West Side Story would like to congratulate Mr. Chuck Carter in his new position, starting in April as the Director of Career and Technical Education programs of study of the TN department of education. Currently Carter holds the position as the Hamblen County Supervisor of Career and Technical Education, commonly known as CTE. Carter is responsible for creating programs of study that are in high demand with high technical experience, which then equals higher paying jobs.
Carter attended Walter State Community College, then transferred to the University of Tennessee Knoxville, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in History. Cater then earned his Tennessee Teaching License from East Tennessee State University. Fourteen years later, Carter earned his Masters Degree and an Educational Specialist Degree in Administration and Supervision from Lincoln Memorial University.
After graduating from high school, Carter had no idea what he wanted to do. He eventually got put on academic probation due to not attending classes. One day, Carter was approached by a family friend, Mr. Andy Taylor, and was asked if he wanted to help start a wrestling program at East Ridge Middle School, since he had previously wrestled in High School. The principal of East Ridge at the time, Mr. Glen Kanipe, saw how well Carter worked with the student athletes, Kanipe then asked if Carter had ever thought of being a teacher, Carter then shared, “ Honestly, the thought had never crossed my mind, but when the principal of a school tells you that he thinks you would be good at teaching it meant so much to me.” Carter’s first job in education was a sixth grade social studies teacher at East Ridge Middle School.
After 16 years in the classroom, Dr. Dale Lynch and the school board, gave Carter the privilege to lead Union Heights Elementary School as the principal. Not only was he the principal for nine years he also held his current job as the Career and Technical Education Supervisor for the past five years.
Carter strongly encourages students to take CTE courses in high school, due to the fact that not every student knows what they will do after graduating high school. Thankfully CTE courses expose students to skills and career fields that they may have never even heard of before. CTE courses can also expose students to know what jobs or career paths they don’t want. Carter also encourages students who are thinking about going into education as a career that they complete Teaching as a Profession program of study that is offered on the East High campus. From there students can get into contact with some after school programs that hire students before graduating. After graduating, students can check out the Grow Your Own program. This is a great financial offer that allows students to gain valuable experience and the last two years of college basically for free.
Lastly, Carter shared, “Thirty years later I am still avidly involved in the public education system, and I truly feel I owe so much of that to Mr. Glen Kanipe.”
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