ACTE NRS DIV VP Platform statement
ACTE’s New and Related Services Division serves as the incubator for empowering educators in newly formed career pathways. My goals as VP align with ACTE’s strategic framework by strengthening vertical alignment and awareness among state NRS affiliates through advocacy and professional development. As VP for the NRS Division, we will continue the growth of Support Staff and Law, Public Safety, and Security sections to divisions, and enhance the support for CTE Research, Makers of Policy/Public Information, JROTC Leadership Pathways, and the academic-focused professionals who integrate and curate instructional materials, all while casting a wider net that CTE is for all educators.

I led the design of a manual for NRS to onboard new section leads, further demonstrating my commitment to leadership development. I will promote strategic partnerships that embrace ACTE’s mission to deliver high-quality CTE programs in a competitive workforce. Supporting AdvanceCTE’s framework or strengthening apprenticeship access with CareerWise, I will ensure these relationships benefit all ACTE members. On the national and regional levels, I will raise awareness of Perkins reauthorization and advocate for the Department of Labor to expand training funding for secondary and postsecondary CTE educational programs to address the priorities of ACTE’s strategic plan.

ACTE Board Candidate Application

Region: III
Division: New and Related Services
Occupation: Career Pathways Coordinator

Employment history
Career pathways coordinator, Chicago Teachers Union Foundation – Quest Center for Professional Learning, 2013–present; secondary education mathematics teacher, Chicago Public Schools, 2006–2013

Education
M.A., teacher leadership, Roosevelt University; B.S., Secondary Mathematics Education, Illinois State University; National Board-Certified Teacher, Mathematics – Adolescent and Young Adulthood

National ACTE involvement
VISION presenter, 2018, 2021–23, 2025; VISION attendee, 2017–18, 2021–23, 2025; NPS attendee, 2019

Regional ACTE involvement
Conference attendee, 2025

Divisional ACTE involvement
Chair, policy committee, 2023–26; member, bylaws task force, supporting the bylaws committee in review and revision, 2024; section lead, Tech Prep, 2022–24; section lead, Integration of Academics and CTE, 2024–26; developed a section lead manual for onboarding new section leads, 2026

State ACTE involvement
President, Illinois ACTE, 2026–present; first vice president, IACTE, 2025–26; second vice president, IACTE, 2024–25; chair, public relations committee, 2018–2025; conference presenter, 2017–19, 2022–25; past president, Illinois New and Related Services, IACTE, 2016–2026

Other CTE involvement
Secretary and treasurer, Federation for a Manufacturing Renaissance, 2024–26; chair, Chicagoland Manufacturing Renaissance Council, 2021–24.

Biography:

Michael P. Moriarty, NBCT, is the Career Pathways Coordinator for the Chicago Teachers Union Foundation Quest Center for Professional Learning, www.ctuf.org, where he leads career and technical education via educator professional development through project design, curricular and implementation, grant development, and fundraising. His work also explores the ethics and integration of artificial and assistive intelligence tools in education through his national work with ACTE. From designing lessons delivered by over 250k teachers to raising half a million dollars for CTE, environmental, and cancer support initiatives, Michael is proven in project development from idea to completion.

Official Titles:

President – Illinois Association for Career and Technical Education

Section Lead, Association for Career and Technical Education – New and Related Services Integration of Career, Academics, and Tech

Past-President, Illinois New and Related Services Affiliate

Past-President, Dainty Warrior Project

Background:

For the past ten years, Michael has served CTU members in the areas of professional development, communications, and non-profit development. Michael’s career began as a seven-year high school mathematics teacher for Chicago Public Schools in the southside of Chicago. During this time, he was awarded the Southside Chamber of Commerce Teacher of the Year Award, earned National Board Teacher Certification (and was newly renewed), represented the state in mathematics standards implementation for the Illinois Federation of Teachers, and published lessons used by over 250,000+ teachers. Michael earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Illinois State University in Secondary Mathematics Education and a Master’s Degree from Roosevelt University in Teacher Leadership.

Michael’s passion for making mathematics relevant is exhibited by expanding career and technical education programming for all students in Chicago Public Schools to be able to readily apply their skills to connect to good-paying jobs through the trades and technical industry.