CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

ACTION ALERT: Ask Your Members of Congress to Support the Senate’s FY 2024 Education Funding Bill!

On July 27, the Senate Appropriations Committee considered and approved its Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill on a bi-partisan basis, which contains a $40 million increase to the Perkins Basic State Grant program, and provides significantly more resources to education and workforce development programs than the House version of the bill does.

The appropriations process will continue once Congress returns in September, and we want to let Members of Congress know that we support the Senate bill and its higher funding levels! Your advocacy will be critical throughout August to share this message!

ACTION NEEDED: CLICK HERE to urge your Members of Congress to support the Senate’s $40 million increase for Perkins and overall higher funding levels! 

You can send a message directly using the ACTE Action Center. You can also call or email directly any personal contacts that you have in your Members’ offices, such as from a meeting at NPS, or call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121, and an operator will connect you to your Member of Congress.

ACTION ALERT: Ask Your Members of Congress to Oppose Cuts to Education and Workforce Programs in FY 2024!

On July 14, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies approved its Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations bill on a party-line vote. In some good news for CTE, the Perkins Basic State Grant is level funded in this bill. However, the bill reduces overall education funding, including rescissions to some funding that would become available to programs this fall and significant cuts to or complete eliminations of dozens of education and workforce programs, such as WIOA Youth and Adult programs, federal work-study, ESSA Title I and II and more.

The proposed cuts to major education and workforce development programs are deeply concerning, and will harm the ability of CTE programs to support learners and provide access to broader career and postsecondary opportunities. Education and workforce programs work hand-in-hand to develop a skilled workforce – CTE programs cannot be successful without the support of the entire system.

As the bill moves forward in the House and the Senate begins work on its bill as well, it is critical that Members of Congress understand the impact of these proposed cuts, and that you lend your voice in support of funding for the entire education and workforce development system.

ACTION NEEDED: CLICK HERE to tell your Members of Congress about the impact of proposed cuts to education and workforce programs in the FY 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill! 

You can send a message directly using the ACTE Action Center. You can also call or email directly any personal contacts that you have in your Members’ offices, such as from a meeting at NPS, or call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121, and an operator will connect you to your Member of Congress.

ACTION ALERT: Ask Your Representative: Support Perkins in FY 2024 Appropriations!

Earlier this week, House leaders announced that instead of allocating the amount of funding agreed to in the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 for FY 2024 appropriations bills, which would have essentially provided level funding to domestic programs, they would write appropriations bills to the lower FY 2022 level requested by the most conservative House members.

While we are still awaiting the official topline funding level for the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill, early reports estimate that the bill could be cut by almost 30%. The impact on Perkins funding and CTE programs could be significant. As the House starts to consider their appropriations bills, we need to generate as much support for CTE as possible to ensure the highest possible level of funding for Perkins within these tight caps.

ACTION NEEDED: CLICK HERE to ask your representative to support robust funding for Perkins CTE in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill!

You can send a message directly using the ACTE Action Center. Additionally, if you have a direct contact in your representative’s office, such as from a meeting with a staff member during NPS earlier this month or at another time, we urge you to call or email directly. You can also call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121, and an operator will connect you to your requested House office. Please contact your representative today!

Apply Now: CTERN 2023 Research Training Institute

The Career and Technical Education Research Network (CTERN) is now accepting applications for the 2023 CTE Research Training Institute, which will be held virtually August 7-11. 

The training institute takes place over the span of five days and supports researchers with an interest in CTE and quantitative experience. Early-career researchers and individuals from underrepresented backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Those who are selected to be a part of the training institute will
receive a $500 stipend and a Certificate of Training from the Institute of Education Sciences upon successful completion.

The deadline to apply is May 22, 2023. A doctoral degree or enrollment in a doctoral program is preferred but not required. Further requirements for eligibility include the following:

• Possess some training in quantitative research methods (for example, linear regression)
  
• Have experience using Stata and/or R for statistical analysis 
• Work in academia (faculty or graduate student) or at an organization that conducts education research (for example, an applied research organization or state agency) 
• Show a demonstrated interest in CTE evaluation research 
• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident 

The course will cover topics such as an introduction to CTE policies and theories, randomized control trials for CTE research, causal research design, regression discontinuity designs and many more. To learn more and apply, visit the CTERN Research Institute application page.  

ACTE is one of the Network leads, supporting CTERN’s goal to increase the number and quality of CTE impact evaluations and strengthen the field’s research capacity. 

ACTION ALERT: Ask Your Senator: Support Robust Funding for Perkins in FY 2024!

Each year, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) lead a “Dear Colleague” letter to be sent to the Chair and Ranking Member of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee requesting robust funding for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins) in the FY 2024 Labor, Health, and Human Services appropriations bill. Committee members view these “Dear Colleague” letters as a critical part of the process because they show the breadth of support for a specific program, making this letter’s success critical. These senators have begun circulating the letter to their Senate colleagues to obtain additional senators to sign on. An accompanying letter from the House of Representatives is expected to begin circulating shortly, and we will share it when it becomes available.

The president’s original budget request for FY 24 did not suggest as large an increase for the Perkins Basic State Grant as we had hoped, but only represents a starting point in what will be months of negotiation in Congress. Your advocacy these past few years has been critical to securing vital, yearly increases in Perkins funding; we need your help again to secure an increase for Perkins that ensures CTE can continue to meet urgent workforce needs and serve as a critical part of the country’s economic growth.

ACTION NEEDED: CLICK HERE to ask your senator to sign the “Dear Colleague” letter supporting robust funding for Perkins CTE in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill! The deadline for sign-ons is COB on Friday, April 7, 2023.

You can send a message directly using the ACTE Action Center. Additionally, if you have a direct contact in your senator's office, such as from a meeting with a staff member during NPS earlier this week or at another time, we urge you to call or email directly. You can also call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121, and an operator will connect you to your requested Senate office. Please contact your senator today!

ACTION ALERT: Ask Your Members of Congress to Co-sponsor the JOBS Act of 2023!

Earlier this month, the Jumpstart Our Businesses by Supporting Students Act of 2023 (H.R. 793/S. 161), or the JOBS Act, was reintroduced in the Senate by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Mike Braun (R-IN), and in the House by Reps. Bill Johnson (R-OH), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) and Michael Turner (R-OH). This legislation would expand federal Pell Grant eligibility to high-quality, short-term job training programs, which has been a top priority of the CTE community for the past few years. ACTE has endorsed this bipartisan bill. 

Currently, Pell Grants are not available to postsecondary CTE students in short-term certificate programs less than 600 clock hours or 16 semester hours over 15 weeks. As a result, many students across the country do not have access to high-quality, short-term CTE programs that that provide the education and skills necessary for in-demand careers and culminate in meaningful credentials that are proven to increase lifetime earning potential and employment opportunities.  

We need your help so that Members of Congress understand the many positive impacts of extending Pell Grants to high-quality, short-term CTE programs. 

ACTION NEEDED: Contact your Members of Congress to ask them to support the extension of Pell Grant eligibility to high-quality, short-term CTE programs by co-sponsoring the JOBS Act.  

CLICK HERE to send a letter! If you have a direct contact in a representative’s office, we encourage you to contact them directly! 

Help us hold Members of Congress accountable for supporting CTE students, educators and institutions by advocating for short-term Pell expansion.  

House bill text can be found here.  
Senate bill text can be found here.

ACTION ALERT - Ask Your Representative: Cosponsor the 2023 House CTE Month Resolution!

The co-chairs of the House CTE Caucus, Reps. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) are leading the House’s annual CTE Month resolution marking February as CTE Month. These House members are currently circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter asking their colleagues to cosponsor the resolution, which is set to be introduced on February 8. 

CLICK HERE to ask your representative to cosponsor this year’s CTE Month resolution. 

The resolution raises awareness about the many benefits associated with high-quality CTE programs. By requesting support for the resolution, you are continuing to elevate the benefits of CTE to policymakers at a critical time for CTE advocacy. Please contact your House representative today! If you have a direct contact in your Member of Congress’s office, we urge you to call or email them directly. The deadline for original House cosponsors to sign on is February 8, 2023, but cosponsors may join at any time throughout February – the House attempts to pass the resolution at the end of February through unanimous consent.

ACTION ALERT: Ask Your Senators: Cosponsor the 2023 Senate CTE Month Resolution!

The co-chairs of the Senate CTE Caucus, Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Todd Young (R-IN) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), are once again leading the Senate’s annual CTE Month resolution marking February as CTE Month. These senators are currently circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter asking their colleagues to cosponsor the resolution.

CLICK HERE to ask your senators to cosponsor this year’s CTE Month resolution. 

The resolution raises awareness about the many benefits associated with high-quality CTE programs. By requesting support for the resolution, you are continuing to elevate the benefits of CTE to policymakers at a critical time for CTE advocacy. Please contact your senators today! If you have a direct contact in your senator’s office, we urge you to call or email them directly. The deadline for Senate cosponsors to sign on is Thursday, February 9, 2023.

Note: More details about a House CTE Month Resolution will be available soon – this resolution is just for senators!

ACTE Launches 118th Congress Freshmen Advocacy Guide

Every two years, a new crop of federal policymakers enter Congress for the beginning of the next congressional session. ACTE has developed this resource to help you effectively develop relationships with new Members of Congress and urge them to support policies that will help advance high-quality CTE for all learners. The start of the 118th Congress presents the perfect opportunity to inform them about CTE and encourage their support! 

CTE advocates are in an excellent position to provide these new members with information about their programs and how these programs affect their communities. If you can develop a working relationship with the new Member and his or her staff, they will look to you more often and ask for your input as issues come forward.

Don’t forget to maintain relationships with your returning policymakers! Even lawmakers who have been in office before may shift their focuses and priorities, so reiterate your willingness to serve as a resource for them.

If you have questions about advocacy in the 118th Congress, please contact Jori Houck, Media Relations and Advocacy Associate, at [email protected] or Government Relations Manager, Zach Curtis ([email protected]). 

Visit the advocacy guide here!

ACTION ALERT: Ask Members of Congress to Include JOBS Act Language in FY23 Appropriations!

Government funding talks for fiscal year 2023 are proceeding slowly, with appropriations leaders in both parties at odds over the total amount of non-defense spending to be included in a potential “omnibus” spending package. ACTE has been monitoring this process closely and participating in meetings with education and workforce staff members on Capitol Hill to advocate for the priorities of the CTE community.  

As this is likely one of the final bills to be considered by this Congress, there is the potential for additional, bipartisan priorities to be attached to the final funding legislation. One area that could be addressed is the expansion of Pell Grants to short-term CTE programs. Earlier this year, the JOBS Act (S. 864/H.R. 2037) was close to being included in other legislation, and the bill’s sponsors have been looking for an appropriate vehicle where it might be included. Now is a perfect opportunity for CTE advocates to make their voices heard in support of short-term Pell Grant expansion during these negotiations. 

ACTION NEEDED: Contact your policymakers in the House and Senate to ask them to support Pell Grant eligibility for high-quality, short-term CTE programs as they negotiate fiscal year 2023 appropriations packages. 

If you have a direct contact in your representative’s or senator’s office, such as from a meeting with a staff member during NPS or at another time, we urge you to call or email directly. You can also call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121, and an operator will connect you to your requested congressional office. Please contact your senators and representatives today!