Bringing the Classroom to the Policy Table: An Educator’s Perspective on College & Career Readiness

As a classroom teacher, I’ve always believed that preparing students for life after school takes more than just good intentions. It takes clear goals, consistent language, and tools that actually work in the classroom. This summer, I got to step outside of my usual role and join a bigger conversation through an externship focused on Idaho’s College & Career Readiness (CCR) Competencies. Working with state leaders, I helped shape tools and resources that directly support student growth from elementary through postsecondary education.

CCR isn’t just a high school box to check off. It’s something that should start in the early grades and continue through every level of learning. One of the big goals of this externship was to help create that kind of consistency across the board. And for educators to really use these tools, they need to be clear, easy to understand, and ready to apply in real classrooms. Whether you’re teaching third grade or running a CTE program, CCR should be something you can point to, use, and talk about with students.

Early on in the externship, I got the chance to help build a visual brand for CCR something that makes these competencies more recognizable and engaging. I worked closely with Lorie Bolen and Jacque Deahl to draft a project brief and kick off the design process. We looked at fun, game-inspired themes like leveling up and powering up things that students already connect with. Elementary designs were bright and playful, while middle and high school designs leaned more into real-world, career-ready imagery. Inspirations came from Mario, Tetris, and other playful visuals students love.

Throughout the process, I got real-world support from Lorie Bolen, an incredibly talented graphic designer.  We met once a week and sometimes twice a week.  She made sure I was learning, growing, and staying on track with what needed to be done. Her advice and guidance helped turn all the ideas into polished visuals that really work. We also talked about whether to include Idaho-specific branding or go with something more universal that other districts could also use. In the end, we came up with three visual sets for elementary, secondary, and postsecondary all tied together with a common theme of growth and readiness. These designs will help make CCR more visible and useful in classrooms across the state.

Another big part of the externship was trying to gather input from professionals in the field about how CCR is showing up in real life. Originally, I planned to conduct interviews with educators, business leaders, parents, and more. But with summer schedules being what they are, that was tough. So, I pivoted and put together a survey that I shared across my network. That gave me a new way to gather input and look for trends. The responses pointed to the need for clearer language, real classroom examples, and stronger connections between what we teach and the real-world skills students need.

One of the parts I enjoyed the most was working on the Performance Level Descriptors (PLDs). It was like putting together a big puzzle. I got to look closely at each CCR competency and figure out how it lines up with state standards at different grade levels. I also studied national frameworks like the NACE competencies and Durable Skills to help guide the work. The result is a more streamlined and consistent way to describe student growth, helping teachers and students track progress and set clear goals.

All of that led directly into the next piece: building a one-page tool for teachers. This resource links each CCR competency with related Idaho content standards and includes some simple graphic design to make it easy to use. The idea was to create something teachers could actually use right away whether in a lesson plan, a goal-setting activity, or a team meeting. It’s built to work in both print and digital formats and supports educators across elementary, secondary, and postsecondary levels.

This externship reminded me how important it is to have teachers involved in creating the tools we’re expected to use. I was able to bring a teacher’s lens to the work and, in the process, grow as a professional. I believe even more strongly now that CCR is possible but only if we keep it real, aligned, and usable in the day-to-day of teaching.

I want to say a big thank you to Jacque Deahl, Brock Astle, and Lorie Bolen. They were incredible to work with and created a space where I could contribute and grow. This externship was a fantastic experience. I learned more about branding, design, real-world applications, time management, and the deeper purpose behind CCR. I’ll take these lessons with me into the classroom and wherever this work takes me next.

Grade Level and Subject Taught: High School: CTE Business Management, Graphic Design, Photography, Journalism