CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

ACTION NEEDED: Ask Your Representative to Sign the FY21 Perkins Basic State Grant Funding Letter!

A “Dear Colleague” letter is currently circulating in the U.S. House of Representatives, urging the Appropriations Committee to make a robust investment in Perkins Basic State Grants in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021.

The letter is addressed to Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), the chairwoman and ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, respectively. It highlights the important role that Perkins plays in meeting the needs of both students and employers, and urges a strong investment to address the skills gap and growing demand for CTE Programs. You can read the letter here. Following on the heels of the President’s budget request, which included a proposal for a large increase for Perkins, this “Dear Colleague” is a critical first step in building congressional support for a Perkins increase. A bi-partisan group of 162 representatives signed a similar letter last year, so a good showing is critical!

Click here to ask your Representative to sign the Perkins funding letter. The sign-on deadline is this Monday, March 9, so please contact your Representative today!

ACTE's CTE Month Tour Featured Teacher of the Year

Last week, ACTE held its annual CTE Month site visit. The annual visit to schools near the Association’s national headquarters allows ACTE staff to see firsthand local high-quality programs that are preparing learners for success. This year, the site visit took place at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, VA. Notably, Kimberly Wilson (right), ACTE’s 2020 National Teacher of the Year, is a family and consumer sciences educator at the school.

The event was well attended, and ACTE was joined by a number of different educational organizations, along with staff from the U.S. Department of Education. The event began with a presentation by the school’s JROTC students. Attendees then heard about the program from administrators, and then listed to a panel of current students. The students, who collectively had experience with CTSOs, dual enrollment, industry-recognized credentials and internships, spoke highly of their CTE experience. One continuous theme was how CTE provided not just technical skills, but also the employability and interpersonal skills that are critical in today’s economy.

After the presentation, attendees toured many of the programs. Programs toured included the school store and credit union, health sciences, criminal justice, early childhood education, photography and graphic design, TV production, culinary, cosmetology, engineering and robotics, automotive, technical drawing, and cyber networking. ACTE is grateful to T.C. Williams for hosting the site visit, and left impressed with the programs the school offers and inspired by CTE’s transformative nature.

You can find more photos of the event here.

DC Digest: February 17-23

Last week the House and Senate finished up their district work periods, and are now set to return to Washington.  Below are some of the CTE-related policy highlights from last week:

 

• Apprenticeship Grantees Announced: The U.S. Department of Labor announced the 28 public-private partnerships that are set to receive $100 million worth of grants through the Apprenticeship: Closing the Skills Gap program. The grants are specifically targeted to paid apprenticeship programs that lead to industry-recognized credentials.
  
  
• Stackable Credential Program Technical Assistance Application Opened: The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education announced that the technical assistance phase for its Pathways to Credentials project has begun. This allows up to 10 community colleges to receive free technical assistance on stackable credential program design. Full details are available here, and you can register for a webinar on the program here.​
  
  
• CTE Month Resolutions Finalized: The deadlines for co-sponsors to the House and Senate CTE Month resolutions closed. We are hearing that each resolution received more than 50 co-sponsors, which is terrific. Final numbers will be posted on the CTE Policy Watch Blog once confirmed. Thank you to everyone who contacted their Members of Congress.

US ED Initiative to Closer Align FWS Job Experiences With Students Programs of Study Moves Forward

On February 19, the U.S. Department of Education (US ED) announced the participants in a new initiative that expands employment opportunities for students participating in the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program, by fostering closer collaboration with the private sector and aligning the work opportunities to the students field of study. This initiative will be tested at 190 participating institutions of higher education, and is designed to assess the benefits, if there are any, of allowing students to participate in paid work-based learning opportunities that are aligned with their academic course work. Among the 190 institutions, over 40 of them are community and technical colleges from around the country. For a full list of invitees, please click here.

Historically, the FWS program was intended to provide part-time jobs for students who have a demonstrated financial need, in order for them to earn money to help pay for education-related expenses (books, transportation, housing, etc). The program is available to both part-time and full-time students and students who are enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs at participating IHE’s. The jobs are typically on-campus and clerical in nature, although at times, students can work at government agencies, non-profits, and in certain circumstances, private sector employers. This is due to the emphasis on civic education and community service within the program. Currently, students rarely work in jobs that align with their course of studies.

ED’s new initiative will allow the participating institutions to be granted waivers to embolden them to use their FWS funds to support private sector employment for participating students, and for the first time, allow students to receive compensation for “work experiences that are required by their academic programs, such as student teaching and clinical rotations.”

The initiative also allows participating institutions to hire third-party intermediaries to help facilitate and grow their partnerships with the private sector. Specifically, all students, not just those participating in FWS, can benefit from these intermediaries.

ACTE will continue to closely monitor the implementation of this initiative, which aligns with our HEA priorities and will update our blog accordingly.

DC Digest: February 10-16

CTE month is still in full swing and we hope that you are spending this time reflecting on the importance of CTE and encouraging others to expand CTE in schools and in your local communities, regions and states! The biggest education policy news last week was the release of the Administration’s budget, but there were several other developments as well.  . Here’s the news from last week:

• New Federal School Safety Website Launched: The Trump Administration released the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse website to help address safety and security in schools. The website is a “one-stop-shop” where students, parents and educators can visit to get more information, tools and best practices regarding safety.
  
  
• Bipartisan Bill providing Community College Innovation and Career Training Grants Introduced: The Assisting Community Colleges in Education Skilled Students (ACCESS) to Careers Act was introduced by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Senator Todd Young (R-IN) and is aimed at increasing college and career readiness for students. The bill includes resources to increase local and regional labor market demand for a skilled workforce such as providing work-based learning opportunities, wraparound services and creating career pathways. ACTE has endorsed this bill.
  
  
• Scott Stump Visits Hartland Community College: On February 14, Scott Stump, Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical and Adult Education, visited Heartland Community College in Illinois to see how Hartland is training students to fill the skills gap. Stump met with students and educators and talked about the importance of increasing technical skills and workforce development efforts.

President Proposes Large Increase for Perkins CTE in FY 2021 Budget Request

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 federal budget and appropriations process finally kicked off today with the release of the president’s budget request to Congress. The president’s budget proposal is not binding, but is a reflection of the Administration’s priorities for the year and can serve to inform congressional negotiations over spending decisions and new policy proposals.

In exciting news for CTE, the budget proposal included nearly $900 million in additional funding directed to career and technical education (CTE). This is composed of a $680 million increase (53%) for Perkins Basic State Grants, approximately $83 million increase (1112.8%) for Perkins National Programs (with a focus on competitive grants for innovation and modernization of programs), and over $100 million in additional funds that could be generated for Perkins through changes to the H-1B visa program. 

However, overall, both the Department of Education (ED) and the Department of Labor (DOL) received glaring proposed cuts in their budget. The president’s ED budget came in 7.8% lower than the enacted FY 2020 level, while the DOL budget came in 10.7% lower. 

The ED budget proposes:

• Level funding for adult education programs 
• Significant cuts to Federal work-study programs, with a new funding level of $500 million (a 57.6% cut)
• The elimination of 11 programs, including State Longitudinal Data Systems, Gear Up, and the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education 
• A $100 million increase for IDEA (0.73%)
• The combination of programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act into a block grant with an overall cut of $4.673 billion (18%)
• Expanding Pell grants to short-term programs and incarcerated students

The DOL budget proposes:

• $855 million for WIOA Adult Employment and Training Activities, equal to the FY 20 enacted level
• $913 million for WIOA Youth Activities, equal to the FY 20 enacted level
• $1.213 billion for WIOA Dislocated worker programs, a cut of $110 million from FY 20 
• $200 million to expand both registered and industry-recognized apprenticeship opportunities
• Appropriations language changes to grant automatic WIOA training provider eligibility to institutions of higher education that already qualify as eligible to participate in Federal Student Aid (FSA) programs
• The elimination of several programs, including those targeting seniors, farmworks, and Native Americans.

You can read ACTE’s response to the budget here. We will be releasing additional analysis of other specific proposals soon, and in the meantime, you can also access additional budget materials on the Department of Education’s website at https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget21/index.html and the Department of Labor’s website at https://www.dol.gov/general/budget. 

What’s Next?

This budget request signals a large shift toward prioritizing CTE for the current Administration, and shows that our collective advocacy work is beginning to pay off. However, keep in mind the historic treatment of Presidents’ requests in Congress and our current budgetary environment. Most Presidents' budget requests are routinely ignored by Congress, for a variety of reasons, so the job is far from done. Further, the two-year budget deal that was signed into law last year provided only a small increase in Non-Defense Discretionary (NDD) funding for FY 2021 (which includes the Departments of Education and Labor). This will make it difficult for Congress to give any NDD program a significant increase. Within this context, we will need to continue to fight hard, be vocal and press for CTE this appropriations season! 

The next step will be for Members of Congress to begin discussing their FY 2020 appropriations bills and committees will begin to hold hearings where they host department and agency heads advocating on behalf of the President’s budget request. After this, the Appropriations Subcommittees will begin to write their prospective funding bills. Then they go through the normal legislative process, until they are ultimately signed into law by the president. At each step of the way, we will provide opportunities for you to engage your policymakers on the critical importance of increased funding for CTE.

DC Digest: February 2-February 9

It was a lively week for federal education policy on the Hill this week and a great way to start CTE month! Make sure you stay up to date on all the ways you can celebrate CTE this month in your local community or state. Now on to the news:

• Briefing on Opportunities to Improve the Higher Education Act (HEA): The National Skills Coalition, in partnership with the Senate CTE Caucus, hosted a Hill briefing on ways to improve HEA to provide students with a better framework to succeed. It included a panel of community and technical college leaders who discussed how wrap-around services, employer partnerships and guided pathways models can help prepare students for success in the classroom and in the workforce.
  
  
• Bipartisan Senate Letter on Analyzing Dual Enrollment ESSA Funding: Nineteen senators sent a letter to the Department of Education to explore how ESSA money is being used for dual enrollment, concurrent enrollment and early college in high schools. The senators want an examination of the use of funds to evaluate how low-income and underrepresented students are being provided access to ensure college and career readiness.
  
  
• SouthTech Wins Second Round of Catalyzing CTE through Pay for Success Competition: Jobs for the Future (JFF) and Social Finance awarded SouthTech Academy in Palm Beach County, Florida, the second round of the “Catalyzing CTE through Pay for Success Competition,” an award to expand high-quality K-12 CTE programming for underserved communities through “Pay-for-Success” funding. SouthTech demonstrated how they will expand CTE pathways so students can integrate registered apprenticeships into their education, have opportunities to earn industry certified certifications and participate in work-based learning. A New Tech Academy in Advanced Manufacturing will be opened as well to help meet local needs in the manufacturing sector.
  
  
• Department of Education on CTE Month: Scott Stump, the Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education in the U.S. Department of Education, released a video in recognition of CTE Month, and on February 7, hosted a Town Hall Call to review new guidance related to civil rights monitoring in CTE programs.
  
  
• Briefing on Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs): On February 4, ACTE attended a briefing entitled, “TCUs: The Future of Higher Education” that was held in the Senate. A panel of four TCU presidents detailed the challenges and successes of TCUs around the nation such as ensuring the survival of their language and culture, teacher preparation and facilities upkeep.

Ask Your Senators, Representative to Co-sponsor 2020 CTE Month Resolution

The bipartisan co-chairs of the Senate CTE Caucus have introduced a resolution honoring February as CTE Month, as have the co-chairs of the House CTE Caucus. Last year, in part because of the advocacy of so many ACTE members, 51 senators and dozens of representatives cosponsored the resolution. This year, the Senate CTE Caucus, ACTE and other CTE advocates are aiming to beat that!

You must send two separate letters to email your Senators/Representative.

• Click here to contact your senators (deadline of Wednesday, February 12)
• Click here to contact your representative (deadline of Friday, February 21)

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

CTE Mentioned in Presidential Proclamation, State of the Union

Last week, President Trump issued a proclamation declaring February as CTE Month. The proclamation recognized the importance of high-quality CTE and ensuring all students have access to it. Most notably, the proclamation stated that the President’s “fiscal year 2021 budget proposal to the Congress will include significant increases in funding for [CTE].”

The President’s professed commitment to increasing funding in CTE was also hinted at in his State of the Union address. There, he asked Congress to support his “plan to offer vocational and technical education in every single high school in America.” However, it is unclear whether President Trump was simply referring to Perkins funding, or whether he will unveil some other proposal to ensure CTE is offered at every high school. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos added in a statement following the address that the President has a “strong commitment to career and technical education and apprenticeship expansion.”

While the proclamation and State of the Union remarks provide hope that the President’s budget will increase funding for CTE, few details have yet been released. Historically, President Trump proposed a $168 million cut to Perkins Basic State Grants for fiscal year (FY) 2018, and proposed flat-funding for FY 2019 and FY 2020. A proposed increase to Perkins Basic State Grants for FY 2021 would be a welcome shift in policy.

It is important to note that presidential budgets—and this is not unique to President Trump—are not necessarily indicative of how Congress will exercise its constitutionally-granted power to appropriate federal funds. Rather, presidential budgets can be seen simply as suggestions or priorities. As evidence, Congress has chosen to increase funding for Perkins Basic State Grants in each of the last three fiscal years, even though President Trump’s budget has either proposed cutting or flat-funding the program.

Stay tuned to the CTE Policy Watch Blog for updates once the President’s budget and any other CTE-related policies are released. The President's FY 2021 budget is scheduled to be released on February 10, 2020.

DC Digest: January 27-February 2

The beginning of February kicks-off CTE month! All throughout the month will be a celebration of what CTE has accomplished and the value that CTE has around the country. Also, with the House back in session and the impeachment trial wrapping up, there could be more focus on education policy in the coming weeks. For now, here is what is in the news about federal education policy:

• White House Proclamation on CTE Month: On Friday, the White House released a proclamation on the 2020 CTE month. The Administration says this month reinforces their commitment to continue striving for expanding high-quality CTE for all Americans.
  
  
• Secretary DeVos Announces New Flexibility to States: Massachusetts, North Carolina, Texas and Vermont were the first states to be approved to participate in ESSA’s Education Flexibility Program (Ed-Flex), to allow states to waive certain federal regulatory requirements. It is important for stakeholders in these states to keep a close eye on this program to ensure the flexibility offered still requires a local focus on quality and equity.
  
  
• First Women in STEM Caucus: On January 29, Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Jackie Walorki (R-IN) and Haley Stevens (D,MI) came together to form the first Women in STEM Caucus. They explained that this caucus was created to help support and increase the number of women in the STEM fields, as well as to help create policies that address the underrepresentation of women and other minorities in STEM education and careers.