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Charles County expands CTE pathways, highlights apprenticeship success
Summary
The district detailed changes to career and technical education pathways, new aviation and teacher‑pipeline initiatives, expanded dual‑enrollment plans and an apprenticeship success story from a senior who earned CompTIA certification and 800 work hours.
Charles County Public Schools on May 19 presented a multi‑year plan to expand career and technical education (CTE) options, add regional programs and deepen employer partnerships as part of a push to give students direct pathways to college and work.
The district’s CTE team told the board it had collected feedback from students, parents, teachers and industry while redesigning pathways to align with pending Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) changes and local workforce needs. Rebecca Brandt, the district’s director of CTE, said the state is proposing a shorter core CTE sequence (two required courses plus “flex” options) and the district intends to redesign local pathways around that model.
“We’re working to provide flexibility so the flex course can be dual enrollment, work‑based learning, apprenticeship, a capstone, or continued classroom study,” Brandt said.
Apprenticeship feature: Daryl Jackson Jr., a senior at Thomas Stone High School, described nearly 800 hours of work as a technology apprentice in the district’s Office of Technology, and said he completed a CompTIA A+ certification during the apprenticeship. The district’s apprenticeship coordinator, Sandy Rooney, said Charles County had 29 youth apprentices this year; Jackson’s mentor said his work load and reliability earned him a full‑time position with the technology team as he begins college.
New and changing pathways - Aviation: The district plans a regional aviation program — manned and unmanned — at Henry E. Lackey High School. District staff are coordinating with the College of Southern Maryland, the FAA and local economic development to align early college and industry connections. - Project Lead The Way (biomedical and engineering): The district will move to application‑based enrollment in eighth grade and offer pathways at selected high schools (for example, biomedical at La Plata and Westlake; engineering at Thomas Stone and Lackey). Leadership said students voiced a preference to remain at their home high school rather than shifting mid‑way through their program. - Dual in School and early college models: The district plans “dual in school” agreements with local higher‑education partners so students can earn college credits and industry credentials while completing high‑school graduation requirements inside CCPS buildings. - Teacher pathway: The district described partnerships with local colleges to pilot an Associate of Arts in Teaching pathway to help students move smoothly from CTE teacher academy programs to post‑secondary credentials. - Financial literacy and career exploration: The district piloted a pop‑up “Reality Fair” (modeled on Junior Achievement) and reported strong student interest. Staff also noted 81% of secondary students completed Xello career‑exploration activities this year and the district will expand annual career planning for grades 6–12.
Why it matters: Brandt and career‑advising staff framed the changes as attempts to grow post‑graduation options for students — from direct employment with industry‑recognized credentials to early‑college credit and transfer paths into two‑ and four‑year programs. They also highlighted employer partnerships and apprenticeship placements as direct channels to local jobs.
What board members and community members said Board members praised the apprenticeship example and raised questions about adding air‑traffic control content to aviation, negotiating shared software subscriptions to lower costs, and strengthening teacher recruitment, especially for male educators.
Student voice: Jackson’s description of day‑to‑day work — “I’ve done over 1,100 tickets” — drew praise from board members and illustrated how the apprenticeship combined certification testing with paid work experience.
Next steps: District staff said standards and pathway rules from MSDE are still being finalized; the district will submit pathway feedback to MSDE and work to finalize implementation details for fall enrollment and next‑year pilots.
