On Wednesday, January 14, Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) announced that he will bring Lisa Barnett, a Coordinator for CTE at Botetourt County Public Schools and ACTE Member, as his guest to the president’s State of the Union Address, to be given the evening of Tuesday, January 20.
“I’m thrilled Ms. Barnett will join me as my guest in Washington Tuesday,” said Senator Kaine in a press release on the announcement. “Lisa Barnett and her colleagues in Botetourt County have worked hard to ensure students have access to skills training that will prepare them for good, high-paying jobs that often go unfilled because employers can’t find workers with the necessary technical training.”
Senator Kaine’s decision to invite a CTE professional to this important event is another demonstration of his prioritization of CTE. Kaine is co-chair of the Senate Career and Technical Education Caucus, and has been active on issues of importance to the CTE community in the past.
The State of the Union address marks an important evening for education policy, as the speech will lay out the president’s appraisal of the nation to date and his vision for the next year. This year, President Obama has organized a number of “preview” events ahead of the speech to build excitement about his coming proposals, including his efforts to increase postsecondary CTE access and create the American Technical Training Fund.