NJBIZ annually produces an Education Power List. The 2026 list includes honorees from New Jersey’s educational institutions committed to facing today’s challenges head on and maintaining the state’s reputation for outstanding academic experiences.
New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools Executive Director Jackie Burke is included in the 2026 Education Power List for her leadership to continuously grow and strengthen the state’s high school and adult career and technical education offerings. Read more about her below.
2026 Honoree: Jackie Burke
Executive director
New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools
What is your proudest professional achievement?
I am proud of our efforts to successfully advocate for legislation that recognizes the importance of providing instruction in career and technical education programs by industry professionals and shortens the teacher training program from two years to one to reflect the fact these teachers already have the requisite content knowledge. This change had an immediate impact on our districts’ ability to recruit and hire highly sought after candidates and continue to provide high-quality CTE programs.
What do you foresee as the most disruptive change in education in the coming year?
Rapidly advancing artificial intelligence is leading to significant changes in education. Our districts are especially affected by these changes. Not only do they need to have a clear policy, but they also need to ensure all the career programs incorporate the fast-moving changes in their industry. AI isn’t only going to change a few careers — aspects of its use will touch every career. Our districts emphasized the importance of building AI curricula that promotes critical evaluation.
The 2026 Education Power List originally posted on Sept. 14, 2026 on NJBIZ.
