Andy Wolfenbarger can commiserate with the Fredericksburg City School division’s current plight as it pertains to Career and Technical Education (CTE).
“I used to teach CTE, and I know what it’s like to teach Cisco networking when you’re learning it yourself,” Wolfenbarger, the school board’s Ward 1 rep, said during Monday’s meeting. “It’s really hard.”
Still, Wolfenbarger raised concerns with FCPS’s 0% performance in “technical attainment,” on a Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment (CNLA) included in the division’s CTE Perkins fund local plan.
“Obviously, if there’s a statewide goal of 96 and some change, and we get zero, that’s super concerning to me,” Wolfenbarger said of the performance indicator, which tracks a three-year trend of students receiving CTE credentials and certifications.
According to Delia Clayton-Fulcher, FCPS’s division-wide CTE coordinator, staffing issues played a key role in the performance.
“Without fully credentialed teachers in all courses, students did not consistently receive the level of technical instruction, test preparation, and industry-aligned training needed to meet attainment benchmarks,” read staff comments on the form. “Teachers were simultaneously learning new curriculum frameworks while supporting students, which contributed to inconsistency in credential preparation and delivery.”
FCPS also lacked a CTE coordinator for several months, a void acknowledged on the CNLA form as a “transition in leadership.”
Ward 4 rep Malvina Rollins-Kay, who has served on the school board for more than 20 years, noted that the division historically has not focused on CTE and is now “playing catch up.” Rollins-Kay recalled hearing from local businesses as far back as five years ago that city students lacked the requisite skills to join the workforce.
“You are correct,” Clayton-Fulcher said. “We are playing catch up, and we are starting from the ground up.”
Clayton-Fulcher told the board Monday that three teachers who were previously working under provisional licenses are now certified in CTE. FCPS has also put into place remediation programs for students who hope to earn certifications.
“So when they go up for any test or examination in CTE,” said Clayton-Fulcher, “they’re ready.”
As for Wolfenbarger, he ultimately attained his Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and used that certification to become an IT professional. He now serves as the Director of Infrastructure and Engineering for Loudoun County Schools.
“I learned a lot from those students,” he said Monday. “I was a lot better in year three than in year one.”
He hopes the division can likewise invest in attracting retaining CTE teachers who are endorsed in the courses they’re teaching, with the goal of improving student outcomes.
“I also know none are going to feel comfortable without getting some of these kids some certifications,” Wolfenbarger said.
