On Thursday, February 26, ACTE and the Senate CTE Caucus partnered to host a briefing for congressional staff on the intersection of CTE and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The session centered in the importance of preparing students for both college and career readiness through America’s secondary schools, and was particularly germane to policy discussions as action heats up on ESEA’s reauthorization.
Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), co-chair of the Senate CTE Caucus, kicked off the event with remarks about his latest work on CTE-related legislation, including the recently-introduced Career Ready Act. National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium Executive Director Kimberly Green moderated the panel, which featured:
- Matt Gandal - Task Force Facilitator for the Council of Chief State School Officers Task Force on Improving Career Readiness; President, Education Strategy Group
- Lul Tesfai - Special Assistant/Senior Policy Advisor at the U.S. Department of Education
- Jan Hochadel - President, State Vocational Federation of Teachers, Connecticut
- Dave Hope - CTE Educator at South Tech High School in St. Louis County, Missouri; Chair of National Education Association CTE Caucus
- Phillip Lovell - Vice President for Policy and Advocacy - Comprehensive School Reform, Alliance for Excellent Education
The group discussed a variety of issues related to ESEA and broader CTE discussions, including teacher preparation regulations, accountability systems, federal funding and regional issues related to CTE in secondary schools, including rural areas. ACTE will continue to work with its partners in the Senate CTE Caucus as well as other education policy stakeholders to ensure that members’ priorities are reflected in ESEA reauthorization efforts.
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