Sessions of 2026 Connection Conference: Elena Gallego Rascon
Gallego Rascon, Elena
BME Program Specialist
Arizona Department Of Education
Elena Gallego Rascon is an accomplished educator with more than 25 years of experience. She currently serves as the Program Specialist for Business and Marketing Education at the Arizona Department of Education within the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department. Elena’s leadership background includes roles as a CTE Director, district CTE Curriculum Coach, program lead, facilitator, and CTE Department Chair. She also teaches Computer Information Technology and Business courses at Phoenix College. Earlier in her career, she taught high school students in Business and Marketing Education, Communications Media Technologies, Software and App Design, and related areas. Her extensive professional involvement includes serving as Past President of the Arizona Business Educators Association. Elena also brings rich industry experience—she held a Real Estate Salesperson License and was co-owner and partner of an Arizona real estate corporation, where she served as Vice President of Education, taught real estate courses, and collaborated closely with professionals in real estate development. A frequent presenter at state and national CTE conferences, Elena has supported countless educators and students throughout her career. Her students have held Arizona State Officer positions and achieved success at both state and national competitions. She has mentored many Business and Marketing educators, emphasizing strong student engagement practices and the integration of industry partnerships into CTE programs. Elena is passionate about building connections with industry stakeholders to provide accessible resources that empower CTE teachers and students—helping to prepare tomorrow’s highly skilled workforce.
Sessions:
[5702] Business and Marketing Educator Exchange
| Date | From | To |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Westin La Paloma
- Business and Marketing Education
This Educator Exchange brings together instructors who teach Business and Marketing Education programs to share lessons, activities, and instructional strategies grounded in authentic, real-world experiences. Participants will exchange effective approaches for teaching Business Management, Finance, Marketing, and related CTE program standards. Shared lessons may also include strategies for developing essential employability skills such as teamwork, leadership, problem solving, and accountability. Attendees are encouraged to actively participate and contribute by sharing one or more classroom tested resources from their own programs. Participants will be invited to submit a resource prior to the conference to help spark discussion and inspire collaborative idea sharing. Each educator’s contributions play a vital role in the success of this engaging and highly collaborative session.
[5699] CTE Program Monitoring Essentials Workshop
| Date | From | To |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Loews Ventana Canyon
- Administration
- Interdisciplinary
The CTE Program Monitoring Training Workshop provides CTE educators, and administrators with a practical understanding of Perkins V Program monitoring requirements. This session guides participants through the monitoring process—what to expect, how to prepare, and how to maintain ongoing compliance throughout the year. During the workshop, attendees will explore key components of CTE program quality and accountability, including program approval criteria, documentation expectations, instructional program delivery, work-based learning requirements, and performance data review. Participants will learn how monitoring findings are determined, how to address corrective actions, and how to implement sustainable systems that support continuous improvement.
