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Board approves new work-based learning career specialist job description as CTE leadership expands
Summary
The board unanimously approved a job description effective March 12, 2026, to pilot three career specialist positions supporting an expanded CTE and work-based learning model that aims to grow student leadership participation from about 142 to roughly 560 students.
The Yuma Union High School District governing board voted on March 12 to approve a new job description for a work-based learning career specialist as part of a broader expansion of career and technical education (CTE) student leadership and workplace learning.
Nereda Lanceman, director of career and technical education, and Mariana Martinez Reynoso, director of work-based learning, presented a plan to move the district's CTE leadership to a CTSO-based model and to pilot three career specialist positions. The district said the model would allow each CTE program to have a seven-officer team and would expand participation from roughly 142 students this year to an estimated 560 under the new model.
The career specialists would be campus-based supports focused on work-based learning coordination, employer pipelines, student case management for workplace experiences, resume preparation and mock interviews, and documentation needed for Arizona Department of Education monitoring anticipated in the 2028-29 cycle. Presenters said the initial pilot would likely place specialists across multiple campuses (one specialist may be split between two or three campuses) while the district evaluates the model.
Board members asked about funding and were told the positions will be covered by shifting existing CTE resources rather than new recurring general-fund expenditures; presenters said some costs were reallocated from current program expenses. The board then voted unanimously to approve the job description effective March 12, 2026 (motion by Shelley; second by Christie).
The approval came amid a package of routine actions the board took that evening, including adoption of compensation packets and calendars. Board members discussed next steps for implementation and asked staff to return with details about posting, timelines and any measurable success metrics for the pilot.
