CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

Vote on Tuesday, November 3!

Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 3, is Election Day! Voters all across the country will head to the polls. At the federal level, control of the White House and both the House and Senate will be decided. The results of this election have implications when it comes to committee chairs, committee compositions, the legislative agenda and more.

To learn more about what's on your ballot, where to vote and voting times, visit Nonprofit VOTE!

Further, many voters will also cast ballots for governors, state legislative representatives, and on education-related ballot initiatives, among other critical state and local races. Be sure to make your voice heard!

As a reminder, ACTE is a nonpartisan organization that does not—and will not—support or oppose any candidate for public office. 

Why Voting is Important to Me

To me, participating in the electoral process is one of the most fundamental freedoms we as Americans are able to enjoy. Many people in countless countries around the world still do not enjoy the same freedom, nor did many Americans in centuries past (and even some still today). It is our duty to employ the power given to us by the U.S. Constitution to ensure our voice is heard, and to hold our representatives accountable to our collective principles for the future of this nation.

On Tuesday, all of us will be casting a ballot for the next President of the United States. More importantly, we will be casting ballots for “down-ballot” races, which, in my opinion, are more impactful than the one to determine who will live at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave for the next four years.

We will be casting ballots for all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and 35 in the U.S. Senate. These choices will not only determine which party is in control of each chamber, but they will determine the policy direction and priorities for the 117^th Congress. These men and women will have a significant impact on the future of CTE funding and the likely reauthorization of many critical pieces of legislation, including the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), National Apprenticeship Act (NAA), Higher Education Act (HEA), among others.

Additionally, some states have Governors races, state legislatures races, local school board races, and state and local referendums all of which will impact you and your families daily lives. State and local elections decide whether a school gets built, or how much funding specific programs receive. It's the vote that shapes your direct community's short and long-term goals, and it’s one that you can have a direct impact in.

ACTE is a nonpartisan organization that does not support or oppose any candidate for public office.

Why Voting is Important to Me

This election cycle has been more chaotic than I've ever seen--often eliciting negativity, fear, and even exhaustion. However, having the ability to influence, albeit in a small way, the direction this country is moving toward is why I will always choose to have my opinions heard through voting. 

To me, this election is more than simply voting for a president. I believe the biggest impact that I can have as a citizen is voting on my local and state elected officials, and the amendments, resolutions and initiatives on the ballot that will most directly affect my life. My vote will allow me to have a say in what policies I think should be prioritized on the community, state and federal level. 

During my undergraduate experience, I volunteered for a local campaign by going door to door talking with people about the candidate. I also volunteered on my campus during the 2016 presidential election to make sure people were signed up to vote. Through my conversations during these two experiences, I found that all the people I talked with, no matter their beliefs, had valuable opinions that needed to be heard so that they could shape the policies they wanted to see in their communities and country. You, as a CTE expert, have knowledge and experience in CTE that no one else does, and your vote will have an impact. Please know who and what is on your ballot and vote because it matters.

ACTE is a nonpartisan organization that does not support or oppose any candidate for public office.

Why Voting is Important to Me

I vote to honor those who came before me, and fought so valiantly for their franchise, and to help make a better life for those will come after me.

The presidential election grabs the most headlines, but the decisions that predominantly impact my children’s education options and shape the workforce they will enter are made by state and local officials and decided by bond issues and ballot referendums. While education has been a minor topic on the national stage this election, your ballot may feature school board member candidates and questions about using funds to construct new education facilities. How voters weigh in on these issues will shape local education curriculum and delivery and impact learner opportunities for the next several years.

You, as CTE educators and advocates, have important expertise on your local education and workforce systems to help you decide where you stand on these critical issues. Whether you cast your vote on Election Day, through early in-person voting or with a mail ballot, please vote—and remember to pay as much attention to down-ballot candidates and issues as you do to the top of the ticket.

ACTE is a nonpartisan organization that does not support or oppose any candidate for public office.

Tonight 9PM: Final Presidential Debate

The final presidential debate between President Trump and former vice president Joe Biden will take place tonight at 9 p.m. ET at Belmont University in Nashville. The debate is scheduled to be 90 minutes long with no commercial breaks and is going to be moderated by Kristen Welker (NBC). Like the previously held debate, it will be split into six 15-minute segments. The six topics are the fight against COVID-19, American families, race in America, climate change, national security and leadership.

For more information about the debate or its format, please visit the Commission on Presidential Debates. To watch the debate on TV or stream online, please visit C-SPAN for live coverage.

Note: ACTE is a nonpartisan organization that does not—and will not—support or oppose any candidate for public office.

Why Voting is Important to Me

I first wrote the post below as part of our Election Watch series back in 2016, but all of the sentiments remain true today! In fact, the importance of voting and down-ballot races has never been more evident to me than in the last six months. The decisions impacting education during the COVID-19 pandemic have largely been made by local policymakers. I’ve never sent as many emails to my local school board as I have in the last few months! Every election gives you the opportunity to impact who sits in those critical seats for the next few years, so make your voice heard by voting!

Living in a swing state during this election cycle, the average number of political calls I’m receiving every day has climbed to about a half dozen. They include public opinion polls, recorded celebrities urging me to vote for their preferred candidate, requests for donations and more. I’ve gotten much better at screening them, but will be relieved when the deluge ends! Like many others around the country, I’ve grown weary of the drawn out election cycle, the increased partisanship, and the negative tenor of this campaign season—which seems worse in many ways than any I’ve ever experienced. These feelings make it easy to forget about the important implications of this, and every election, and of the privilege we have in this country to help shape our collective future through voting.

Years ago as a high school student, I had the opportunity to help our local supervisor of elections in the office on election night. I helped track the delivery of ballot boxes from around the precincts, and as each set of ballots was counted, I had the task of tallying the results on a large white board in a conference room designated for those running for local office and their supporters. Thirteen votes, twenty-two votes, seven votes from a precinct—in a local race in a rural county, every individual vote was critical.

During a national election where constant polling results and the sheer magnitude of votes being cast can be overwhelming, I think it is vital to remember the impact of these local and state races and ballot initiatives. These “down-ballot” races can often have a more direct impact on local education and workforce policy than anything that happens in Washington!

I recently heard that one of the candidates for school board in my old home town visited every single family in her district during her campaign—forging a personal relationship and educating herself about constituent concerns. Whether she wins or loses, that’s the image that sticks in my mind this election when I think about engagement in the political process and the importance of voting. Educate yourself about all of the important issues and candidates on the ballot this election season, not just those getting the most national attention, and don’t pass up your opportunity to vote!

ACTE is a nonpartisan organization that does not support or oppose any candidate for public office.

Why Voting is Important to Me

With only two weeks to go before Election Day 2020, now is a great time to reflect on the reasons why voting is important to you. Maybe you view voting as a civic duty—a part of being actively engaged in your community. Maybe it’s the issues that will drive you to the polls, education being among the critical national issues that will be impacted by the results of this election. And maybe you vote because you want to ensure the best possible future for the next generation by supporting CTE at the ballot box. No matter the reason, it is important to make your voice heard by participating on Election Day or through an early voting option.

Let us know why voting matters to you, and check out the CTE Policy Watch blog in the coming days to read some of the reasons why voting is important to us. 

ACTE is a nonpartisan organization that does not support or oppose any candidate for public office.

Election 2020: Offices and State Ballot Measures

On Tuesday, November 3, voters all across the country will head to the polls for Election Day. Aside from deciding who will be the next President of the United States, voters will be facing many other choices at the ballot box. All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are up for reelection, as well as 35 U.S. Senate seats. The states with Senate races include: AK, AL, AR, CO, DE, GA, IA, ID, IL, KS, KY, LA, MA, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WV, and WY. To fill vacancies, Georgia will have both Senate seats on the ballot. Additionally, there will be gubernatorial races in 11 states, while most states will hold elections for their state legislatures, and many will also have local elections. These down ballot races, and the control of state legislatures, are important this year since redistricting will take place after the 2020 Census and this will set the electoral geography for the next decade.

In addition to voting for individual candidates, many states will have various ballot measures for voters to consider. The list of ballot measures outlined below, along with their summaries, are largely drawn from a list maintained by the National Conference of State Legislatures. They are not meant to be exhaustive, and only discuss relevant education-related issues.

• Arizona: Increases the tax on incomes exceeding $250,000 for teacher salaries and schools
• California: Repeals Proposition 209 (1996), which prohibited the state from considering race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, education, or contracting
• California: Provides for increased and stable revenues for schools, cities, counties, and local agencies by requiring that all commercial and industrial real properties are assessed at their full market value
• Colorado: Increases taxes on tobacco, creates a new tax on nicotine products such as e-cigarettes; dedicates funds to education and health programs
• Nevada: Removes the Constitutional status of the Board of Regents
• New Mexico: Issues $156.3 million in bonds for public higher education institutions, special public schools, and tribal schools
• North Dakota: Increases the number of individuals who serve on the state board of higher education from eight to fifteen, increases the term of board membership from four years to six years, requires the board to meet at least annually with the heads of each institution under the board's control, and prohibits state legislators, elected state officials, and full-time state employees from serving on the board
• Washington: Repeals Senate Bill 5395 (2020), which requires public schools to provide comprehensive sexual health education for all students and requires students to be excused if requested by their parents

The 2020 elections are important and could flip control of one or both chambers of Congress and the White House. State and local elections are also critical, as governors, state legislatures and municipalities have the primary responsibility for education and are often tasked with implementing federal legislation. State and local officeholders set education funding levels and pass significant education- and workforce-related legislation. Lastly, as demonstrated above, state ballot measures can have significant impacts on education and CTE programs.

ACTE will continue to monitor the 2020 elections as part of our coverage on the CTE Policy Watch Blog. For more nonpartisan information on elections in your state and how to register to vote, visit Nonprofit VOTE.

Note: ACTE is a nonpartisan organization that does not—and will not—support or oppose any candidate for public office.

Tonight 9PM: Vice Presidential Debate

The first and only vice presidential debate between current Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris will take place tonight at 9 p.m. ET at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. The debate is scheduled to be 90 minutes long with no commercial breaks and is going to be moderated by USA Today’s Washington Bureau Chief, Susan Page. The debate will be divided into nine 10-minute sections. Each candidate will have two minutes to respond to the opening question in each segment. The nine topics have not been announced, but it likely that the current pandemic will be front and center tonight.

For more information about the debate or its format, please visit the Commission on Presidential Debates. To watch the debate on TV or stream online, please visit C-SPAN for live coverage.

Note: ACTE is a nonpartisan organization that does not—and will not—support or oppose any candidate for public office.

Election Watch 2020 – Getting to know the Presidential Candidates

In less than four weeks, American’s will be heading to the polls to choose between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden to be the next President of the United States. In order to ensure that our members have the resources they need to make an informed decision on November 3^rd, we have compiled a list of non-partisan websites that detail their various policy positions. Also included are links to their respective campaign websites (Biden, Trump), in case you want to research each candidate’s policy platform further.

• Education Week – Education in the 2020 Presidential Election
• Ballotpedia – Presidential Candidates on the Issues
• Campus Election Engagement Project – 2020 Presidential Election Guide

Additionally, we are in the middle of an unprecedented health epidemic that will ultimately impact how we vote on election day. As a reminder, here are the CDC recommendations on protecting yourself and your family and also Vote.org’s state by state guide on voting and COVID-19.

Note: ACTE is a nonpartisan organization that does not—and will not—support or oppose any candidate for public office.