Brought to you by

Members

State of the State Addresses: CTE a Priority for Governors in IN, RI, WY

February 15th, 2013

“The time has come to make career, technical and vocational education a priority in every high school in Indiana.” – Indiana Governor Mike Pence

Since the start of the new year, governors in each state have delivered state of the state addresses to provide an update on state priorities for the upcoming year. Unsurprisingly, many governors plan to prioritize education issues. But many governors, such as Indiana Governor Mike Pence, have also specifically identified Career Technical Education (CTE) as a critical area of focus for their states.

Indiana – Governor Mike Pence

“Career and technical education can provide our students with a pathway to success. It can launch entrepreneurs, give kids a reason to finish high school, and create a well-qualified workforce that will encourage business to build here and grow here. We have to give our kids, our future, every opportunity for success. That means quality schools, choices about their education and multiple pathways to success.”

Governor Pence wants to expand CTE in Indiana, and encourages greater collaboration between agencies to do so. In his state of the state address, Pence proposes creation of Regional Works Councils to help bridge the barriers between education and businesses. The Councils would assist with the creation of “regional, demand-driven curricula to bring high-paying career options to more Hoosiers in high school.”

Watch Governor Pence’s full address.

Rhode Island – Governor Lincoln Chafee

“Rhode Islanders looking for work need to be ready not only for today’s economy, but for the economy of tomorrow. And Rhode Island employers looking to hire or expand need to have confidence that there will be qualified candidates to fill available positions.”

Governor Chafee recognizes the need to connect secondary education with postsecondary education and the workforce. As part of his commitment to preparing students to the fullest extent, he has allocated in this year’s budget over $14 million to support repairs at Rhode Island’s CTE facilities.

Chafee also proposed no tuition increases for students at the Community College of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College, and the University of Rhode Island, as well as a $6 million increase for higher education. He also proposes $3 million in new state support for workforce development initiatives.

Watch Governor Chafee’s full address.

Wyoming – Governor Matthew Mead

“We recognize in Wyoming the importance of higher education whether it is a four-year or two-year degree. And we also recognize the value of career and technical education.”

Governor Mead lists CTE as one of his priorities for education in Wyoming, along with issues such as high school graduation rates, charter schools, and minimizing the potential for school violence.

“I would like to recognize those with technical training who roll up their sleeves every day to do the hard work. We too often take their contribution for granted. Our plumbers, welders, technicians, custodians, carpenters, heavy equipment operators – these are the people who do not always get the credit they deserve in building our state.”

Read Governor Mead’s full address.

Governors Pence, Chafee, and Mead are just three of the many governors who plan to prioritize CTE-related issues over the next year. Next week, NASDCTEc will highlight governors’ addresses that focus on partnerships, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and other CTE-related issues.

Kara Herbertson, Research and Policy Manager
David Beckett, Advocacy Manager 

Posted in News, Public Policy | Comments Off

CTE Month: U.S. Department of Education and States Recognize CTE Month

February 6th, 2013

Career Technical Education (CTE) is working across the nation to enable students of all ages to excel in their schools and colleges, and secure high-demand jobs. This month, CTE students and professionals from across the country are celebrating CTE Month to raise public awareness of the value of CTE programs to individuals, communities, business and industry, and the nation’s economy.

U.S. Department of Education Celebrates CTE Month

The U.S. Department of Education is among those celebrating CTE Month through a schedule of activities that highlights outstanding CTE programs. The Department will also draw attention to the need to align all CTE programs to the needs of in-demand fields. Learn more

California State Superintendent Calls for Career Readiness Initiative

California State Superintendent Tom Torlakson has recognized February as CTE Month as he works to expand and promote CTE courses in California’s public schools. Through his Career Readiness Campaign, Torlakson has directed the California Department of Education to work toward 17 key objectives for supporting and strengthening CTE. Some of the objectives include:

  • Joining the CTE: Learning that Works for America campaign and adopting a CTE: Learning that Works for California logo.
  • Making efforts to educate stakeholders on the benefits of CTE
  • Developing strategies to increase CTE student enrollment
  • Supporting and expanding Career Technical Student Organizations
  • Promoting articulation agreements and concurrent enrollment opportunities
  • Increasing web presence to promote career readiness

California schools offer more than 42,000 CTE classes and serve more than 1 million students. Learn more

What is your state doing to promote CTE Month? Please share with us the impressive work that your state does to support CTE! E-mail kherbertson@careertech.org to share.

Kara Herbertson, Research and Policy Manager

Posted in News | Comments Off

CTE Month: National CTE Leaders Celebrate CTE Month

February 4th, 2013

The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc), and Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) and career and technical education (CTE) professionals across the country will celebrate CTE Month™ in February, raising the public’s awareness of the value of CTE programs for students, schools, communities, business and industry and the economic well-being of our nation. CTE encompasses 94 percent of high school students and 13 million postsecondary students in the United States.

During the month of February, CTE programs and CTSOs across the country host a variety of events showcasing their programs and students’ successes to their community, policymakers and business leaders. This year’s theme is “Career and Technical Education Works!” to emphasize that CTE works for students, business and industry and the economy. CTE programs can be found at the secondary and postsecondary levels and prepares students to be college-and career-ready by providing core academic skills, employability skills and technical, job-specific skills. High school students involved in CTE are more engaged, perform better and graduate at higher rates. The average high school graduation rate for students concentrating in CTE programs is 90.18 percent, compared to an average national freshman graduation rate of 74.9 percent.

As the American economy recovers, the role of CTE is critically important. The skilled trades are the hardest jobs to fill in the United States, with recent data citing 550,000 jobs open in the trade, transportation and utilities sector and 246,000 jobs open in manufacturing. Additionally, middle-skill jobs, or jobs that require education and training beyond high school but less than a bachelor degree, are a significant part of the economy. Of the 46.8 million job openings created by 2013, 30 percent will require some college or a two-year associate degree.

As part of the CTE Month activities, ACTE is hosting a Social Media Advocacy Week, February 11-15. CTE professionals and students from across the country will bring their stories and voices to social media platforms to illustrate the positive impacts of CTE programs.

ACTE provides free promotional resources for CTE professionals wishing to participate in CTE Month, including student-made PSA videos, promotional posters that can be downloaded, a calendar of nationwide activities during the month and more. For more information on CTE Month and the activities ACTE, NASDCTEc and the CTSOs are hosting, please visit www.ctemonth.com.

For more information about CTSO’s, NASDCTEc and ACTE, please visit:

Business Professionals of America: http://www.bpa.org
DECA Inc.: http://www.deca.org
Family, Career and Community Leaders of America: http://www.fcclainc.org
Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda: http://www.fbla-pbl.org
Future Educators Association: http://www.futureeducators.org/
Health Occupations Students of America: http://www.hosa.org
The National FFA: www.ffa.org
SkillsUSA: www.SkillsUSA.org
Technology Student Association: www.tsaweb.org
National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium: http://www.careertech.org
Association for Career and Technical Education: www.acteonline.org

Posted in Meetings and Events, NASDCTEc Announcements, News | Comments Off

CTE in the News: West Virginia Audit Recommends Education, Industry Collaboration through CTE

February 1st, 2013

West Virginia state legislators are determined to make great improvement in the state’s education system, and Career Technical Education (CTE) is part of the plan.

West Virginia House of Representatives Speaker Rick Thompson has appointed an 8-person panel to address recommendations from West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin’s Education Efficiency Audit. The group will gather information and research on strategies that can be used to reform the state’s school system. The information will be shared with the entire House of Delegates and used to make decisions on education for the state.

The Governor’s audit recognizes the collaboration between West Virginia’s Community and Technical College System and the state’s CTE centers to expand program and course collaborations. The audit also includes a recommendation to improve the state’s 30 CTE centers with the input of education and workforce leaders, and many workforce and education leaders are encouraging audit working group members to address this issue.

Kathy D’Antoni, Assistant State Superintendent of Schools and CTE State Director of West Virginia, said “If education does not work closely with the business industry, we’re never going to produce the type of students we need to help West Virginia.”  Others, including state Delegate Larry Williams and the West Virginia State Board of Education, agree that a greater focus on CTE, and connecting education to business and industry, will benefit the state and its students.

In addition to improving CTE centers, the Governor also recommends in his audit simplifying articulation agreements by standardizing policies on credits across the community college system. Overall, the audit finds a critical need for more collaboration and common goals among education and industry at the state level, and CTE will play a critical role in addressing this issue.

Read more about CTE and the Governor’s Education Audit here.

Kara Herbertson, Research and Policy Manager

Posted in News | Comments Off

January CTE Monthly: Upcoming CTE Events; Report on Credentials

January 25th, 2013

CTE Monthly, a collaborative publication from the Association for Career and Technical Education and the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium, features the latest news on Career Technical Education (CTE) from across the nation for CTE stakeholders and Members of Congress.

In the January edition, read more about:

  • Upcoming CTE events such as ACTE’s National Policy Seminar and NASDCTEc’s upcoming webinar on CTE governance and funding
  • Science, Technology, Engineering & Math Career Cluster™
  • Maine’s United Technologies Center

View archived CTE Monthly newsletters and other resources on our Advocacy Tools Web page.

Kara Herbertson, Research and Policy Manager

Posted in News | Comments Off

CTE in the News: Philadelphia Commission Approves Plan to Boost CTE Across District

January 18th, 2013

A Philadelphia School Reform Commission this week approved a five-year plan to improve Career Technical Education (CTE) throughout the School District of Philadelphia by increasing access for students, opening a new state-of the-art CTE school, providing a district-wide curriculum for CTE, among other tactics, according to a Philadelphia Public Schools publication.

The intent of the plan is to increase the number of students who take CTE courses from 6,000 to 12,000 by 2017, guide students on a path to graduating with an industry credential and create new certification area, the publication noted.  Further, 30 new CTE programs in areas such as veterinary and pharmacy certifications, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology and renewable energy would be added.  However, the report notes that no specifics have been made on how the plan would be funded.

The plan can be found here: http://thenotebook.org/sites/default/files/CTE%20_SRC.pdf.

Erin Uy, Communications & Marketing Manager

Tags: , , ,
Posted in News | Comments Off

CTE in the News: NY Education Commission Calls for Expansion of CTE

January 11th, 2013

The New NY Education Reform Commission recently released recommendations for an initial Action Plan to improve student achievement in the state. Among the nine preliminary recommendations included in the report was a proposal to expand Career Technical Education (CTE) in order to bridge the gap from high school to college.

“New York should leverage existing resources and public-private support to establish high tech Career  and Technical Education programs in every region.,” according to the report, which was written by the 25-member commission. New York business owners reported to the commission on the significant gap in workforce preparation in schools and on their own readiness to collaborate with the schools to better prepare and serve students.

“Expanded, high quality Career and Technical Education programs will improve graduation rates, better prepare students for successful careers, and strengthen the State’s economy by supplying New York businesses with the highly-skilled workers they need for current and future job opportunities by providing students with meaningful internships and apprenticeships to develop their professional skills and interests.”

The commission is expected to convene in the fall to expand on the recommendations.

Erin Uy, Communications and Marketing Manager

Tags: , ,
Posted in News | Comments Off

Legislative Update: FY 2014 Budget and State of the Union Address Delayed; Labor Secretary Solis Resigns

January 11th, 2013

Delays in FY 2014 Budget Release, State of the Union Address

President Barack Obama’s fiscal year 2014 budget, tentatively scheduled for release on February 4th, will most likely be delayed for several weeks. The President’ s State of the Union address, typically delivered in late January or early February, is also expected to be delayed.

UPDATE: The White House has announced that the State of the Union address will take place on Tuesday, February 12th.

Sequestration Update:

As reported earlier this month, Congress and the Administration approved a fiscal cliff deal, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which included delaying sequestration cuts for federal programs until March 1st.

This week, congressional Republicans grappled with how to address defense sequestration. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) indicated that the sequester is a strong leverage point for Republicans, and that there will be Republican support for allowing sequestration cuts to occur on March 1st if President Obama does not offer other reductions. However, other Republican members have openly disagreed with Speaker Boehner.

Congressional Democrats and the Administration maintain that they oppose the sequester, but they also will not agree to replace it without new revenues or offsetting cuts that would not disproportionately burden the middle class.

Labor Department Secretary Hilda Solis Resigns

U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis announced this week that she will be resigning from her post, opening another position for Obama to fill for his second term.

Kara Herbertson, Research and Policy Manager

Posted in Legislation, News, Public Policy | Comments Off

Oklahoma State Director Phil Berkenbile to Retire

January 10th, 2013

Dr. Phil Berkenbile, State Director of Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, will be retiring effective February 7, 2013. Dr. Berkenbile has served as a NASDCTEc officer in several capacities, including all executive positions leading up to President 2010-2011, and Regional VI Representative.

Berkenbile began his career in Oklahoma as an agricultural education instructor for Morrison Public Schools. He joined the Oklahoma Department of CareerTech in 1988 as the agricultural education northwest district supervisor and curriculum specialist. In 1994 he became the agricultural education assistant state supervisor. A year later Berkenbile left the agency to become the superintendent of schools in Morrison. He returned to the agency in 1999 as the associate state director of educational services. In April 2003, he was selected as chief of staff, and in May 2003 he began serving as interim state director, and was named State Director of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education in 2004, by its State Board.

Like every dedicated State Director, Berkenbile serves as Chairman of the Governor’s Taskforce on Healthcare, and is a Board member on the Governor’s Taskforce on Aerospace and Information Security, the Oklahoma Manufacturers Alliance Board, the State Insurance Advisory Council, and the State Workforce Development Board. He is President of the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education (NASDCTE), past-chair of the Oklahoma Education Technology Trust (OETT) Foundation, Board member of the Oklahoma Community Institute, member of the Oklahoma College Savings Taskforce, member of the Academy of State Goals, and a 2001-02 graduate of Leadership Oklahoma – Class XIV. He is a member of the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness Program and a 2001-02 graduate of Educators Leadership Academy. He serves on the CareerTech Administrative Council (CTAC) and is a member of the Oklahoma Association of Career and Technology Education (OkACTE).

According to a press release, Dr. Berkenbile has seen sweeping changes in education and the economic climate.

“Our mission at CareerTech is to prepare Oklahomans to succeed in the workplace, in education and in life,” said Berkenbile. “We are working with young people who are digital natives and adults who need to transition into new career fields. This has occurred at a time when several Oklahoma industries are demanding a highly skilled workforce.”

Several major initiatives have been implemented during his term as State Director. The system embraced the National Career Clusters™ initiative to help students create a strong pathway to careers. The system also created several Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics academies, including those for Pre-Engineering and Biomedical as well as offerings in biotechnology. Online opportunities for students and staff also have grown, resulting in a more efficient and technologically advanced system.

Dr. Berkenbile’s leadrship strength during his term of service as NASDCTE’s President for 2010-2011 was of particular significance as NASDCTEc adopted a progressive agenda to transform career technical education (CTE) into an education system that prepares all students to be college and career ready. The agenda and actions steps are driven by the vision outlined in Reflect, Transform, Lead: A New Vision for Career Technical Education, a document NASDCTEc adopted to chart a new course for CTE. During this moment in history, all the officer team members assumed their roles at a pivotal time as the nation’s leaders implemented a range of strategies to prepare students to compete in the global economy.

Dr. Berkenbile is currently serving on the NASDCTEc Board as Region VI Representative, serving Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

NASDCTEc Executive Director Kimberly Green shared that “Phil Berkenbile has demonstrated longstanding commitment to the advancement of Career Technical Education and the overall well being of our nation’s students. The way in which he exercised his genuine passion for education certainly has been an inspiration to all who he has worked with and touched throughout the years. The changes that have taken place through his leadership have made a significant imprint on CTE and the community.”

NASDCTEc President and New Jersey State Director Marie Barry had high praise for Berkenbile: “Phil has been dedicated to the mission of CTE for decades, having positively impacted the lives of so many individuals during his career. It has been an honor and privilege to work with him in his various leadership roles in this association over the past several years. During his service on the Board of Directors and as President, his commitment, tireless efforts to advocate for CTE, and support of his colleagues were ever-present. We wish him the best of health and happiness as he embarks on his new journey of retirement.”

We wish Phil the best of luck as he surely will make an impact with any of his future endeavors.

Ms. Sharon Schonthaler, Assistant to the State Director, shared that a reception will be hosted in Dr. Berkenbile’s honor on February 7, and if anyone wanted to send a note of best wishes, she will be accepting them now, at sscho@okcareertech.org.

Ramona Schescke, Member Services Manager

Posted in NASDCTEc State Director, News | Comments Off

Legislative Update: Congress Reaches Fiscal Cliff Deal But Threats Loom

January 2nd, 2013

After weeks of negotiations between the White House and congressional Republicans, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a Senate-passed bill that averts major tax hikes for the middle class and temporarily avoids across-the-board spending cuts. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (H.R.8) passed in the House last night by a vote of 257 to 167. The bill will prevent income tax hikes for 99 percent of Americans and will delay sequestration cuts for federal programs until March 1st. The legislation will now go to President Barack Obama to be signed.

Despite the imminent passage of the bill, the 113th Congress will immediately face many divisive issues when they convene for the first time on Thursday.  In February, the nation is once again expected to hit its debt ceiling, which coincides with expiration of FY 2013 funding. Also, the two-month delay of sequestration approved in this bill means that Congress will need to take action by the March 1st deadline to avoid deep cuts to federal agencies and programs.

The American Taxpayer Relief Act:

  • Tax cuts are maintained for individuals earning less than $400,000 per year and couples earning less than $450,000. Income tax rates will rise from the current 35 percent to 39.6 percent for those making more.
  • Unemployment insurance will be extended for a year for 2 million long-term unemployed Americans.
  • Bill extends for five years the American Opportunity Credit to help families pay for college expenses.
  • The bill delays sequestration for two months (see below for more information), and reduces the amount of overall cuts by $24 billion over nine years.
    • The bill reduces the total amount of the sequester over 9 years by $24 billion, bringing down the total from $1.2 trillion to $1.176 trillion. If the sequester takes place in fiscal year 2013, the total cuts would be $85.33 billion rather than the original $109 billion.

What does this mean for Career Technical Education (CTE)?

Since the passage of the American Taxpayer Relief Act will delay – not remove – the threat of sequestration, Perkins funding and other education funding are still threatened by considerable cuts. Sequestration cuts would be applied across-the-board and impact nearly every domestic program. The cuts will be less than the 8.2 percent originally projected by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget. However, the cuts would come with only seven months of spending left in the fiscal year rather than nine months; thus, the proportionate impact would still be considerable.

Since education programs are funded in advance and dollars have not yet been spent, the final percent for cuts would be taken from funding for the entire year rather than from a 7-month period as described above. CTE programs receive federal funding in July and October so, should sequestration occur, the impact on CTE programs would not be felt until the 2013-2014 school year.

Kara Herbertson, Research and Policy Manager

Posted in Legislation, News, Public Policy | Comments Off

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

 

Series

Archives

© 2011 National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium. All rights reserved.
8484 Georgia Ave., Suite 320, Silver Spring, MD 20910