Benefits of Career and Technical Education

Helen K. Foster leads as Superintendent of Schools for the Coalinga-Huron Unified School District of California. Since accepting the role in the summer of 2015, Dr. Foster has increased the number of career and technical education opportunities available to district students.

Career and technical education, or CTE, provides students with skills that can be directly applicable to the contemporary workforce. It offers focused training for students who hope to seek employment directly after high school, yet it can also provide highly beneficial pre-professional experiences to students who plan to pursue a post-secondary education.

Unlike vocational training of the past, which targeted students unlikely to attend college, CTE blends academic learning with career education. This balanced perspective not only increases a student's likelihood of continuing their education beyond secondary school but may also lead directly to a greater chance of employment and to higher wages in one's first year following high school graduation.

Relevant to students with a broad range of interests, CTE offers opportunities in 16 different career categories, from manufacturing to arts and communications. Connections to job opportunities as well as certification and degree programs provide pathways to continuing success while strengthening connections between high schools and their surrounding communities.

NASS Taking up Social Justice in the Classroom

An accomplished educator and administrator with more than two decades of experience in the California school system, Helen K. Foster, EdD, serves as the superintendent of the Coalinga-Huron Joint Unified School District in Coalinga, California. Active in her field, Dr. Helen K. Foster maintains membership with numerous professional organizations, including the National Association of School Superintendents (NASS).

In an effort to help meet the needs of diverse student populations, NASS is partnering with the Association of California School Administrators on a professional development initiative called the Equity and Social Justice Certification. Educators who participate in the program will be trained on best practices when it comes to being culturally proficient in the classroom and engaging with the community when dealing with hurdles like racial inequality, different types of bias, and other obstacles that students have to overcome when they come from a minority background. The online certification program is expected to conclude in October 2018. To learn more about this and the other certifications that NASS offers, visit www.nass.us.