Last week, action in Congress was relatively limited after President Biden signed a Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 appropriations package early last week. With FY 2022 appropriations now complete, Congress now turns its focus to the FY 2023 appropriations process. The first step is the release of the president’s budget, which is now expected to arrive on Monday, March 28. ACTE will continue to work with its partners on Capitol Hill and within the Biden Administration to advocate for more robust federal investments in CTE, so stay tuned for more updates over the coming weeks! Only the Senate will be in session next week, as House members are back in their districts for a district work period. Our focus at ACTE will be on the National Policy Seminar! As we await more congressional action, here are a few notes:
- ACTE Publishes New “CTE Works!” Fact Sheet: ACTE published a new “CTE Works!” fact sheet that provides an evidence-based overview of CTE’s impact on student achievement, education and employment outcomes, and the skills gap and economy. We encourage CTE supporters to share this fact sheet with students and families; federal, state and local education and workforce leaders; policymakers; and the media to convey the value of CTE. It can be used along with our “What is CTE?” infographic that introduces people new to CTE to its scope and benefits. A Spanish-language translation of this new fact sheet will be coming soon!
- President Biden Signs Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations Bill: On March 15, President Biden signed the omnibus bill to fund the government for the remainder of fiscal year (FY) 2022, providing over $1.5 trillion across the entire federal government. Overall investments in education were lower than what the President had originally proposed, but the Perkins Basic State Grant was given a much needed $45 million increase! While this represents a steady increase in CTE funding since 2017, ACTE will advocate for larger investments in the FY 2023 budget. Read more about FY 2022 appropriations here.
- President Nominates Nasser Paydar as Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education: On March 18, President Biden announced his intent to nominate Dr. Nasser Paydar, Chancellor Emeritus of Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and Executive Vice President Emeritus of Indiana University (IU) as the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education in the U.S. Department of Education. You can read more about Dr. Paydar's qualifications here.
- Northern Virginia Community College Visit: If you are attending NPS or located in the northern Virginia area, you can participate in a school tour of Northern Virginia Community College on Wednesday afternoon, March 23rd, from 1:30pm – 3:30pm. Be sure to check out ACTE's NPS website for the latest information on the school visit and the RSVP!
