Career Tech Leaders Show

What does career and technical education look like in a small rural community?In Episode 2 of the Career Tech Leaders Show, David Young talks with Steve Fisk, Superintendent of Odessa School District in Odessa, Washington, about how rural schools can build meaningful career pathways for students through agriculture, technology, and hands-on learning.Steve shares what it’s like leading CTE programs in a small farming community, how Odessa is helping students prepare for life after high school, and why precision agriculture, drone technology, and work-based learning are opening new doors for students in rural America.In this episode, we cover:What CTE looks like in a rural school districtHow Odessa is building agriculture and ag tech pathwaysWhy drones and precision agriculture are a natural fit for studentsFunding strategies, grants, and partnerships that helped launch the programHow schools can connect students to real-world careers in their local economyWhy technology can help more students, including young women, find a place in agricultureSteve’s vision for student-led, self-sustaining career programs in the futureThis is a great conversation for superintendents, CTE directors, teachers, and school leaders looking for practical ideas to create innovative programs that truly serve their communities.If you enjoy the show, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast platform. Reviews help more people discover the podcast.As a thank you, David will send you a free Drone Launch Learning or Career Tech Leaders Show shirt. Just screenshot your review and email it to: [email protected] with David Young:Drone Launch Learning - https://dronelaunchlearning.com/ #CTE #CareerTechEd #RuralEducation #AgricultureEducation #PrecisionAgriculture #Drones #DroneEducation #FFA #WorkBasedLearning #CareerReadiness #EducationLeadership

Welcome to the Career Tech Leaders Show—a podcast for educators, administrators, and decision-makers in career and technical education who want practical ideas they can actually use. Each episode features conversations with CTE directors, principals, superintendents, and industry-connected leaders from around the country, focused on what’s working in real programs today. Topics range from building and scaling career pathways to funding, work-based learning, community partnerships, and hiring and retaining strong CTE instructors.In Episode 1, the show kicks off with Joe Kolenda, principal of the Guthrie Center in Spring Branch ISD (Houston area). The Guthrie Center is a dedicated career center where students travel from their home high schools to take hands-on CTE classes across 13 different programs—everything from health science and cybersecurity to culinary, architecture, agriculture, and electrical.Joe breaks down what it really takes to run a successful career center: how programs are chosen based on student interest and workforce demand, how multi-year pathways and certifications give students real options after graduation, and what the balance looks like between students entering the workforce and those continuing to college.The conversation also dives into funding realities—how Texas CTE weighted funding works, how Perkins funding fits in, and why grant opportunities can be helpful but challenging to manage. Joe shares how their work-based learning model connects students with real employers, what makes those partnerships successful, and why career readiness often comes down to practical skills like communication, professionalism, and showing up prepared.Finally, Joe offers insight into recruiting and retaining CTE teachers from industry, including where to find candidates, how local certification can help, and how school leaders can build a culture that keeps strong instructors engaged despite higher-paying opportunities elsewhere. This episode sets the tone for the podcast with an honest, experience-driven look at what it takes to build CTE programs that work.https://dronelaunchlearning.com/#CareerTechEducation #CTE #CareerTechLeaders #WorkBasedLearning #CareerPathways #educationleadership