Gaining Coverage of CTE Programs with the Local Media

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ACTE is currently conducting a media campaign to encourage Congressional members to increase funding for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins). Sending messages to Congressional leaders through mass media is an important part of a grassroots campaign. As a CTE educator, CTE student, parent, CTE alum, businesses or a concerned community member, you have an opportunity to educate your Member of Congress about the importance of CTE through your local media.

Here are some ways you can accomplish this:

Write letters to the editor to your local and regional newspapers describing the impact if Perkins is cut or eliminated.
Write opinion editorials (op-eds) for the newspaper about the importance of CTE including research, information on your local CTE program and the positive effects of this program on your community.
Contact your local education reporter or news editor about the importance of Perkins funding for your state. Include information on the impact it will have on students, your program and/or the state if Perkins is cut or eliminated.
Organize a small group of CTE members to meet with the editor or education reporter of your local newspaper to discuss your CTE program.
Encourage local opinion leaders or business leaders to write columns for the editorial page for the local/regional paper.

To help you in this process, ACTE has developed sample op-eds and letters to the editor for students and teachers. Please do not use the exact letter or op-ed because the newspapers will know it is a form letter and will not publish it.

What is an Opinion Editorial?

Op-eds are written to address issues of concern to your community and can be an effective tool to educate them on a major, newsworthy issue. When writing op-eds, you may want to send a one or two paragraph explanation that outlines your proposed op-ed to a handful of editors and follow-up with a phone call or e-mail.

Here are general steps to follow when writing an op-ed:

Review the publications in the region to identify opportunities and determine which ones accept op-eds and formats that are acceptable. Do these publications cover education issues? Do they like it in a pro/con format?
Decide on a current issue topic. For example, you can write about state budget cuts in education and its impact on CTE.
Approach the editors by sending a draft proposal of the op-ed. For smaller newspapers, you can write the op-ed and send it to the paper.
Research the publication to determine the newspaper guidelines in submitting an op-ed, including length and specific required format.
Submit a draft of the op-ed with a short paragraph at the end telling the editor exactly who you are and why you are qualified to write an op-ed. Include full name, title, address, e-mail and phone number for the editors to contact you.
Follow-up with the newspaper after a couple of days to ensure they received your op-ed and ask when it may be published. If the op-ed is not published, then ask the editor why it wasn’t printed. Members can try reworking the op-ed with a different angle and start this process again.

What is a Letter to the Editor?

Letters to the Editor are an excellent tool to express your views on the value of CTE to policymakers and to educate people in the community. You can also write a letter to the editor to correct inaccurate facts, promote your issue or praise/condemn a recent article.

When writing letters to the editor, remember these guidelines:

Research your regional and local media on guidelines for submitting letters to the editor.
Write persuasively and reference research that supports your argument.
After submitting the letter, it may take a couple of days to a week for the letter to run depending on space.
If your letter isn’t published, they may be more inclined to print a couple of them if several people submit letters raising the same issue. However, remember that newspapers often avoid printing letters that are generated by a campaign. Write your letter from your own experience and perspective!

The Appropriations Process

During the month of May, Congress begins the annual appropriations process. Spring and early summer offer the best time you will have to influence the debate related to securing an increase in funding for Perkins. By contacting the media and your Congressional office, you can have a strong voice in helping to increase the investment in career and technical education (CTE).

Beginning on May 15th, the House and the Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittees will begin allocating funds for numerous programs, including Perkins. The Appropriations Subcommittee cycle will continue until the middle of June when the proposed allocations are expected to move to the full Appropriations Committee for finalization of spending bills. After the Appropriations Committee work, the bills are scheduled to be sent to the House and/or Senate Chamber floors in the middle of July. Although these timelines are subject to change, they serve as a guide when targeting media and Members of Congress regarding Perkins funding.

For more information on the appropriations process, please contact Jamie Baxter.

Media’s Influence

Promoting the importance of CTE through the media will send a message to your Member of Congress about the impact CTE has on your community. It can influence your Member of Congress to vote for an increase in funding for Perkins and invest in CTE programs. Your action also educates other readers of your local and regional newspapers about the importance of CTE. Persistence is the key!

Media coverage in Newspapers

As you gain coverage of your CTE program through stories, op-eds and letters to the editor, please send a copy of the story to your member of Congress and Sabrina Kidwai. If you have any questions, please contact Sabrina Kidwai at 703-683-9312 or by e-mail at skidwai@acteonline.org.