CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

Ask Your Representative: Cosponsor the House CTE Month Resolution!

The co-chairs of the House CTE Caucus, Reps. Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Glenn "GT" Thompson, have introduced a resolution honoring February as CTE Month. This is the second year in a row that a CTE Month resolution has been introduced in the House. Last year, 47 representatives cosponsored the resolution!

CLICK HERE to ask your representative to cosponsor this year’s House CTE Month Resolution. The deadline for representatives to cosponsor is 5PM ET on Friday, February 8.

The resolution raises awareness about the many benefits associated with high-quality CTE programs. Your advocacy makes a difference and encourages representatives to cosponsor the resolution, so please contact your representative today!

116th Congress: New Member Profiles, Edition VII

Continuing with our coverage of new Members of Congress, this week we profile new Members from Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and South Carolina.

The sole new Member of Congress from Ohio is Republican Anthony Gonzalez in the state's Sixteenth Congressional District. He replaced Republican Rep. Jim Renacci, who unsuccessfully ran for senate. Rep. Gonzalez was a professional football player. His father also owns a steel company. While stressing more local control in education during the campaign, Rep. Gonzalez also spoke about "need[ing] to promote policies that will encourage the private sector to work directly with . . . community colleges and trade schools to ensure that the skills being cultivated are those that are in the highest demand in our regional economy." He also specifically spoke about expanding CTE and STEM opportunities.

In Oklahoma's Fifth Congressional District, Democrat Kendra Horn defeated incumbent Republican Rep. Steve Russell. Horn is a lawyer by trade who has also worked in government and for the Space Foundation. During the campaign, Rep. Horn pledged to "expand[] job training," and focus on college affordability issues. She also highlighted the state's CTE system and noted the critical role it plays in addressing the skills gap in Oklahoma.

Prior to the 2018 election, many of Pennsylvanian's congressional districts were redrawn. In Pennsylvania's new Fourth Congressional District, Democrat Madeleine Dean was elected. She is a lawyer who previously served in the state legislature, and was also a college English professor for more than a decade. In the state's Fifth Congressional District, Democrat Mary Scanlon was elected. Rep. Scanlon is a lawyer whose career included working at the Education Law Center of Philadelphia, where she focused on special education law. She also served as president, an elected position, on her local school district. She pledged during the campaign to ensure "job training programs are fully funded" and to "develop innovative solutions to make higher education, including career and technical education, more accessible and affordable."

In Pennsylvania's Sixth Congressional District, Democrat Christina Houlahan was elected. Rep. Houlahan served as a Teach for America teacher and worked at a nonprofit aimed at addressing childhood literacy. In the state's Ninth Congressional District, Republican Daniel Meuser was elected. A businessman, Rep. Meuser previously served as president of a motorized wheelchair manufacturer. The only education-related position on his website is related to school property taxes, which he calls "un-American and unconstitutional." He claimed he would introduce a bill in Congress to forbid states/locals from imposing such taxes. Lastly, in the state's Thirteenth Congressional District, Republican John Joyce was elected. Rep. Joyce is a dermatologist by training, but did not list any education issues on his website.

In South Carolina's First Congressional District, Democrat Joe Cunningham defeated Republican state legislator Katie Arrington, who herself defeated incumbent Rep. Mark Sanford in a primary. Rep. Cunningham is an ocean engineer and attorney by trade. In the state's Fourth Congressional District, Republican William Timmons replaced incumbent Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy, who retired. An entrepreneur, Rep. Timmons owns several fitness studios and his own law practice. Neither Reps. Cunningham nor Timmons mentioned education issues on their websites.

You can find the sixth edition of new Member profiles here. Stay tuned for next week's recap of New Members of Congress, which will cover South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas.

State CTE Policies: 2018 Year in Review

On the federal and state levels, 2018 was a significant year for CTE. The President signed the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) into law, signaling a federal commitment to and a recognition of the promise and value of high-quality CTE.

On the state level, in 2018, 42 states and Washington, D.C., passed a total of 146 policy actions related to CTE and career readiness, including legislation, executive orders, board of education actions, budget provisions and ballot initiatives, as documented in State Policies Impacting CTE: 2018 Year in Review. States most frequently addressed the following priorities:

• Funding
• Industry partnerships/work-based learning
• Dual/concurrent enrollment, articulation and early college
• Industry-recognized credentials, tied with graduation requirements
• Access/equity

This report from ACTE and Advance CTE, the sixth annual review of CTE and career readiness policies across the United States, summarizes each state’s CTE policy activity and describes major themes across states.

In addition to reading the report, you can also join ACTE and Advance CTE on Thursday, February 14, 2:00-3:00pm EST for a webinar that will explore trends in state CTE policy and discuss implications of Perkins V for 2019 state policy. Participants will also hear from state leaders in Michigan about the state’s Marshall Plan for Talent and other CTE initiatives.

Sign up for this one-hour webinar at https://acte.webex.com/acte/onstage/g.php?MTID=e51335fc5c59fff9cac1e542425b4b58a.

Republicans Announce Ed & Labor Members, Democrats Add Two More

Earlier this month, Democrats made an initial announcement of the Members who will serve on the House Education and Labor Committee. Since then, Democrats have added two more Members, Reps. Joaquín Castro (D-TX) and Lori Trahan (D-MA). Rep. Castro does have some experience in education, having served on various education-related boards. His father was also a teacher.

On the Republican side, Republicans also recently announced their committee roster. Notably, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) will serve as the ranking member, and CTE Caucus co-chair Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA) remains on the committee. Members who were previously on the committee and who will remain are:

• Virginia Foxx (R-NC)
• Phil Roe (R-TN)
• Glenn Thompson (R-PA)
• Tim Walberg (R-MI)
• Brett Guthrie (R-KY)
• Bradley Byrne (R-AL)
• Glenn Grothman (R-WI)
• Elise Stefanik (R-NY)
• Rick Allen (R-GA)
• Francis Rooney (R-FL)
• Lloyd Smucker (R-PA)
• Jim Banks (R-IN)

The new Education and Labor Republican members are:

• Mark Walker (R-NC)
• James Comer (R-KY)
• Ben Cline (R-VA)
• Russ Fulcher (R-ID)
• Van Taylor (R-TX)
• Steve Watkins (R-KS)
• Ron Wright (R-TX)
• Dan Meuser (R-PA)
• William Timmons (R-SC)
• Dusty Johnson (R-SD)

Of these new Republicans to the Education and Labor Committee, all but Reps. Walker and Comer are freshman. Additionally, some bring CTE experience with them. For instance, Rep. Comer served as the Agriculture Commissioner of Kentucky and was president of the Kentucky FFA while in college. Rep. Meuser previously served as president of a manufacturing company. Several others own or grew up on farms, own small businesses, and/or served in the military.

ACTE will work closely with these new Members of Congress on the House Education and Labor Committee to promote CTE. If you live in a district with a new Member of Congress, or your Member of Congress is not a member of the CTE Caucus, use ACTE's action center to ask them to join it today!

Perkins State-level Allocations Announced for FY 2019

While much of the federal government remains shut down, funding under the Department of Education was finalized on time in September. That means that funding for CTE programs through Perkins should be distributed as normal on July 1, 2019, and that we have received estimated state-level allocations much sooner than in recent years when the Department of Education’s funding was delayed.

These allocations held great news, as every state will receive a Perkins funding increase next year! This is due to the fact that Perkins received a $70 million increase in the FY 2019 appropriations bill, in combination with tweaks made to the Perkins formula in Perkins V, which goes into effect on July 1.

You can find your state allocation on page 19 of this PDF: https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/statetables/19stbyprogram.pdf. Recent Perkins increases are in large part the result of CTE advocates’ tireless efforts to show Members of Congress the value of CTE. The next budget year will be very challenging though, so it is important to keep up those advocacy efforts to ensure we don’t lose our funding momentum. You can get advocacy ideas on ACTE’s website at https://www.acteonline.org/advocacy/advocacy-resources/, and stay tuned for specific actions you can take to influence the FY 2020 appropriations cycle!

116th Congress: New Member Profiles, Edition VI

Continuing with our coverage of new Members of Congress, this week we profile new Members from New Mexico, Nevada and New York.

In New Mexico's First Congressional District, Democrat Deb Haaland replaced Democratic incumbent Michelle Lujan Grisham, who successfully ran for governor. Rep. Haaland is one of the first two Native American women to serve in Congress. During the campaign, she pledged to "champion career and technical education," noting the various benefits of CTE and the importance of investing in it. She also supported making public colleges and universities tuition free. In New Mexico's Second Congressional District, Democrat Xochitl Torres Small replaced Republican Steve Pearce, who unsuccessfully ran for governor. Torres Small's parents were both educators, while she is a water attorney by trade. During the campaign, she spoke largely about her commitment to public education.

In Nevada, Democrat Jacky Rosen defeated incumbent Republican Dean Heller. Sen. Rosen previously served in the House, where she was a member of the CTE Caucus. She has been named to serve on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Sen. Rosen is a former computer programmer, and advocated during the campaign for STEM education, skills-training, apprenticeships and college affordability. You can read more about Sen. Rosen in an interview we did with her while she was in the House.

Replacing Sen. Rosen in Nevada's Third Congressional District is Democrat Susie Lee. Rep. Lee, who was recently named to the House Education & Labor Committee, was the founding director of an after school program for children. She also served as the president of Communities in Schools of Nevada, a dropout prevention program. She has served on various education-related advisory committees. In her campaign, she advocated for funding "training and apprenticeship programs," saying "innovative training programs" can prepare students "for the careers of the future." In Nevada's Fourth Congressional District, Democrat Steven Horsford replaced Democrat Ruben Kihuen, who did not seek re-election. Rep. Horsford previously represented the district in Congress from 2013-2015, and before that served as the Nevada Senate Majority Leader. Rep. Horsford was once the CEO of a job training program in culinary arts, and also served on the Southern Nevada Workforce Investment Board.

In New York, Democrat Max Rose defeated incumbent Republican Dan Donovan in the state's Eleventh Congressional District. Rep. Rose's mother was a community college professor, and he is a veteran and has worked in the government and non-profit sectors. On his website, Rep. Rose pledged to "fight to expand vocational education and manufacturing institutes." In the state's Fourteenth Congressional District, Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated Democratic incumbent Joe Crowley in a primary, and went on to win the general election. Before her election, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez worked at various non-profits, including as an educational director for the National Hispanic Institute. In her campaign, she focused heavily on "tuition-free public college and trade school."

In New York's Nineteenth Congressional District, Democrat Antonio Delgado defeated Republican incumbent John Faso. Rep. Delgado, a lawyer, advocated for investing in "trade and vocational schools and apprenticeship programs" during the campaign. In New York's Twenty-second Congressional District, Democrat Anthony Brindisi defeated Republican incumbent Claudia Tenney. Rep. Brindisi is a former state assemblyman, school board member and attorney. On his website, he notes the need to "invest in CTE programs in our middle schools and our high schools that will prepare students for high paying, high skilled careers in advanced manufacturing and the trades."

You can find the fifth edition of new Member profiles here. Stay tuned for next week's recap of New Members of Congress, which will cover Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and South Carolina.

Webinar: State CTE Policies in 2018

2018 was a significant year for CTE on the federal and state levels, with the majority of states taking action to support and expand CTE. These policies address such varied topics as work-based learning, industry-recognized credentials, credit transfer, graduation requirements and access and equity issues.

Join ACTE and Advance CTE on Thursday, February 14, from 2:00-3:00pm EST for a webinar that will unpack findings from our joint publication, State Policies Impacting CTE: 2018 Year in Review, to be released Tuesday, January 29.

The webinar will explore trends in state CTE policy and discuss implications of Perkins V for 2019 state policy. Participants will also hear from state leaders in Michigan about the state’s Marshall Plan for Talent and other CTE initiatives.

Sign up for this one-hour webinar at https://acte.webex.com/acte/onstage/g.php?MTID=e51335fc5c59fff9cac1e542425b4b58a, and read the report on January 29.

116th Congress: New Member Profiles, Edition V

Continuing with our coverage of new Members of Congress, this week we profile new Members from Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire and New Jersey.

In Missouri, Republican Josh Hawley defeated incumbent Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill. Hawley, a lawyer by trade, was the state's attorney general. Before that, he was a law professor at the University of Missouri. Hawley's mother was a teacher, and during his campaign he spoke about his desire to "bring down education costs."

In Mississippi, Republican Michael Guest succeeded Republican Gregg Harper, who chose not to seek re-election, in the state's Third Congressional District. Before his election to Congress, Rep. Guest was a state's attorney. He also previously served as the president of the Foundation for Rankin County Public Schools and volunteered at his local high school as the mock trial coach.

In North Dakota, Republican Kevin Cramer defeated incumbent Democrat Heidi Heitkamp. Sen. Cramer, who had previously served in the House of Representatives, is also a former state tourism director and state economic development director. While a House Member, then-Congressman Cramer was a member of the House CTE Caucus. Replacing Sen. Cramer in North Dakota's at-large House seat is Republican Kelly Armstrong. Rep. Armstrong, a lawyer, previously served in the state legislature.

In New Hampshire's First Congressional District, Democrat Christopher Pappas replaced Democrat Carol Shea-Porter, who chose not to seek re-election. Rep. Pappas previously served on the New Hampshire Executive Council and co-owns a restaurant. On the campaign trail, Rep. Pappas advocated for "tuition-free education at community colleges and public universities," and for expanding "job training, career and technical education, and apprenticeship programs." He also urged for greater investments in CTE, drawing on his experience in the restaurant business to underscore the importance of "quality education and job training."

In New Jersey's Second Congressional District, Democrat Jeff Van Drew replaced Republican Frank LoBiondo, who chose not to seek re-election. Rep. Van Drew has a long record in local and state government, and talked about addressing college affordability during his campaign. In New Jersey's Third Congressional District, Democrat Andy Kim defeated incumbent Republican Tom MacArthur. Rep. Kim previously worked in the State Department and for President Obama on national security issues. On the campaign trail, Rep. Kim advocated for additional STEM funding.

Also in New Jersey, in the state's Seventh Congressional District, Democrat Tom Malinowski defeated incumbent Republican Leonard Lance. Rep. Malinowski previously served as the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. During his campaign, Rep. Malinowski advocated for increased investments in STEAM, raising teacher pay, eliminating tuition at two-year community colleges and promoting more lifelong learning opportunities. In the state's Eleventh Congressional District, Democrat Mikie Sherrill replaced Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, who chose not to seek re-election. Rep. Sherrill is a former Navy pilot and federal prosecutor. In her campaign, she stressed college affordability issues and stated that "we need to do much more to support two-year and vocational programs."

You can find the fourth edition of new Member profiles here. Stay tuned for next week's recap of New Members of Congress, which will cover New Mexico, Nevada and New York.

House Democrats Name New Education & Labor Committee Members

The House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee has recommended 14 new Democrats to serve on the Education and Labor Committee. While the full Democratic caucus will later vote on these recommendations, the appointments are all but certain. This list does not include those currently serving on the Committee or potential changes related to current members, as that information has not yet been released. House Republicans have not yet announced their appointments.

The Democrats' new appointments include:

• Josh Harder (D-CA)
• Jahana Hayes (D-CT)
• Pramila Jayapal (D-WA)
• Susie Lee (D-NV)
• Andy Levin (D-MI)
• Lucy McBath (D-GA)
• Joe Morelle (D-NY)
• Ilhan Omar (D-MN)
• Kim Schrier (D-WA)
• Donna Shalala (D-FL)
• Haley Stevens (D-MI)
• David Trone (D-MD)
• Lauren Underwood (D-IL)
• Susan Wild (D-PA)

Of these members, 11 are freshmen. Some of them will bring considerable education-related experience to the Committee. For instance, Rep. Hayes is an educator and community college graduate who was named the national teacher of the year by the National Education Association in 2016. Rep. Lee served as the president of Communities in Schools of Nevada, a dropout prevention organization. Rep. Ilhan previously worked as a community nutrition educator at the University of Minnesota. Rep. Shalala served in the Peace Corps, where she worked to construct an agricultural college in Iran. She also served as a college professor and later president of the University of Miami. Rep. Stevens led a job training program, launched a STEM education program to expose students to digital manufacturing and created an online certification program for digital manufacturing.

ACTE will work closely with these new Members of Congress on the House Education and Labor Committee to promote CTE. If you live in a district with a new Member of Congress, or your Member of Congress is not a member of the CTE Caucus, use ACTE's action center to ask them to join it today!

ACTE Makes C-SPAN Appearance

On Monday, ACTE Deputy Executive Director Steve DeWitt appeared on C-SPAN. The program, "Your Money," is a series devoted to highlighting different federal expenditures. On this episode, Steve and host John McArdle discussed Perkins funding and CTE broadly.

Included as part of the program, listeners from across the country called in to ask questions and discuss experience they might have had in CTE programs. You can watch the half-hour program by clicking here.