Peoria’s CTE Renaissance - By Michael Brix - Career and Technical Education Teacher Story

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by McQueen

Peoria’s CTE renaissance highlights how Michael Brix, a construction trades instructor for Peoria Public Schools, transformed career and technical education by bringing real-world experience into renewable energy and construction-focused work-based learning. It describes an AFT Innovation Fund grant, matched with Illinois Federation of Teachers support, that strengthened regional career pathways, expanded partnerships with employers and the local community college, and accelerated enrollment, internships, new CTE programs, and credential completion.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Peoria’s CTE Renaissance

Michael Brix’s transition to CTE teaching

The AFT and IFT grant for career pathways

Program growth, partnerships, and student outcomes

Peoria’s CTE Renaissance PEORIA PHOTOS: COURTESY OF PEORIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS; GERMANY PHOTO: AFT A longtime construction industry professional and business owner, Michael Brix transitioned to career and technical education (CTE) in 2014. Since becoming a construction trades instructor at Woodruff Career and Technical Center in Peoria, Illinois, he has been central to Peoria’s CTE renaissance. Currently, he teaches renewable energy and construction-focused work-based learning. In 2015, the Peoria Federation of Teachers and the Greater Peoria Works campaign were awarded an AFT Innovation Fund grant supporting the Promising Pathways initiative to modernize CTE programs. The grant, which was augmented by funds from the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT), was part of the AFT’s longstanding advocacy for greater national attention to CTE to engage more students with real-world training Michael Brix is a career and technical education teacher with the Peoria Public Schools and a union representative with the Peoria Federation of Teachers (AFT Local 780). After completing high school, he attended culinary school and worked as a chef. Transitioning to construction, he focused on windows and doors and then expanded into home building and remodeling. Now, he brings this wealth of career experience to his third profession as an educator. He is an Occupational Safety and Health Administration–authorized trainer and has earned the associate credential from the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners. and academic content that expand their career opportunities and reduce educational inequities. The AFT/IFT funds were used to build out the infrastructure for a regional career pathways system and enhance partnerships between Peoria Public Schools (PPS), community employers, and the local community college to increase career opportunities for students. PPS also added career pathways coordinators to help employers provide robust mentoring and support for CTE students. In three years, Peoria’s CTE programs saw significant enrollment growth and increased work-based learning and internship opportunities. The funding also helped PPS implement a career planning system that created more than a dozen new CTE programs and increased student completion of industry-recognized credentials in automotive, health, and information technology fields, among others. * Building on the strength of this work, the IFT and other unions successfully fought for state legislation in 2021 creating green energy jobs and solar-in-schools funding, with extensive CTE connections. Here, Brix describes becoming a CTE instructor, growing the program through collaboration and relationship building, and some exciting opportunities ahead. –EDITORS *For more on the expansion of CTE in Peoria through the AFT Innovation Fund grant, [visit go.aft.org/9aq](visit go.aft.org/9aq). By Michael Brix have been a skilled trades worker Ifor almost half of my life, but I never thought about teaching my craft to students. Then in May 2014, an opportunity to use my experience to help change students’ lives practically landed in my lap. I haven’t looked back since. That spring, I was working at a Lowe’s store in Peoria, Illinois, as a millwork salesperson when a colleague asked if I had ever thought about teaching a high school construction class. The principal of the local career tech center had left his card along with news that he was looking for someone with building and construction experience who could give students the kind of realworld, hands-on instruction they could not get by simply learning from a textbook. I had plenty of experience. For 25 years I worked with Andersen Windows, first as part ofa family-owned distributorship and then through my own corporation. I later branched out into building more generally ata local lumberyard before coming to Lowe’s. But I had never taught before. I realized this was an opportunity to be the resourc

FAQs

Who is Michael Brix and what role does he play in Peoria’s CTE efforts?

Michael Brix is a career and technical education teacher with Peoria Public Schools and a union representative with the Peoria Federation of Teachers (AFT Local 780). He teaches renewable energy and construction-focused work-based learning and helped drive the region’s CTE renaissance.

What did the AFT Innovation Fund grant support in Peoria?

The grant supported the Promising Pathways initiative to modernize CTE programs. Funds were used to build infrastructure for a regional career pathways system and strengthen partnerships among schools, employers, and the local community college.

How did the funding affect student programs and learning opportunities?

Over three years, Peoria’s CTE programs saw enrollment growth and more work-based learning and internship opportunities. The funding also helped implement a career planning system that created many new CTE programs and increased student completion of industry-recognized credentials.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by McQueen