Ed.D. Student Named District Teacher of the Year

Kay Beggs

Today’s career and technology high schools bear little resemblance to the “commercial” vo-techs most adults remember from their high school days.

A student at a contemporary career and technology school isn’t necessarily on the fast track to a 20-year career in a skilled trade—indeed, they are as likely to earn a two-year or four-year degree after graduation as they are to start working full time, says Kay Beggs, who teaches in the business and education department at G. Frank Russell Career and Technology Center in Greenwood, S.C. She was named the 2005–2006 Teacher of the Year for the Greenwood School District.

“In fact, we encourage all of our students to go to college, and 80 percent do,” says Beggs, a Walden Ed.D. student and M.S. in Education alumna.

The 21-year veteran teacher says that what sets her students apart from those in traditional high schools is that they know what careers appeal to them now and can get a head start on preparing for them.

Beggs, who is currently teaching Virtual Enterprise, Photoshop I and II, and Animated Computer Technology, has been at the high school for 10 years. As teacher of the year, she will spend part of next year giving speeches to groups of new teachers on her teaching philosophy and the importance of lifelong learning.

She earned her M.S. in Education at Walden with a specialization in Integrating Technology in the Classroom because she wanted to learn more about different learning styles. Beggs decided to earn her Ed.D. at Walden with the hope of one day using her knowledge of technology and learning styles to not only be a better teacher of young adults, but also to become a teacher of teachers.

“It’s not that I don’t enjoy being in the classroom with students, but I’d like to one day teach staff development for my school district. I can teach teachers to integrate technology across their curriculum, whatever their curriculum might be,” she says. “I knew that I’d need the doctorate to do that.”

Beggs is now a finalist for teacher of the year for her state. As part of her teacher of the year award, Beggs, who was bestowed the award by a panel of her peers, received $1,000 for professional development.