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Pullman High teacher urges board to address cuts to CTE Family & Consumer Sciences program
Summary
Melissa Mayer, a Pullman High School teacher, testified that a Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) teacher’s contract was reduced from 1.0 to 0.8 after classes were cut from three to two, describing scheduling turmoil and the loss of opportunities for students in the CTE pathway.
A Pullman High School teacher told the board that a recent cut in the Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) program is harming students and staff and undermining career and technical education pathways.
Melissa Mayer, who identified herself as a DECA and yearbook adviser and a business and marketing teacher at Pullman High School, testified that one FCS teacher’s contract was reduced from 1.0 to 0.8 when the program went from three food classes to two. "Can you imagine overnight getting a 20% pay cut and knowing your next paycheck would be cut by that amount as well as a scramble that had to happen in order to get those students in other classes?" Mayer said. She described a "domino effect" of schedule changes that left some students, including seniors, without opportunities they had expected.
Mayer urged the board to consider the effect on CTE pathways, noting that courses like foods teach real-world skills and provide credentialing that helps students secure employment. She said some students dropped the foods classes because of the change and others lost opportunities to pursue second-year culinary coursework.
Board members thanked Mayer and accepted her written materials. There was no formal board action on the matter during the meeting; the public comment was taken for the board’s consideration and could be scheduled for a future discussion item.
