July 17, 2017
PORTER
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California Department of Education states
on its website, “(CTE is a) program of study
that involves a multiyear sequence of cours-
es that integrates core academic knowledge
with technical and occupational knowledge
to provide students with a pathway to post-
secondary education and careers.”
Thus, Poway USD is fortunate to have
the services of Kathleen Porter, executive
director of Career Technical, Adult and
Alternative Education and ACSA’s 2017
Career Technical Education Administrator
of the Year.
Porter said she felt drawn to being an
educator since she was a little girl. She loved
playing school with her three brothers, and
she naturally was always the teacher.
“As my brothers will attest, from a very
early age, I also always wanted to be the
boss,” Porter said. “One of my brothers once
told me, ‘you’re more like mom than mom!’
He meant it to be an insult, but I took it as
very high praise.”
Later in life, Porter said she was lucky
enough to work for people who recognized
her natural leadership and provided oppor-
BRAY
Continued from page 1
tant for the Kern County Superintendent
of Schools, supporting new superintendents
in their first year on the job. As with many
administrators, he started working in edu-
cation as a teacher.
“At a point in my career, I felt I had
learned a thing or two about children and
education, and I decided to become an
administrator in order to have a greater
positive impact on greater numbers of kids,”
he said.
Bray was a superintendent/principal at
Linns Valley School District and super-
intendent of South Fork Union School
District, Edison School District and Wasco
School District. However, his impressive
work has never been limited to his job
title. He is a founding member of the Kern
County Student Leadership Association, an
organization designed to engage students in
leadership activities. In his continuing work
with the association, he leads 30 to 45 Kern
County high school students in leadership
development activities twice a month.
EDCAL 7
tunities to develop that trait.
“I think it was through the encourage-
ment of those administrators that I began to
consider the possibility of being an adminis-
trator myself,” she said.
That leadership exhibits itself in Porter’s
ability to find creative solutions to challeng-
es. Saying “yes” is one of her favorite things.
She has worked hard to ensure that every
pathway course the district offers is either
CSU/UC a-g-approved, or has industry
certification.
“We talk often about personalizing
learning for students and offering multiple
pathways for students to achieve, and I am
grateful that doing this is at the very heart
of my work,” Porter said. “One of the best
things about being in the world of career
technical education is the fact that it is cur-
rent and relevant and has to be responsive
to workforce development needs and stay
future focused. It’s always changing and
evolving.”
CTE offers Porter an opportunity to
help students envision their own futures.
“I believe that ensuring that students
uncover their interests, their abilities and
their passions is one of the keys to student
engagement,” she said. “When asked ‘why
do I have to learn this?’ I want us to be able to answer with something more than
‘because there’s a test on Friday;’ I want us
to be able to answer with something that’s
relevant to our students and inspires them.”
Currently, Porter is finding inspiration
in work to align programs and leverage
resources among adult education, career
technical education, and alternative pro-
grams. She said there is synergy between
and among programs that can result in cre-
ating personalized learning, seamless transi-
tions and educational options.
District CTE, adult education, and alter-
native programs staff recently participated
in a year-long design thinking effort that
resulted in a clear vision of how to struc-
ture educational pathways to meet students’
needs and prepare them for success in both
college and their future careers.
Porter has also discovered how to use her
active ACSA membership – which began
as a student member, even before becoming
an administrator – to create a network of
connection to other colleagues, which can
offer help when needed, and to have input
in the shaping of education policy at the
state level.
“Among the benefits I see in ACSA
involvement are being connected and hav-
ing a voice,” Porter said. “By being connect- ed, I mean knowing my colleagues at other
districts and around the state and knowing
who to call when another opinion is needed.
By having a voice, I mean being able to
express my thoughts and opinions to shape
the future of K-12 education in California.”
In looking back over her career in earn-
ing this statewide honor, Porter sounded a
little surprised to realize she’s had a career
that spans nearly 30 years. Part of that is
love for the job, and part of that is working
with “a lot of incredibly smart, inspirational,
and wise leaders.” She said her current
supervisor, Mel Robertson, has been a huge
inspiration.
“Since the time that Mel has overseen
Learning Support Services in Poway, we
have faced numerous challenges and dif-
ficulties,” Porter said. “Mel has been effec-
tively leading in spite of limits – which
might be another way of saying leading
beyond limits. Mel has challenged me and
encouraged me to say yes, to figure out how
to do things in spite of challenges, and to
stay focused on students. She is an incred-
ibly inspirational coach, pushes us to strive
for excellence, and is one of the reasons I
love coming to work every day.”
His work as a management consultant
includes coaching new administrators, coor-