Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Career And Technical Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Teachers, students and industry partners urge board to preserve North Stafford CTE programs
Summary
Multiple CTE teachers, students and regional industry representatives urged the board to retain collision repair, horticulture and other career‑and‑technical programs at North Stafford High School, pointing to industry demand, certifications, student outcomes and the need to post vacant instructor positions rather than close programs.
During the citizen‑comment period, instructors, students and business partners strongly urged the board to preserve Career and Technical Education programs at North Stafford High School.
Ken Wilson, an automotive instructor at North Stafford, described the auto body and collision program’s history, the credentialing work his students have completed and the local workforce value of the program. “Before any more CTE programs face termination…” he said in an appeal to the board to allow programs time to recruit and rebuild.
Several other speakers made similar points: Robert Jett, a longtime CTE teacher and advocate, traced the community and workforce benefits of CTE; Steve Rossi, the horticulture teacher, described grant funding and student sales that support his program; student speakers Lena Kaya and Flavia Pena described how horticulture and other CTE classes gave them belonging and practical skills; and Phil Rice, representing the Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association, read an industry letter of support and urged the board to continue the collision repair program.
Industry and association speakers emphasized employer demand for technicians and noted national and regional shortages of collision‑repair specialists. Students and teachers asked the board to post a vacant instructor position so a new teacher could recruit students and rebuild enrollment rather than close the program due to low current counts.
Board members thanked speakers and noted the budget pressures discussed earlier in the meeting; staff said the division will continue to work with schools and partners on program planning.
Provenance: citizen comments on CTE programs began at SEG 2045 and the exchange continued through SEG 2480 where multiple speakers addressed the board.
