Stafford High School's career and technical education instructors can stand in front of students on the first day of school after the Stafford Municipal School District board approved a certification waiver for CTE teachers at its Monday regular meeting.
The waiver, presented by Chief Financial Officer Dovran Ovezov, allows industry professionals who lack standard teaching credentials to continue leading CTE courses for the 2026-27 school year. Without it, instructors recruited from trades like welding, automotive technology and culinary arts would not have the required certification to teach.
The board, led by President Ash Hamirani, approved the item. The district has not published minutes with a vote tally.
Tuesday, Aug. 11, is the first day of classes for SMSD's roughly 3,600 students.
Why the waiver matters
Under Texas Education Agency rules, a CTE certification waiver lets qualified individuals teach outside their areas of certification in career and technical courses. Many CTE instructors come directly from industry rather than traditional teacher-preparation programs.
Stafford's CTE program operates through the Stafford Early College, Career, and P-Tech High School, a school-within-a-school serving about 450 of the high school's approximately 1,063 students. The program offers 12 career pathways, seven aligned with Level I workforce certifications, spanning welding, automotive, culinary arts, health science, criminal justice, audio/video production, information technology and more.
The timing is tight. During the 2024-25 school year, the CTE department had 10 instructors and 86 active SkillsUSA members who competed in 116 individual or team events.
"One of the things about CTE teachers is that they don't necessarily come to teaching through traditional pathways," Deborah Nordt, director of Stafford Early College and Career High School, said in a 2025 case study about the program. "They come from industry — and I want them to come from industry because they're the ones who can give students real-world experiences."
New CTE leadership
The waiver vote came days after SMSD announced Thursday, Aug. 6, that Anthony Yim had joined the district as its new executive director of CTE. The hire signals continued investment in career programming as the district heads into a new school year.
The board's agenda also included a review of June and July 2026 financial reports and a closed executive session under the Texas Open Meetings Act.
What's next
The board is expected to take up the 2026-27 budget later this month. Families with questions about CTE enrollment can contact the district or visit Stafford Early College, Career, and P-Tech High School.
