CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

Caucus Co-chairs Call for CTE Exemption in USDA Nutrition Regulations

New rules proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) —authorized under the Healthy, Hungry-Free Kids Act of 2010—will require all foods sold in schools to meet strict nutritional standards beginning in 2014. Though intended by Congress to target snack foods sold in vending machines, a la carte lines and school stores, these regulations could have a harmful effect on students in CTE culinary programs that operate student-run cafés, bakeries and catering businesses.

ACTE has been actively engaged on this issue for over a year, working with both the USDA and Congress to express our concerns with the proposed rule. Following a strong reaction from the CTE community, the USDA has said that it will consider granting waivers from the nutritional requirements for CTE programs on a case-by-case basis. While this waiver is a positive development that could provide relief to some CTE culinary programs, ACTE will continue to push for a full exemption for all affected CTE programs.

Leading the effort on Capitol Hill, Reps. Glenn Thompson (R-PA) and Jim Langevin (D-RI), the co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional CTE Caucus, are currently circulating a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting a special exemption for CTE culinary programs. “In order to secure gainful employment following graduation, students must be trained in all aspects of food preparation and service, including safe preparation guidelines, local health department requirements, and the technical skills associated with the culinary arts, along with every part of working in a commercial kitchen,” wrote the co-chairs. “We believe this common sense approach will both uphold the congressional intent behind the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 and avoid diminishing future career opportunities for young learners.”

Take a few minutes to contact your representative and ask them to join Reps. Thompson and Langevin as a co-signer of this letter! Visit the CTE Action Center to send your Member of Congress a message now!

Shutdown Comes to an End

With only hours to go before the deadline to raise the federal debt ceiling and after 16 days of a government shutdown, Congress finally voted to end the protracted budget standoff last night. President Obama signed the legislation (H.R.2775) following passage by the House (285-144) and Senate (81-18). The bill was unanimously supported by congressional Democrats and received mixed support from Republicans in both chambers. The federal government will reopen today and 800,000 furloughed federal workers, including over 3,000 employees at the U.S. Department of Education, will return to work.

The bill is a short-term measure that will fund the government though January 15, 2014. Funds for federal programs, including Perkins, will remain at FY 2013 levels for the duration. For Perkins specifically, federal funding was cut by 5.2 percent in FY 2013 due to sequestration. This resulted in a $58 million reduction in the federal support for CTE in the 2013-14 school year. Some congressional Republicans want to lock in lower funding levels for FY 2014, while Democrats and the White House continue to push to replace sequestration with a balanced approach to deficit reduction.

A conference committee of members of the House and Senate will come together to develop a finalized budget plan for FY 2014 by mid-December. The committee will also attempt to tackle long-term budgetary issues like entitlement spending, tax reform and sequestration. Additionally, the nation’s borrowing limit, known as the debt ceiling, will be suspended until February, which will temporarily remove the threat of a government default. Tell Congress that it is time to stop the cuts and invest in CTE! 

Sens. Baldwin and Franken Promote Aid for Short-term Postsecondary CTE

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a  hearing yesterday on simplifying federal student aid through the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA). 

Testifying before the committee today were: 

• Dr. Bridget Terry Long, Academic Dean and Xander Professor of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education
• Ms. Kim Cook, Executive Director, National College Access Network
• Dr. Judith Scott-Clayton, Assistant Professor of Economics and Education, Columbia University
• Ms. Kristin Conklin, Founding Partner, HCM Strategists

 While the majority of the hearing focused on financial aid application simplification and all the different types of student loans and grants offered for different populations, Sen. Baldwin (D-WI) highlighted the importance of easing access to financial aid for “non-traditional” students, those that are older, part-time or residing off campus, and ensuring access is allowed for those students enrolled in short-term CTE postsecondary credentialing programs. 

Specifically, Baldwin highlighted that students in her state of Wisconsin who are enrolled in short-term welding programs and who may only be taking a few credit hours at a time due to outside influences, such as child care, transportation or work, are unable to receive aid. At the same time, demand for trained welders by local employers continues to grow. 

Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) also spoke about the role short-term CTE postsecondary programs can play in transforming the financial aid system by helping students reduce their need for loans. Through his work with the community and technical college system in Minnesota, Franken has seen how students completing short-term credentials for in-demand career fields are quickly hired by companies.  Those companies then send workers back to school for continuing education to earn associate and bachelor’s degrees. These working students earn money during their studies and sometimes also have their tuition covered by their employer. 

Prior to the hearing, ACTE submitted comments to the Committee regarding, among other items, the inclusion of non-traditional students and those enrolled in short-term training programs and at non-degree granting institutions as equals to those students in traditional two- and four-year programs in the financial aid system. 

Video of the hearing is available on the Committee website. Sen. Baldwin’s remarks begin at the 01:18:34 mark. Sen. Franken’s remarks begin at the 01:45:05 mark.

Troubling U.S. Performance on Survey of Adult Skills

The OECD has conducted its first Survey of Adult Skills, analyzing the skills of more than 150,000 adults across the world in literacy and numeracy as well as problem solving in technology-rich environments. The United States was ranked below average in each of the three domains:

• Literacy: The U.S. was ranked 16th out of the 23 OECD nations
• Numeracy: The U.S. came in at 21st out of 23
• Problem solving: The U.S. was ranked 14th out of 23

U.S. adults scored particularly poorly in numeracy, with a wide gap between the numeracy of older adults and young people: The numeracy of U.S. 55-65 year-olds was about average, but the numeracy of the 16-24 age group was the lowest among all participating countries.

In addition, findings point to a gap between postsecondary attainment in the U.S. and the proficiencies that are expected to go along with this level of education. For instance, In the 25-34 age group, numeracy and literacy proficiency were low, despite a high proportion of 25-34-year-olds with higher education credentials.   

Finally, the research also pointed to significant proficiency gaps between the high and low end of the socioeconomic ladder.  

Several key policy points outlined in the report will look familiar to CTE advocates:

• Connect the domains of learning and work
• Provide relevant, flexible training for workers
• Provide transparent, easy-to-locate career guidance and information about adult education
• Recognize and certify skills proficiency

AFT President Promotes CTE and Renewed Perkins

On October 10, AFT President Randi Weingarten addressed an audience of CTE advocates at a United Federation of Teachers meeting in New York, calling for high-quality CTE as a way to retool schools and focus students on today's needed careers. She said policymakers need to fully fund the Perkins Act and voiced strong opposition to proposals that would redirect federal Perkins formula funds to competitive grants.

Along with the praise for CTE, Weingarten said that many individual views of CTE have been negatively influenced by the "separate but unequal" history and tracking of low-performing students that sent some students to intellectual jobs and four-year college and others to manual blue-collar jobs after high school. Weingarten said today's jobs demand that students have both intellectual and manual skills as she advocated for a focus on quality CTE and definition of the elements of effective CTE programs.

The AFT President suggested a few Perkins recommendatons in addition to resources and investment. She said grants need to be targeted to where programs will be most effective noting that the funding cannot be "swallowed up" by state and district bureaucracies. She referenced project-based instruction and labs as the types of items to fund, and noted that teachers must be honored and respected. "We demand so much of teachers and need to treat them as the professionals that they are," said Weingarten, and she added that the teacher's voice is needed in molding the new CTE agenda.

ACTE has developed a full set of Perkins recommendations and is actively discussing the reauthorization with key decision-makers on Capitol Hill. Both Executive Director LeAnn Wilson and I attended the UFT two-day meeting which culminated in vists to high-quality CTE schools such as Pathways in Technology (P-Tech) Early College and High School in Brooklyn and Aviation High School in Queens. Weingarten, who formerly taught in a CTE school, noted the need for CTE advocates to join together to demand more attention from leaders in Washington.

ACTE plans to meet with AFT following the event to continue conversations about how to partner on effective CTE policy and advocacy strategies.

CTE Funding Spotlight: Toolbox for Education Grant

CTE programs across the country are feeling the pinch of these difficult economic times. Cuts in federal funding for education and budget austerity at the state and local levels have become major challenges for many CTE educators and administrators. While there are many funding opportunities available through government and private foundation grants for specific education projects and initiatives, these are not always easy to find. To help bring much-needed resources to your CTE classroom, we have created this new CTE Funding Spotlight series. We will search out education, workforce training and CTE funding opportunities that are currently available and regularly highlight them on our CTE Policy Watch Blog.

Today we shine the funding spotlight on the Toolbox for Education Grant sponsored by Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation. The grant supports grassroots community and school improvement projects. Some examples of funded projects include transforming unused school space into an afterschool tutoring center, landscaping a school garden, refurbishing a playground or park space and constructing an outdoor picnic pavilion. Proposals that incorporate student participation and hands-on learning are encouraged, so this is a great option for CTE programs that are planning service projects. Funding requests that have a permanent impact on schools, such as facility enhancements (both indoor and outdoor) as well as landscaping and clean-up projects, and encourage parent involvement, are also preferred. The requested grant amount must be between $2,000 and $5,000 per school. To apply online or to find more information about the Toolbox for Education Grant, visit the Lowe’s Foundation website.

• Grant: Lowe’s Toolbox for Education Grant
• Source: Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation
• Purpose: Funding for school or community service projects that have a permanent impact such as facility enhancement (both indoor and outdoor) as well as landscaping/clean-up projects
• Eligible Recipient: Public K-12 school or non-profit parent group associated with a public K-12 school
• Grant Amount: $2,000 to $5,000 per school
• Application Deadline: 2013-14 first round, October 15, 2013, and second round, February 15, 2014  

ACTE Weighs in on Department of ED’s Four-Year Plan

ACTE recently submitted comments on the U.S.Department of Education’s draft Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years (FY) 2014-2018. Every four years the department develops a set of goals and strategic objectives to guide its future budget and policy priorities. The goals outlined in the plan include improving student access at all levels of education, increasing equity, developing the department’s own organizational capacities, promoting college- and career-ready standards and assessments, and improving high school graduation and postsecondary completion rates. Thought the department is currently closed due to the federal government shutdown, we are still working to make sure that there is a strong focus on CTE in future education policy priorities.

As part of the goal to expand access to postsecondary education and workforce training, we recommend that the department include, as part of Fiscal Year 2015-2018 budget requests to Congress, a strong investment in the Perkins state grant program. The department should also continue to promote a balanced approach to reverse sequestration. The equitable distribution of federal funds is key to ensuring access to a postsecondary education for youth and adult students. We strongly recommend that the department promote policies that maintain Perkins as a formula-funded program and abandon any proposals to make those funds competitive.

The department’s strategic plan also focuses on increasing access to career pathways in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Supporting greater academic and CTE integration would help to show students the direct applicability of STEM concepts to real-world situations. The department should continue to look to CTE-based strategies, including experiential learning, career academies, programs of study and career exploration, in developing STEM education policies.

CTE can also play a greater role within the department’s goals for improving secondary education. We recommend that the department promote accountability systems that will better determine overall student preparedness, particularly related to technical and employability skills. Additionally, the department’s strategic objectives on school turnaround should include high school improvement models that integrate CTE and academic learning. You can read all of our recommendations here.

Shutdown Update: Debt Ceiling Enters the Debate

Week two of the federal government shutdown began with no indication that congressional leaders and the White House are any closer to a resolution that would end the partisan standoff. The likelihood that both sides will be able to reach a deal to end the shutdown is being further complicated by a looming deadline to raise the nation’s debt limit. The U.S. Treasury Department announced that Congress will need to approve an increase in the federal debt ceiling before October 17 in order to avoid a default. So what is the debt ceiling and what does it have to do with the ongoing government shutdown?

The debt ceiling is the legal cap on the government’s borrowing limit. Once the current limit is reached, Congress must approve an increase or risk defaulting on its obligations.  Unlike the short-term funding bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), at the center of shutdown debate, an increase in the debt ceiling would NOT approve any new funding. It only allows the government to borrow money to pay its existing bills.

As the October 17 deadline approaches, House Republicans have indicated that they may attempt to link the must-pass debt ceiling increase to an FY 2014 funding bill that is needed to reopen the government. This would provide Republicans with additional leverage to extract concessions from Senate Democrats and the White House, which may include additional funding cuts for FY 2014. This has happened once before in 2011 when Congress passed the Budget Control Act, the law that created sequestration, as part of deal to raise the debt ceiling to its current level. If congressional Republicans insist on more cuts as part of a deal to reopen government and raise the debt ceiling again, it could result in more cuts in education funding for programs like Perkins.

Congress continues to lurch from one fiscal crisis to another. Tell your Members of Congress that it's time to get back to work! Let them know that we need a real investment in Perkins and CTE!

Shutdown Update: We’re Still Working for You

As we enter day four of the federal government shutdown, there is still no sign that Congress will reach an agreement to reopen the government anytime soon. Negotiations between the House and Senate have broken down over the fate of the president’s signature health care reform law, also known as Obamacare. Conservative Republicans continue to insist on blocking the implementation of Obamacare as a condition for restoring funding for federal programs and operations.

The House is in the process of voting on a series of mini-funding bills, known as continuing resolutions (CRs), that will temporarily fund a select few government functions at Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 budget levels. This piecemeal approach is an attempt by House Republicans to reopen some of the more politically sensitive government activities and programs that have been affected by the shutdown, including the National Parks Service, veterans’ benefits, Head Start, National Institutes of Health, disaster aid, and the operating budgets for the District of Columbia and the Smithsonian Institution among others. However, none of the proposed mini-CRs will provide funding for most federal education programs, including Perkins, and they are unlikely to pass the Senate at this time.

Though the federal government has shutdown, ACTE’s Public Policy Department is continuing to work for our members and the CTE community on Capitol Hill. Congress is experiencing staff furloughs like other government agencies, but we are still meeting with congressional offices to push our important CTE policy agenda, including the ongoing fight to end sequestration and invest in Perkins.  Continue to check the CTE Policy Watch Blog for more shutdown updates.

   

      

Government Shutdown: What This Means for CTE

The federal government has officially shut down for the first time in 17 years, as Congress is still unable to reach a resolution to continue funding government programs and operations in the new fiscal year.  So what will this shutdown mean for CTE?

In anticipation of a possible shutdown, federal agencies have already developed contingency plans to provide guidance on how the lapse in funding will affect personnel and programs within their jurisdiction. Of particular importance for the CTE community, the U.S. Department of Education has outlined its plan for operating under a temporary shutdown.  The department has said that $791 million in Perkins funds that are scheduled to be distributed to states on October 1 will not be disrupted. These federal Perkins dollars, along with funds available for Titles I and II of ESEA, and IDEA Part B State Grants, are advance funded from the FY 2013 budget, which was approved by Congress in March. Pell Grants and student loans for higher education will continue to be processed, but may be delayed because of staff furloughs.

Temporary personnel furloughs will be one of the most visible effects of the shutdown. Over 3,000 of the 4,225 employees at the Department of Education will be sent home. In addition to significant reductions in staffing, the department’s offices in Washington, D.C., as well as regional offices across the country, will be closed for the duration of the shutdown. State education agencies and school districts that are seeking technical assistance, guidance or have other official business with the department will have to wait until furloughed staff return to work.

At the U.S. Department of Labor, over 80 percent of employees are being sent home. The Employment and Training Administration, which oversees many federal job training programs, will be closed. However, Job Corps centers across-the-country will continue to offer education and training services to low-income youth.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will close its research facilities and will delay the distribution of grants to support research, education, and extension efforts. The federally reimbursable school breakfast and lunch programs for low-income students, which are administered by the USDA, will have enough carryover funds to continue to subsidize free-and reduce-price meals through October. 

The processing and payment of veterans education benefits for postsecondary education will continue, but the program will be suspended when available funding is exhausted at the end of the month.

All state and local government agencies will continue to operate normally. Continue to check the CTE Policy Watch Blog for more shutdown updates.