1. 20 Techniques February 2014 www.acteonline.org
In Celebration of CTE
Carl Schaefer circa 1941.
Photo courtesy of JoAnn Schaefer

2. February 2014 Techniques 21www.acteonline.org
In Celebration of CTE
areer and technical educa-
tion (CTE) is built on the
hard work and dedication of
those who came before us.
So at a time when CTE has so much to
celebrate, it is important that we honor
our forefathers. Having been involved in
CTE for over 40 years, I have had the
opportunity to meet and interact with a
variety of thought leaders, many of whom
have helped mold CTE and guide its
quality and growth. I consider it an honor
and a privilege to recognize one of CTE’s
strongest advocates, Carl J. Schaefer. I am
certain he had no idea of the impact his
legacy would have on the future of CTE.
Schaefer focused on helping his students
succeed and engaged others in recogniz-
ing the importance of CTE.
CTE’s Consistency
One of our greatest challenges in CTE is
the continuation of a national, uniform
quality education system. U.S. Sec. of Ed-
ucation Arne Duncan used the term “is-
lands of excellence” during a 2011 speech1
when referring to the lack of uniformity
in CTE. The reality is that this term has
conjured up images of CTE being discon-
nected from the mainstream, but this
could not be farther from the truth. CTE
has consistently been in touch with the
needs of multiple communities, educa-
tional reformists, special needs communi-
ties, labor, commerce, the military and of
course, the workforce. The “islands” anal-
ogy does, however, hold some measure of
truth when referring to the consistency of
available resources at the local level. CTE
does not lack consistency when it comes
to the heritage of leadership and initia-
tive. Carl Schaefer is an ideal example of
leadership and forethought.
The consistency of CTE, in part, is
based on the quality and competence of
the instructors teaching the programs.
At a time when vocational education was
starting to take on new life in the 1960s,
local administrators realized that there
were few available tools to determine a
potential instructor’s competence. The
Vocational Education Acts of 1963 and
1968 allowed funds to be utilized for the
building of new shared-time facilities.
These acts led to the growth of facili-
ties around the country and spurred the
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Pukp}pk|hsz"ässpun"{olzl"wvzp{pvuz"ullklk"
to have four unique skill sets:
ª" A love of their craft
ª" The desire to help others grow
ª" A willingness to commit to
lifelong learning
ª" Competence in their craft
The documentation of competency is a
factor that helped drive Schaefer.
A CTE Superhero
In 2010, I had the honor of meeting
Schaefer and his wife JoAnn during a
NOCTI Board of Trustees meeting held
at the Association for Career and Techni-
cal Education’s (ACTE) headquarters.
Schaefer was a special guest and was
honored by the then-current Board of
Trustees as the last surviving founding
By John Foster
Celebrating

3. 22 Techniques February 2014 www.acteonline.org
In Celebration of CTE
board member. Also during this meet-
ing, which happened on his 90th birth-
day, Brenda Dann-Messier, the assistant
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and Adult Education, presented Schaefer
with a Lifetime Recognition Award. This
meeting was the only time I would have
the opportunity to meet him in person.
The CTE community lost a great leader
later that year when he passed away on
December 12.
Early Life and Education
Schaefer’s life should provide inspiration
to those reading this article. In many
ways his life parallels the drive of all CTE
educators. (If it doesn’t, it should.) His
focus was always on making things better.
As a youth, he earned the rank of Eagle
Scout with the Boy Scouts of America.
He started his “work life” as a carpenter
and a machinist after graduating from
Buffalo Technical High School in New
York. After a brief teaching experience
from 1942–1943, Schaefer served his
country during World War II with Gen.
George Patton in the European Theater,
earning the Bronze Star with an oak leaf
cluster for his bravery. He was part of the
94th Infantry Division and is mentioned
in two World War II books: Patton’s Pawns:
The 94th US Infantry Division at the Siegfried
Line by Tony Le Tissier and Patton’s Ghost
Corps: Cracking the Siegfried Line by Nathan
Prefer.
After his military service, Schaefer
earned his Ph.D. from Ohio State Univer-
sity. In addition to his roles as a teacher,
coach and supervisor at the secondary
level, he also served on the faculty of Penn
State University and Rutgers University.
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wlyzvu"vm"{ol"]vjh{pvuhs"[ljoupjhs"Lk|-
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graduate vocational education program
in the nation. During his tenure in higher
education, he authored well over 100
articles, books and chapters, and helped
over 170 students receive their doctoral
degrees.
Schaefer amassed numerous awards
over his career, but according to his wife
JoAnn, he regarded his part in the found-
ing of the National Occupational Com-
petency Testing Institute (NOCTI) as
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NOCTI was established as a national
consortium (including all state directors
of CTE), which enables all states and
territories to take advantage of NOCTI
as a resource to improve both teacher and
student technical competence.
Recognizing Excellence
Schaefer’s vision of the importance of
national technical competence and his
desire to see CTE, teachers and admin-
istrators continually improve and thrive
lives on through NOCTI. Shortly after
his passing, NOCTI established the Carl
J. Schaefer Memorial Award, which
recognizes the efforts of those individu-
als desiring to become CTE teachers.
As a result of a donation from his wife,
NOCTI has been given the opportunity to
recognize a second individual striving for
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JoAnn Schaefer said of her late husband,
“He just took each day at a time to help
his students, and tried to guide them in
the right direction. Educating people in
their trade was one of his achievements—
whether they wanted to be administra-
tors or journeymen at work.” This year,
NOCTI is pleased and proud to present
the inaugural Carl J. Schaefer Memorial
Award to two individuals.
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Hazlett, a welding teacher at Carter
County Career and Technical School in
Kentucky. Hazlett was a graduate of the
program he now teaches. While a student
at Carter, he was listed on the national
honor roll and participated in the gifted
and talented program. After receiving
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own welding business, Hazlett decided
it was time to give back. After success-
fully passing the NOCTI teacher exam,
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Photo courtesy of JoAnn Schaefer
Carl and JoAnn Schaefer at ACTE headquarters for the spring 2010 NOCTI Board of Trustees meeting.

4. February 2014 Techniques 23www.acteonline.org
In Celebration of CTE
CTE teacher. Hazlett’s goal for students
leaving his program is for them to be
job-ready welders, able to continue their
education or immediately start a welding
career. Hazlett is currently working on his
bachelor’s in occupation-based CTE from
Morehead State University in Kentucky.
Diana Penn has been named as the
second Schaefer Memorial Award win-
ner. Penn is pursuing her master’s from
Temple University in Pennsylvania. She
graduated from the Culinary Institute of
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over 20 years. She has a BS in Organiza-
tional Behavior and Applied Psychology
from Albright College. Penn, like Ha-
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{puj{pvu"pu"oly"älsk5"Zol3"{vv3"kljpklk"{v"
give back to her profession and pursued
a teaching career at Upper Bucks Career
and Technical Center in Pennsylvania.
Even with her culinary background,
she diligently prepared for her technical
NOCTI assessment. She describes her
proudest moments as a teacher as being
those that allow her to see students’ con-
äklujl"nyv~"hz"{ol"thz{ly"z|jjlzzp}ls"
tvyl"kpmäj|s{"jvu{lu{5
Schaefer would have been proud of
these individuals because they both exem-
plify the drive to increase their knowledge
and to help their students be the best they
can become. He would also be proud to
know that he personally helped to shape
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passion and dedication.
Leaving a Legacy
There are two quotes that exemplify the
work of Schaefer and his legacy. The
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during Schaefer’s memorial service. He
stated, “Dr. Schaefer was a man whose
success was measured in the accomplish-
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Schaefer’s passion for CTE. In 1962, he
was quoted in a local newspaper article as
saying, “The dignity of useful work is our
heritage, something to be proud of. ... It
is currently on the defensive and it should
never be.”2
As we celebrate the proud heritage of
CTE, let’s take a moment to remember
and recognize those who helped to pave
the way and those who have helped us
down our paths.
John Foster, Ph.D., is president/CEO of NOCTI.
He can be reached at nocti@nocti.org.
Endnotes
1. Sec. of Education Arne Duncan’s speech to the
State Directors of Career and Technical Educa-
tion, April 18, 2011. Retrieved from: www.
careertech.org/news-events/events/2011-
spring.html.
2. Waters, Bertram G. (1962, January 16). Survey
brings new hope to education’s step-child.
Centre Daily Times, State College, PA.
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