CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

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.

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.

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.

DC Digest: January 20-26

Last week was fairly quiet on the Hill regarding federal education policy updates because of the ongoing impeachment trial in the Senate and the fact that the House was in recess. Though little movement happened from the Hill, ACTE was still active this week:

• ACTE Signed House Infrastructure Letter: ACTE joined over 30 education advocacy organizations in signing a letter to House leadership urging them to include investments into school facility modernization and construction in any infrastructure package that is introduced in the House of Representatives. These funds could be used to modernize CTE programs nationwide.
  
  
• Meetings with Appropriations Committee Members: As the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 appropriations cycle gets started, ACTE’s public policy team began meeting with key Appropriations Committee members and their staff to advocate for increased funding for the Perkins Basic State Grant program.
  
  
• Looking Ahead: A quick reminder that the State of the Union will be held on February 4, and the President’s budget will be released on February 10 (both dates are a bit later than normal). Be sure to be on the lookout for information on education and workforce initiatives that may be addressed!

DC Digest: January 13-19

Despite the fact that much of Congress’ attention was focused on preparation for the impeachment trial, several new developments regarding education occurred in the third week of the new year. Read more below to find out more!

• House Disapproves of Borrower Defense Rule: The House passed a resolution to revoke the Department of Education’s borrower defense rule, which they think would make it more difficult for students to receive debt forgiveness from defrauded colleges. The resolution now goes to the Senate, but faces an uphill battle to enactment.
  
  
• Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) Joins the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP): Loeffler replaces Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) on the HELP committee, which oversees authorizing legislation affecting education like Perkins, making her the second woman to represent Georgia in the Senate. She was formally the chief executive of Bakkt, which is a trading platform for bitcoin.
  
  
• Updated Rules Treatment for Faith-Based Education Institutions and Guidance on School Prayer: The Department of Education has announced a series of actions related to religious liberty. The actions include proposing new rules related to equal treatment of faith-based institutions and the implementation of First Amendment freedoms on college campuses, and updated guidance on prayer in schools. The new documents are based on current legal rulings, so do not represent policy changes, but do contain some new institutional requirements.

DC Digest: January 6-12

The second week into 2020 has been relatively quiet for federal education policy, despite the House and Senate coming back in session. However there have been some CTE-related activities and news that have kick-started the new year.

• 2020 National Career Development Summit: On January 8, the National Career Development Summit brought together over 200 attendees (including ACTE representatives) to discuss topics of career readiness. Scott Stump, the Education Department’s Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education, spoke about promoting career development and ensuring accountability. There were other panels on promoting equity, the role of businesses, career development technology and work-based learning.
  
  
• Representative Phil Roe (R-Tenn) Retiring: Rep. Roe, who is on the House Education and Labor Committee and the House Veterans Affairs Committee, has announced he would not seek reelection for a seventh term in 2020. While in office, he supported CTE and the passage of Perkins V.
  
  
• ED Games Expo: The Education Department hosted the 7th annual ED Expo Games which brought together students, developers, government representatives, and industry partners to exhibit learning games and technologies. The game topics ranged from STEM to early learning, and emphasized that this type of technological learning can be accessed in all classrooms.
  
  
• Federal Financial Aid Deadlines: The Department of Education released deadlines for institutions participating in campus-based aid programs for the 2020-21 award year, including the Federal Perkins Loan Program, Federal Work-Study, and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant programs. If your institution participates in one of these programs be sure to check out the deadlines here.
  
  
• IES Update: The Director of the federal Institute of Education Sciences, which oversees federally funded research projects across a wide range of topics, released an update on the agencies plans this week, including simplifying research reports and releasing more info on CTE in community colleges.

DC Digest: December 16 – January 5

Happy New Year! While we hope you were able to unplug and relax over the holiday break and to ring in the New Year, on the CTE policy front, things remained busy. 

• Several Bills Signed into Law: Among a number of bills signed into law in the final days of 2019, an appropriations bill increased Perkins Basic State Grant funding by $20 million for Fiscal Year 2020. The FUTURE Act was also signed into law, which extends mandatory funding programs for historically Black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions, including some postsecondary CTE programs. Additionally, the bipartisan Building Blocks of STEM Act was signed into law, which creates and expands STEM education initiatives at the National Science Foundation, including a special focus on girls in computer science.
• National Competitiveness Forum Held: Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos spoke at the National Competitiveness Forum, where she touted a proposal for federal tax credits in exchange for donations to state scholarship programs as a way to address workforce development needs in the 21st century.
• New White House Child Care Principles: As part of the Trump Administration’s child care reform principles, the White House states it aims to address the child care workforce shortage. Postulating that postsecondary education is an “uncertain proxy for quality child care,” the Administration aims to pursue alternative metrics for competencies and skills “irrespective of academic degrees.” Additionally, it seeks to promote child care apprenticeships.
• New Student Aid Website: The Trump Administration launched a new gov website aimed at providing additional information for students, parents and borrowers. The website aims to be a centralized hub to assist those pursuing financial aid.
• New Bill on Community College Reporting: Three Republican senators recently introduced a bill to amend reporting requirements at community colleges to reflect and account for the often more diverse populations of part-time, returning students at community colleges.
• Senate, House Return: While the Senate returned on Friday, January 3 with potential votes scheduled for Monday, January 6, the House is set to return on Tuesday, January 7.

DC Digest: December 9-15

This week, lawmakers were busy with impeachment hearings, but they managed to make progress toward year-end deals on a number of issues, such as a new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada and a final appropriations bill. Here’s what was happening in DC this week related to education and workforce development:

• Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Anniversary: Policymakers and advocates for ESSA celebrated the four-year anniversary of its passage this week. . An  event on the Hill featured discussions on the impacts ESSA has made, and speakers including Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee; Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), the chair of the House Education and Labor committee; and former Committee Chair John Kline (R-MN) all shared their thoughts on the law’s implementation
  
  
• Expanding Computer Science Access to Women: On December 9, the House passed a bill to increase access to computer science education for women, sending it to the President to be signed into law. This bill will award grants to incentivize women to pursue computer science degrees.
  
  
• Expanded Access to Teacher Education Assistance for College Higher Education (TEACH) Grants: Secretary DeVos proposed a new rule to expand access of TEACH grants by eliminating some certification and annual reporting requirements, reducing the chances that grants are converted to loans, and creating processes for resolving grants that were incorrectly converted to loans. Access is also proposed to be expanded to elementary school educators who teach in high-need areas and. faith-based
  
  
• The Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act: On December 10, the House passed the FUTURE Act to allow for permanent funding for historically black colleges and universities, as well as simplify the FAFSA by eliminating up to 22 questions and allowing tax information to be shared from the IRS to the Department of Education.
  
  
• Another Appropriations Update: Republican and Democrats have reached a tentative federal spending deal to avoid a government shutdown. Details have not been released, but we will provide more information on education and workforce development funding as soon as it is available.

DC Digest: December 2-8

Last week, ACTE hosted our annual VISION conference in Anaheim, California! We, as the Public Policy Department, hosted a number of sessions where we got to hear feedback and suggestions from you, our members, based on the programs and issues that we are advocating for on your behalf. You’ll see more opportunities to provide input on these critical issues in the new year. In the meantime, let’s catch up on some other news that happened while we were out.

• Secretary DeVos Unveils Her Vision for Federal Student Aid (FSA): On December 3, Secretary DeVos announced her vision for a stronger, more student-centered FSA Office. Her plan entails continuing what FSA is currently doing, as well as including a myStudentAid app and adding in structural and governing changes. Read more.
  
  
• The Opportunity Zone Priority: Secretary DeVos announced that the Department of Education will prioritize funding for grant applications to “Opportunity Zones” which include students, teachers and parents in economically distressed communities. The goal is to provide students who are the most economically burdened with innovative educational opportunities no matter where they live. Read more.
  
  
• Government Funding Update: The new Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government funded ends on December 20, and Congress continues negotiations in hopes of reaching agreement on funding bills before the holidays. If an agreement is not reached, the House and Senate will likely pass another CR to keep the Government from shutting down—as a shutdown does not seem likely at this point.

DC Digest: November 18-24

Though Congress was mainly focused on impeachment hearings this week, there were a number of CTE-related activities as work wrapped up leading into the Thanksgiving holiday recess. The most significant activity occurred on appropriations, where significant movement occurred for the first time in weeks. You can read more about that on the blog here, and see other news below:

• Briefing on Access and Equity in CTE: The House CTE Caucus held a briefing on advancing access and equity in CTE, which ACTE attended. Career and Technical Education Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Glenn Thompson spoke at the briefing, along with other panelists to discuss the challenges that many special populations, such as low-income earners, students with disabilities and nontraditional students face. See photo and read more from our partners at Advance CTE!
  
  
• 2020 House Floor Schedule: Majority House Leader Hoyer (D-MD) has released the 2020 House Floor Schedule for the Second Session of the 116th Congress, which begins on January 7 and will meet for 113 days. Hoyer says the 2020 schedule will continue addressing health care costs, infrastructure investments, climate change and expanding economy opportunity. Take a look at the schedule to identify congressional recess times when Congress is not in session. These are great times to invite Members of Congress to visit programs or to schedule meetings with your representatives while they are back in their home districts!
  
  
• 90/10 Rule Veterans Legislation Gains Key Support: Senate HELP Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) backed the Protect VETS Act, a bipartisan bill aimed to protect military and veteran students from predatory institutions by closing the 90/10 loophole. Currently, military and veteran education benefits do not count towards federal aid portion of the 90/10 rule, so this bill would reclassify all federal aid under the 90%. This concession, one the Chairman has historically pushed back on, could signal that he is looking to make a compromise on Democratic priorities in order to gain traction on a reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA).
  
  
• DC Organizations Release “Green Economy” Policy Principles: A group of national policy organizations, including the National Youth Employment Coalition and Center for Law and Social Policy, released “Building Pathways, Inclusive Economies, and Opportunities for Youth and Young Adults: Principles for Green Economy Legislation and Investment.” These principles outline how to ensure that opportunity youth are connected to the green economy through targeting resources, building policy frameworks on a racial and gender equity lens, involving young people, building career pathways and focusing on quality jobs.