As students returned to school following the first summer of the Trump Administration, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos launched a “rethink school” back-to-school tour to showcase innovation in secondary and postsecondary education. The tour, lasting September 12-15, took the secretary across six states: Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri and India
The secretary visited charter, private and traditional public schools. These schools specialized in a variety of areas and subjects, ranging from arts education to science to one serving students with autism. At a stop in Kansas, the secretary toured Johnson County Community College (JCCC), including its automotive technology, nursing and culinary programs.
At JCCC, the secretary affirmed her support for CTE by saying, “We have a very clear focus on creating and communicating multiple pathways to higher education and to opportunities beyond high school.” She also highlighted partnerships between JCCC and local industry as important, saying that there are “highly skilled jobs available, and yet nobody really available to fill those jobs.”
However, these comments come despite the Trump Administration’s Fiscal Year 2018 (FY 18) budget proposal that would cut billions of dollars from the Departments of Education and Labor, including $168 million (15%) from the Perkins state grants. Asked about the Perkins cut in the Administration’s FY 18 budget, the secretary did not specifically address the proposal. Instead, she said that the Administration was “supporting career and technical education.”
Below is the full list of school locations the secretary visited on her tour.
Tuesday, Sept. 12 (Wyoming)
1. Woods Learning Center; Casper, WY
2. St. Stephens Indian High School; Wind River Reservation; St. Stephens, WY
Wednesday, Sept. 13 (Colorado, Nebraska)
1. Firefly Autism House; Denver, CO
2. U.S. Air Force Academy; Colorado Springs, CO
3. Midland University – Omaha Campus; Omaha, NE
Thursday, Sept. 14 (Nebraska, Kansas)
1. Nelson Mandela Elementary School; Omaha, NE
2. St. Mary’s Catholic School; Lincoln, NE
3. Lincoln Public Schools Science Focus Program; Lincoln, NE
4. Johnson County Community College; Overland Park, KS
Friday, Sept. 15 (Missouri, Indiana)
1. Kansas City Academy; Kansas City, MO
2. Gary Middle College/ 21st Century Charter School; Gary, IN
3. Hope Academy; Indianapolis, IN
4. Eastern Hancock High School football game; Charlottesville, IN
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