ACTE & Advance CTE Deeply Concerned About Interagency Agreement that Threatens the Integrity of Career and Technical Education
Alexandria, VA – Our organizations are deeply concerned about the Interagency Agreement (IAA) between the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Labor, which was recently disclosed as part of the Status Report submitted to the U.S. District Court documenting steps taken by the Administration to comply with the Court’s preliminary injunctions related to operations of the Department of Education. While the IAA was signed on May 21, it was not made public until the status report was filed on June 10, and was developed without any engagement with the field.
The IAA would transfer administration of Career and Technical Education (CTE) funding through the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act from the Department of Education to the Department of Labor. While this agreement is paused temporarily due to the injunctions, if implementation moves forward, this agreement would have far-reaching negative impacts on CTE programs and learners across the country. As written, the IAA directly circumvents existing statutory requirements related to the administration of Perkins. Rather than creating innovation and process improvements within CTE, this action would instead create confusion and produce new administrative inefficiencies as outlined in the IAA.
The Perkins Act and the CTE programs it supports are not merely job training programs; these programs are comprehensive educational and career preparation programs that prepare secondary and postsecondary learners for lifelong success by connecting academic and technical learning with the real world skills that learners need to thrive.
Perkins V has historically and explicitly recognized this educational foundation through its statutory placement within the U.S. Department of Education and its underlying purpose, requirements for academic integration, student support services, career exploration, focus on secondary and postsecondary connections, and alignment with educational standards in core academic areas. In addition, CTE and Perkins V focus on different target populations of learners than those predominately served by Department of Labor programs. Overseeing these very different programs requires very different types of expertise and system approaches to meet the needs of these unique populations. As constructed, the IAA would diminish the ability of federal investments to meet learner needs under both existing Department of Labor programs and Perkins.
We strongly oppose any efforts to move CTE administration away from the U.S. Department of Education given the disruption this would cause to the legislation’s implementation and services to students in schools across the country. Ultimately, such a move would reduce long-term opportunities for learners and the overall effectiveness of CTE programs, and add, rather than reduce, administrative burden on states and local CTE stakeholders.
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The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is the nation’s largest not-for-profit association committed to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for successful careers. ACTE represents the community of CTE professionals, including educators, administrators, researchers, school counselors, guidance and career development professionals and others at all levels of education. ACTE is committed to excellence in providing advocacy, public awareness and access to resources, professional development and leadership opportunities.
Advance CTE is the longest-standing national non-profit that represents State Directors and state leaders responsible for secondary, postsecondary and adult Career Technical Education (CTE) across all 50 states and U.S. territories. Established in 1920, Advance CTE supports state CTE leadership to advance high-quality and equitable CTE policies, programs and pathways that ensure career and college success without limits for each learner.
