{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Solve for X","title":"From Classroom to Career: Tatiana Ciccarelli on CTE, Durable Skills, and Real-World Readiness","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1965,"description":"In this episode of Solve for X, host Dr. Rick Fernandez welcomes Tatiana Ciccarelli, National Solutions Director at Edmentum. A former special education and middle school math teacher from New York City, Tatiana shares how her classroom experience, family conversations about money, and leap into edtech shaped her view of what real college and career readiness should look like for today’s students.\nFrom portraits of a graduate and durable skills to VR-driven trades training and virtual internships, this episode dives into how districts can rethink CTE—not as a track for “some students,” but as life readiness for all. You’ll hear how schools can partner with local businesses, leverage trusted vendors, and use technology to create pathways where students graduate employable, adaptable, and prepared to pivot in a fast-changing economy.\nWhat You’ll Learn\n- Why every educator has “the longest CTE experience ever” just by being in schools\n- How early conversations about financial literacy, ROI, and student debt can change postsecondary choices\n- What “durable skills” (grit, resilience, numeracy, financial literacy) students need to navigate multiple careers\n- Ways to use VR, virtual internships, and community partnerships to make trades and pathways relevant\n- Why tight budgets make flexible, educator-first partners more important than ever\nEpisode Timestamps\n00:00 Texas hot sauce cold open & welcome to Solve for X\n00:30 Meet Tatiana Ciccarelli, National Solutions Director at Edmentum\n01:23 From family of educators to special education math teacher in NYC\n03:17 Leaving the classroom and discovering transferable skills\n07:34 CTE trends, portraits of a graduate, and durable skills\n10:10 Rebranding CTE and talking ROI, debt, and “life readiness”\n18:12 Virtual internships, VR for trades, and overcoming logistics\n25:13 Leveraging business partners and vendors for student pathways\n30:42 Who’s the family “CEO” and closing reflections\nConnect with Us\nHost’s LinkedIn:...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/ICghszv8nAx-6isl02_dCXZ8qX2a8xiWRtrzRrHIAJo/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8wOTQ5/MmZjNjk1ODU4ZWE4/YmFmMmZhMWJlZjEy/M2FmYy5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}