Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1531663
12 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2025 in the tech industry were with multinational technology company, Smart Modular Tech- nologies, which is now one of our partners. What prompted the move into education? I had been employed by a Fremont chip man- ufacturer and OEM that downsized follow- ing Sept. 11, 2001. By the end of 2002, based on where I was positioned within the orga- nization, I could see what the future held. I accepted an exit package during an early round of layoffs and used that funding to return to graduate school because I'd always wanted to be a teacher. While in graduate school, I substituted in all subjects and grade levels, realizing high school was where I was most comfortable. I then landed a long-term assignment teaching mar- keting and entrepreneurship at a high school. I had been a member of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) when I was in high school and wasn't aware that the program still existed. I found my home and never looked back. I was hired into the full-time position the following year. For 20 years, you have focused on preparing young people for their future work lives. Tell me about your current role. A CTE coordinator works with state and fed- eral funding sources, ensuring that what's being taught in the classroom is relevant, timely, and includes industr y partners. e courses that we teach, like marketing, entre- preneurship, finance, engineering, etc., are not just one-off electives, but part of an artic- ulated pathway leading to higher education and the workforce. How do you make sure the courses are relevant and timely? A district must meet several requirements to receive funding. e instructors in these courses need a proper credential. ere must be an advisory committee for each specific pathway, meaning that there are two or more sequential courses and an industry advisory group—people from the workforce who look at syllabi and curriculum maps, guest speak in the classroom, and sit on advisory roundtables to discuss the future of that particular industry and the needs associated with it. What is being offered in high school in the Fremont Unified School District? We are very fortunate. Fremont's location and geography is in the heart of Silicon Valley. We have 43 schools including five comprehen- sive high schools, in addition to one continu- ation school and an adult school. We recently adopted a middle school model, and all grades sixth through 12th have career and technical education courses and pathways. We offer courses in career exploration and Project Lead the Way (PLTW), which pro- vides a STEM or STEAM curriculum specif- ically written by industry experts. Teachers must undergo specific training in these areas to become instructors. In Fremont, we offer com- puter science and engineering pathways. How is this program funded? Uniquely in Fremont, the district covers all FUSD employee salaries and benefits. e teacher is already on staff and may have a sci-