ATEC Academy Celebrates Spring 2026 Graduates
ATEC is proud to share that the ATEC Academy has graduated its Spring 2026 cohort of aviation maintenance educators. This group began its journey during the ATEC Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon, where participants gathered for the Academy's in-person "Take Off" session. Following the conference, instructors transitioned to a virtual learning environment throughout the spring, culminating in graduation in early June.
The ten-week course provided comprehensive training in active teaching strategies, student behavior management, assessment and evaluation methods, lesson planning for both the classroom and hangar, and current trends in higher education. With a focus on teaching pedagogy and best practices, participants completed assignments designed to strengthen instructional effectiveness and enhance student engagement, retention, and persistence.
Our most recent ATEC Academy students represent a diverse group of aviation maintenance educators from schools across the country. The ten graduates completed observations, interviews, teaching reflections, and a 30–45-minute instructional video demonstrating their teaching skills in action. They also participated in virtual workshops covering topics such as New and Innovative Teaching Apps, Shop Rubric Development, and Behavior Management. Throughout the course, participants received individualized feedback and coaching from Academy facilitators to support continuous improvement in their teaching practices.
ATEC Academy is honored to recognize the Spring 2026 graduating class:
- David Allen, Clover Park Technical College
- David Glidden, University of Maine at Augusta
- Michael Kardas, Portland Community College
- Christopher Leigh, MHIRJ
- Jason Leroy, CTEC Salem Keizer School District
- Pete Miller, Rising Aviation High School
- Peter Perez, Hillsboro Aero Academy
- Everett Spells, Southern University at Shreveport
- Jim Stevens, Hillsboro Aero Academy
- Kyle Stevenson, Hillsboro Aero Academy
- Timothy Kaylor, Southern University at Shreveport
Congratulations to the Spring 2026 graduates for their commitment to advancing aviation maintenance education and investing in the success of the next generation of technicians.