Lauren Remington2026 MACTE Teacher of the Year

2026 MACTE Educator Spotlight Series

For Lauren Remington, career and technical education has come full circle. Once a student at St. Croix Regional Technical Center in Calais, Maine, she returned years later as an instructor, helping students discover the same opportunities and confidence that CTE had given her.

Growing up in Washington County, Lauren understood firsthand how much encouragement and opportunity can influence a young person's future. As a high school student, she enrolled in the Certified Nursing Assistant program at St. Croix Regional Technical Center, competed in SkillsUSA, and earned a credential that allowed her to work while attending college.

"CTE gave me something I desperately needed at that point in my life: an opportunity to discover what I was capable of," she shared.

Years later, Lauren returned to the same school district to teach Early Childhood Education. The program had been closed for two years, and she faced the challenge of rebuilding it while finding her footing as a new CTE instructor.

Over the next decade, Lauren helped students develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to pursue careers in education. She watched students earn college credits and credentials, gain experience working with children, and begin to recognize their own potential.

One of her proudest accomplishments was creating Teddy Bear Career Day, a hands-on learning experience that grew into a schoolwide and community event. Her Early Childhood Education students developed budgets, coordinated outreach, and designed age-appropriate activities introducing young children to careers represented throughout the school's CTE programs.

The event brought together instructors, students, community partners, and more than 80 children and their families. From teddy bear clinics hosted by CNA students to automotive activities, welding-inspired projects, and career exploration with Criminal Justice students, the event demonstrated what can happen when students take ownership of their learning.

For Lauren, the experience represented everything she valued about CTE: collaboration, creativity, practical learning, and helping students of all ages see what is possible.

Now recognized as MACTE's 2026 Teacher of the Year, Lauren reflects on the educators and opportunities that helped shape her own journey.

"What makes this recognition so meaningful is knowing that I was once a student whose life was changed by CTE, and years later, I had the privilege of becoming an educator hoping to create those same opportunities for others."

Lauren hopes more people recognize that the value of CTE extends well beyond preparing students for a particular occupation.

"I wish we would stop measuring the success of CTE solely by the career a student chooses. Its impact is also found in the skills they carry, the opportunities they pursue, and the confidence they gain to navigate whatever comes next."

Getting to Know Lauren

What was your favorite part of teaching at St. Croix Regional Technical Center?

"The students. Always the students."

What's one thing you wish more people knew about CTE?

"The true value of CTE isn't just preparing students for their first career. It's preparing them for a lifetime of possibilities."

If your classroom had a theme song, what would it have been?

"Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield!"

If you weren't working in education, what do you think you'd be doing?

"I would probably be doing something involving photography, storytelling, or bringing people together!"

Congratulations to Lauren Remington on being named MACTE's 2026 Teacher of the Year!