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Community urges Webster County board to preserve Beth Roberts's CTE program, oppose Policy 3,600 change
Summary
Dozens of students, alumni, volunteers and a union representative told the Webster County Board of Education that a proposed change to Policy 3,600 on industry experience credit risks reducing pay for CTE teachers and undermining the Highlander Health Science program led by Beth Roberts.
Supporters of the Highlander Health Science program pressed the Webster County Board of Education to preserve CTE teachers' credit for prior industry experience and to reconsider language in proposed Policy 3,600.
Multiple speakers during the public comment period described the direct impact of Beth Roberts' instruction on students' lives and career paths. Amber Short, a 2024 graduate, said the proposed policy "could greatly reduce the pay of Miss Roberts, a teacher who has changed countless lives." Beth Roberts, who leads the high school health science program, asked the board to "please reconsider or revise the way the policy is written" and to continue to credit verified years of experience previously approved by the administration. Brandon Tinni, representing the teachers union, said the policy contains an ambiguous line that "experience credit will not be awarded for work performed prior to the teacher being eligible to hold a CTE position," and warned that could exclude teachers who were on permits or whose industry work predated formal certification.
Speakers included former teachers, alumni and current students who listed concrete program outcomes: industry certifications, college credit, clinical placements and a reported rise in graduation rates for participants. Several commenters asked the board to preserve the current practice of awarding experience credit for industry work that the district previously verified. The superintendent said the board would consider the policy and that Policy 3,600 would be discussed as part of new business and could be posted for public comment for revision.
The public record at this meeting shows broad community concern that the proposed policy language, as read aloud by commenters and a union representative, could reduce compensation for CTE instructors and destabilize programs that community members say supply local health-care workers. The board did not vote on Policy 3,600 at this meeting; members discussed next steps, including further review and possible public-comment posting.
