CRTC Compass Magazine

New CRTC Director No Stranger to College and Career Connections Anne Fowler has a long history, at both the local and state levels, of creating college and career opportunities for high school students. And as the new CRTC director, she is ready to focus all that energy and experience on helping students to gain a competitive edge as they move forward into college and careers. “I am committed to working with students and families to build a workable plan for college and careers,” Ms. Fowler said. “And I’m preparing to help them with the changes and challenges of the 21st century workplace.” Ms. Fowler was hired over the summer to replace longtime director Steve Rothenberg, who will be retiring from the Concord School District at the end of the school year, but will remain involved in New Hampshire Career Pathway education. Mr. Rothenberg’s new title is CRTC principal, and he will be working with the new CRTC director throughout this school year to ensure a smooth transition. “I don’t e

  Connecting CRTC Students to College and Career Opportunities Last school year, despite COVID restrictions, the CRTC worked hard to stay open for on-site learning throughout most of the year, and to continue connecting students to college and career opportunities. The results of all that effort were impressive. In the 2020-21 school year: 336 CRTC students received credit for 413 college classes 29 Cosmetology students accrued 5,396 post-secondary training hours 374 CRTC students earned 904 Industry Recognized Certificates and 38 Professional Licenses 252 CRTC students participated in at least 10 hours of Internal or External WBL with 86 unique businesses or community partners  This school year we are pushing to improve those numbers and increase our community-based partnerships as COVID restrictions loosen and we get better at engaging CRTC students in meaningful and personalized Extended Learning Opportunities.

  Police Ride Alongs Bring Classroom Lessons to Life Emma Ramsey’s pulse raced as she sat in a Pittsfield Police cruiser watching a young man who had overdosed on opioids turn blue from lack of oxygen. This was one of her first ride-alongs with the Pittsfield Police Department, and the Criminal Justice program senior said the experience is helping her to shape her future career choices. “That’s the moment when I knew that this is what I wanted to do for a career,” she said, describing how police officers administered Narcan to save the young man’s life. “If I didn’t join the Criminal Justice program, I would never have known about all the opportunities available for me in this career field.” Emma, who is home schooled, took the initiative to set up the work-based learning experience by approaching police officers at a town school board meeting in April and asking if the department would consider mentoring her. Pittsfield Police Chief Joe Collins agreed and set up a schedule that has Em

  Following the Yellow Brick Road to College and Career Development Sophia Shaw likely caught the acting bug at an early age, playing Dorothy Gale in a family production of the Wizard of Oz . Although she has no firsthand memory of the play, she still enjoys watching a family videotape of that performance now and again. “I was about 18-months-old at the time, and my mother and brother were the supporting cast,” Sophia, a Concord High School senior said. “It’s a lot of fun to watch how serious I was about acting at such an early age.” Sophia has spent most of her high school career in the CRTC Theater & Film program, completing the Acting strand in her freshman and sophomore years, and now taking the Production and Design strand in her senior year. She also has gathered some educational and professional credits working at the Palace Theater in Manchester, where she recently starred as Snow White in the Palace Professional Theater for Children’s summer series production of Snow White

  CRTC Teacher Named NH CTE Teacher of the Year Longtime Concord Regional Technical Center Education & Behavioral Science teacher Valerie Koch has been named New Hampshire’s Career and Technical Education Teacher of the Year. Ms. Koch, who is a past graduate of the CRTC Education program, has been instructing future teachers and behavioral scientists at the CRTC since 2001. “This teacher is without a doubt a statewide leader in truly adopting competencies into every aspect of her program,” NH CTE President Jennifer Hasken said when the award was presented at the Summer Learning Series event in Portsmouth in August. “She has taken her program from one that had marginal targets to a cutting edge program reflecting the best of CTE, including expanding the dual enrollment offerings to 16 college credits and providing extensive internships.” Ms. Koch has been teaching at the CRTC since 2001, and is an adjunct faculty member for Southern New Hampshire University's School of Education

  Beginnings, Endings and Business as Usual Beginnings, Endings and Business as Usual The CRTC is back in business for another school year with new faces, new challenges and the same old determination to provide all our students with a career-focused education designed to prepare them for college, career and life success. While this is the 41st year for the CRTC, it will be the last year for me, as I plan to retire from the Concord School District at the end of the school year. And while I’m leaving the position I’ve been in since 2008, I’ll continue to be involved in promoting career pathways and related educational experiences in New Hampshire. This year I will serve as CRTC Principal, and will be working with the new and talented CRTC Director, Anne Fowler, throughout the school year to ensure a smooth transition as Anne will take over as principal on July 1, 2022. You can read more about Anne in this issue of the Compass Magazine, as well as about our new administrative assistant,