The Maryland Career and Technical Administrators (MCTA) chapter of the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) named Carrie Akins, Principal of the Career and Technology Academy as the 2022 CTE Administrator of the Year. She is being recognized for her demonstrated commitment to Career and Technical Education (CTE) through her innovation, accomplishments, and contributions to the CTE community.
Carrie Akins oversees all CTE programs for Calvert County Public Schools in addition to serving as the Principal of the Career and Technology Academy (CTA). Since her arrival in 2019, she has intentionally found ways to improve the school, build collaborations with industry partners, and promote CTE in the county.
In her short tenure in both administrative roles in Calvert County, she has already demonstrated tremendous success in evoking positive change, such as obtaining grants totaling over $450,000 to expand services and add new CTE programs, creating a brand for CTE, and expanding business partnerships which resulted in $20,000 in scholarship funds for student certifications. She recently worked to include the Apprenticeship Maryland program as part of CTE programs for the district which will provide an important connection between classroom learning and employer training needs.
Dr. Susan Johnson, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction, said in a letter to MCTA, “Mrs. Akins is a student first principal. She works to ensure that all students have equal access to programs. She shifted from an application process to a registration process that ensured students regardless of academic status had access to programs. Mrs. Akins supports her teachers regarding programs ensuring they have time with business partners and instructionally ensuring that best practices are used in the classroom.”
She will be formally recognized at an MCTA virtual Spring Membership meeting on Thursday, March 24, 2022, at 10:45 a.m. along with the other state CTE award recipients.