As Baird Middle School ’ s Agriculture Science teacher , Mrs . Her is passionate about sharing her knowledge , whether personal or learned , with students every day .

Mrs . Her is among the 132 career technical education ( CTE ) teachers throughout the district who bring passion and real-world knowledge to students . Through its College and Career Readiness Department , the district offers 79 career pathways at high schools along with dozens of career courses . Middle schools offer a variety of programs and activities , and even elementary schools introduce career options through field trips and various STEM activities .

The district works with over 900 business partners to offer internships , certifications , mentoring and job opportunities to students , as well as keep up on industry standards and how to best prepare students to meet the needs of local employers .

“ My vision for the students as a teacher is to offer hands-on experiences where students learn lifelong skills that they can use when they move on to high school and beyond ,” she said .

“ Research shows when you engage kids using hands-on experiences , it increases their knowledge and increases high school graduation rates .”

Along with Ag Science , Mrs . Her also teaches a Hmong Studies elective , emphasizing language , traditional clothing , dance , food , Asian vegetables , and agricultural practices . Last year , she taught a culinary arts class using the vegetables grown in the Baird garden .

At age 5 , Mrs . Her ’ s family moved from San Diego to Fresno to join relatives in farming . It was an opportunity for her parents , who had immigrated from Laos , to return to what they enjoy the most . Mrs . Her ’ s parents worked other jobs as well , but Mrs . Her grew up spending much of her time on the family farm with five of her siblings .