Best Practices in CTE in Amarillo, Texas with Jay L. Barrett: A Vision for the Future

This past June, Jay became the principal of AmTech Career Academy in Amarillo, Texas, a $60 million renovation of an old Sears/Hastings facility. Tune in to hear about the inception story for this center and his vision for the future of Career and Technical Education in this community.  Take a virtual tour of the campus here: https://youtu.be/c83_49bo1FI Find out more about Jay's background and experiences in education and CTE below. Educational Career Jay has 36 total years of experience in public education. He has been a principal at all levels in Amarillo ISD in Amarillo, Texas for 26 of those years. Principalships include: Amarillo Area Center for Advanced Learning (AACAL), a STEM/CTE campus (2008-2021) Travis Middle School (2000-2008) Forest Hill Elementary School (1995-2000) Other administrative work: Associate Principal, Palo Duro High School in Amarillo, Texas (1993-1995) Assistant Principal, Tascosa High School in Amarillo, Texas (1991-1993) Before becoming an administrator, Jay taught English and coached tennis at Pampa High School in Pampa, Texas (1985-1991) Jay began his career in education by doing his student teaching in Rota, Spain, through the Department of Defense Dependents program. While at AACAL, Jay co-founded Gateway to Health Careers, a regional program that now trains over 600 students annually in 27 high schools in the 26,000 square miles of the rural panhandle of Texas. Recent Awards 2019 HEB North Texas Secondary Principal of the Year 2019 Elbert K Fretwell Outstanding Educator of the year by the Golden Spread Council of Boy Scouts Community Involvement Deacon, First Baptist Church Amarillo College Regent, Secretary of the Board of Regents Secretary, Community College Association of Texas Trustees Board of Directors Panhandle PBS Board of Directors Amarillo College Foundation Board of Directors Chamber of Commerce Governmental Advisory Council Amarillo Police Training Advisory Board WT Enterprise Center Board of Directors Panhandle Workforce Development Board of Directors, Executive Committee Amarillo Technology Initiative Board of Directors Golden Spread Council, Boy Scouts of America Board of Directors Maverick Boys' and Girls' Clubs in Amarillo Board of Directors