
Springfield School District
In Mark Simmons’ classroom, there are at least 10 different cars, many with the hood up or on a lift. Multi-drawer tool boxes line the walls, flags with different mechanical brands decorate the area, and you can smell oil and rubber.
“We have a pretty nice shop facility. When I came here 20 years ago, it was stuck in the 1950s,” Simmons says.
Simmons is the Automotive CTE teacher at Springfield High School, the largest high school automotive program in Lane County. His shop wasn’t always so premium.
“I brought in a trailer, and for three days, we probably took five loads of junk a day out of here,” Simmons says. The total renovation took about two years. Like many CTE teachers, Simmons says his job extends beyond teaching. “I’m here at 7 a.m., and I’m walking out of here most days at 5:30 p.m. If a piece of equipment goes down, like a brake light or something, I’m tearing that sucker apart. I’m ordering parts, I’m fixing it … so that I can get it back in the kids’ hands,” he said.
He and Scott Touchette, Springfield High School Woodshop teacher, agree that being a CTE teacher extends beyond the classroom. Touchette helps students with SkillsUSA competitions, which require practicing projects under the regulations. He graduated with two bachelor’s degrees: one in manufacturing and one in industrial technology. He also has a master’s in education from Oregon State and has been at SHS since 2003.
Grant writing is another aspect of CTE teaching. Although the state allocates funds to CTE programs, teachers write a lot of grants to enhance their programs. Simmons received a $50,000 grant from Harbor Freight in 2022 for tools, which required 18 hours of writing.
“In the time that I’ve been here, I’ve probably written over $500,000 in grants,” he said.
Simmons’ mechanical background began in the military as an aircraft mechanic, followed by a mechanical degree from Chemeketa Community College. He started as an assistant in the automotive shop at SHS and later returned to get his teaching degree.
He has developed local industry partners and a strong connection with Lane Community College’s Automotive program.
“By the time one of my students goes into the diesel program out at LCC, they’ve probably met that instructor 8 to 10 times,” he said. The LCC instructors also informed him that his students are more experienced than most.
Simmons ensures students understand and enjoy his programs.
“I mean, it’s not unusual for me to look out over the shop, and I’ll see 100% engagement,” he says, pointing to the work tables in his small gas engine classroom that could have 35-40 students. Touchette says his motivation is the student’s interest in the program as well. “If you can find that interest in a few, that’s a win,” he said. “High school should be about trying out hats,” Touchette said.
The automotive program at SHS teaches a range of skills, from small engines and basic car care to repairing community cars for profit, earning up to 14 college credits.
“There’s still this myth that you don’t need to be smart to be an automotive technician or welder. You do have to be very, very smart — using both your brain and your hands,” he said.
Simmons teaches “applied math” and science to make math more accessible. He also runs an after-school robotics program and had students work with drones last year.
“I’m not here to create automotive and diesel technicians. I’m here to help these kids figure out what’s next,” he said.
The connections made in the classroom benefit students, like the one who texted Simmons a photo of a complicated wiring system in his electrician program.
“Mr. Simmons, I’ve come a long way since those light boards,” the student sent. “And that’s what I train them on,” Simmons said.
Touchette’s students also reach out after starting their careers. One student that Touchette required to take ownership after vandalizing a shop table returned years later, telling Touchette, “You doing what you did changed my life.” Both teachers emphasize the need for engagement and industry connections so students have career options before graduation.
Simmons said last spring he had more business calls than students.
“These businesses are bending over backward to get these kids through the door … I’m going to be turning 57, and [those businesses’] average technician is my age,” he said.
This raises the question of what happens when experienced teachers like Simmons and Touchette retire.
Simmons said more young people need to become involved in CTE teaching to keep programs thriving. Schools must improve training for incoming CTE teachers, as their backgrounds are unique. Teaching 40 students skills and machinery is no easy task, both Simmons and Touchette agree.
“Kids are walking our halls who need this, and it’s the only reason they come to school. How do we make it more accessible without overloading teachers? How do you do that?” Touchette said.
South Lane School District
There are 11 CTE programs between South Lane’s two high schools: two at Al Kennedy High and nine at Cottage Grove High.
Al Kennedy is an alternative high school for students who may be facing various challenges that make attending CGHS difficult. The focus of AKHS is sustainability and experiential learning, said Brandi Baker-Rudicel, CTE Teacher at AKHS.
The agriculture program allows students to grow food in the on-campus garden, take it home to their families, and learn about horticulture. Baker-Rudicel also teaches the early childhood education program and the careers class at AKHS and is in charge of the teen parent program at the school.
Baker-Rudicel, of Cottage Grove, said her experience as a teen parent inspired her to guide students.
“The Cottage Grove community helped me so much when I was a teen mom, and I like to give back,” she said. She helps her ECE students develop skills if they are interested in pursuing child development or skills to become an informed parent, she said. On the careers class side,
AKHS students can go on an experiential learning trip every Friday to visit different industries and areas.
“We’re going to the sawmill, maybe we’re going to a food hub, maybe we’re going to a university,” she said. These trips help guide students to a path after high school that she says can often look like apprenticeship programs, Baker-Rudicel said.
“Less kids are getting into drugs, less teen parents. It just keeps increasing that we have more kids that are becoming really good members of society, and you know buying into their futures,” she said as a result of the CTE programs and experiential learning trips.
Brian McCasline, Interim Superintendent at South Lane School District, agrees that students in CTE are more successful out of high school.
He said that not only are students graduating at a higher rate when they take CTE classes, but they are also being prepared for “high-wage and high-demand careers.” That’s what CTE programs are all about.
And it’s not just preparing someone for a job; it’s preparing them for a job that will support them,” McCasline said. He also explains that South Lane School District is working on a K-12 CTE program that will introduce career narratives as early as kindergarten.
Like many districts, McCasline said that South Lane is looking for more community partners to connect students. He said that many students have to choose between working and an internship, so finding paid partnerships is crucial for student success.
Creswell High School
With a student population of just over 330 students, Creswell High School has seven different CTE programs of study, including a brand-new Digital Arts program. According to Principal Jenny Collins, the reason their programs thrive is because of their teachers.
“We have done a really good job of hiring our CTE teachers out of the industry,” she said.
Amanda Hoggard runs both the Business, Management & Administration, and the Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs of study at Creswell because of her background in running her own childcare business before she started teaching.
Besides the dozens of grants Hoggard writes about each year, she also says that being a CTE teacher means having industry knowledge to share with the students.
“It also demands that we have full-time teachers … that have the correct credentials to teach because you can’t teach something that you haven’t done in the CTE world. You have to have a minimum of 2000 professional experience hours to get your endorsement in a field, along with a whole bunch of other credentials,” Hoggard said.
This is why getting new CTE teachers can sometimes be difficult. But after seven years at CHS, Hoggard has helped connect CTE students with local businesses, community members, and each other.
“The biggest benefit they walk away with is a real, honest-to-goodness, real-life experience where they are. In our case, running the Bulldog market,” Hoggard said.
The Bulldog Market is an opportunity for students in all of Creswell’s different CTE classes to come together and share their skills with the community. The manufacturing classes sell the products that they are making in their classes, health science students share their knowledge, and business students market, organize, and budget the entire event. This year, there will be two market events for the students: one in the winter and another in the spring.
Hoggard also shares that her ECE program, while only in its second year, has allowed students to explore child development regardless of what field they are interested in pursuing.
“I am one of those teachers who will not shy away from the hard topics of life,” Hoggard said. This is why she had her ECE students meet and discuss with the parents of children with disabilities. This allowed for a great connection between her students and the community, and Hoggard said it made those students better equipped for their careers in child development.
While Creswell may not have all the resources as easily accessible to them as more populated areas, they work together with their community to grow their programs, Hoggard said. “It’s important to let the community understand that we look at what we have the capability to offer and offer those things accordingly,” she said.
But most importantly, she said she wants the community to understand that CHS students “have a desire to serve and want to be a part of the community in so many ways.”
Pleasant Hill High School
While Pleasant Hill High School may have only two official CTE programs of study, its opportunities for students are significant. The PHHS Agriculture program offers 12 credits, including horticulture, woodworking, metalworking, animal production science, and more.
This program alone could lead students to various career opportunities.
Angela White, the agriculture program leader at PHHS, has connected students with the FFA chapter to engage with industry partners and find internships. Before PHHS, White taught animal science at OSU and Linn Benton for nearly 20 years.
Her experience supports her career preparation program for students from various backgrounds. White said that the supervised agricultural experience (SAE) at PHHS exceeds the ODE requirement for work-based learning in CTE classes. Students must complete 40 hours of work on a self-chosen project, such as raising animals or growing vegetables.
Tressa Geyer, PHHS 2024 graduate, chose an SAE experience called Ag in the Classroom, which helped her teach elementary students about agriculture.
“We made all the curriculum, bought resources, got grants, and taught students about various parts of agriculture,” Geyer said.
This experience introduces career pathways to students early on. In middle school, students explore career pathways to be better prepared for high school career classes.
“We’re small enough but diverse enough to offer students the ability to customize their career technology path,” White said.
The other CTE program at PHHS is Health Science, taught by Christy Vough, who has 15 years in EMS. Vough partners with the Pleasant Hill Goshen Fire Department (PHGFD) to get students EMS certified and expose them to career paths. Last year, 12 students were certified in CPR, and three out of eight in her first responders class obtained Emergency Medical Response certification.
Vough values community involvement and seeks more industry partners.
“We would love partnerships with members of the community that might have particular expertise or … would be willing to allow students to come and volunteer or do work-study or something at their practice. That’s the challenge. Is finding industry partners,” she said.
Last year, 37 students graduated with CTE honors, completing both Agriculture and Health Science programs, White said. These students present their CTE experiences to the school board, helping to inform the community about the benefits of CTE courses.
However, both teachers are looking for more community involvement. They note that while funding is available through the Pleasant Hill Education Foundation and Booster Club, more community involvement would greatly benefit students. White suggests three ways to support CTE students: hiring young people, making donations, and volunteering time and skills.
“Students engaged in these programs are literally the workforce of tomorrow,” White said.
