On January 27, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona toured programs and spoke with Information Technology, Broadcast Production and 3D Design students at Francis Tuttle Technology Center in Oklahoma City, OK. The Secretary spoke in a roundtable session with the students about the ways in which Francis Tuttle is preparing students for successful careers through CTE. 

”I came here because I heard this program is great, and it’s providing real-world learning opportunities for employment,” said Secretary Cardona after visiting Francis Tuttle’s programs and learning about the projects that they are currently working on.

”This is an example of what we want to see across the country,” said Cardona. “If we can, what I call ’blur the lines’ between our high school systems, our college systems and our industry, I think our students are going to have better opportunities throughout the country.”

The Secretary also noted his desire to expand CTE in comprehensive high schools nationwide. “Students need to have real-world experiences in the industries that are prevalent in their communities.”

On January 24, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona announced a new Education Department initiative called “Raise the Bar: Lead the World” in a what was called a “major address” at the Department’s headquarters.

The new initiative outlines the Secretary’s priorities and direction of the agency for the coming year in three major areas: achieving academic excellence, improving learning conditions and creating pathways for global engagements. The Department emphasized that these were not new priorities, but rather “a call to strengthen our will to transform education for the better, building on approaches that we know work in education.”

CTE was featured prominently in the section of the speech focused on global competitiveness and college and career pathways, and we’ve included the text of that portion of the speech below for reference. It is a positive sign to hear the Secretary speaking specifically about CTE as a key education and economic solution, and over the coming weeks, we will be working closely with the Department on ways to strengthen their work. Stay tuned for more information about this new initiative!

Excerpt from Secretary’s speech:

Currently, our Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 system and college systems are disconnected. 

For too many students, the gaps between the systems are too big to cross. 

For example, the skills for the high paying jobs that will be made available through the CHIPS and Science Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the climate provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act must be better infused into our K-12 education system, especially STEM and Career Technical Education courses, so our students graduate with options for success.

This means that dual enrollment courses for local colleges should start at 11th grade and that ambitious high schoolers can graduate with an associate’s degree or credential without paying a penny.

Already, we’ve secured over a billion dollars in funding for career and technical education through the Perkins Grant program and $25 million for career-connected high schools.  Now is the time to build on that.

To help get there, in November, we launched a new pathways initiative called Raise the Bar: Unlocking Career Success – together with the First Lady and the Secretaries of Labor and Commerce.  As we roll out this initiative, it will include very specific plans on how our high schools should be evolved to meet the career and college pathways of today and tomorrow.  Look out for our plan:  Better yet, put it to good use. 

It also means that Career Pathways in high schools can lead to micro credentials for the jobs of today and tomorrow.  We have the students for the careers needed to build America. We just have to better align our systems and clear the path for our students.

We must challenge our myopic view that emphasizing the importance of career pathways is about limiting students, or the view that it’s four-year-college or bust. 

Advancing career pathways in high schools is about more options for students, not less. What it does is prepare them for the careers of today with options, and in some cases, their employer will pay for their future education.

If we do this well, our graduates will be able to compete on a global stage. 

It’s my intention to Raise the Bar so we can lead the world in advanced career and technical education. 

Every two years, a new crop of federal policymakers enter Congress for the beginning of the next congressional session. ACTE has developed this resource to help you effectively develop relationships with new Members of Congress and urge them to support policies that will help advance high-quality CTE for all learners. The start of the 118th Congress presents the perfect opportunity to inform them about CTE and encourage their support! 

CTE advocates are in an excellent position to provide these new members with information about their programs and how these programs affect their communities. If you can develop a working relationship with the new Member and his or her staff, they will look to you more often and ask for your input as issues come forward.

Don’t forget to maintain relationships with your returning policymakers! Even lawmakers who have been in office before may shift their focuses and priorities, so reiterate your willingness to serve as a resource for them.

If you have questions about advocacy in the 118th Congress, please contact Jori Houck, Media Relations and Advocacy Associate, at jhouck@acteonline.org or Government Relations Manager, Zach Curtis (zcurtis@acteonline.org). 

Visit the advocacy guide here!

As the 118th Congress gets underway, ACTE has created a list of some of the freshmen members in the House of Representatives with established connections to education or education policy, based on publicly available information. Several of these new Members of Congress have discussed CTE-related issues and priorities in their campaigns. Here is a preview of their public statements and/or plans for education as they begin their service.

• Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-6) – Rep. Ciscomani is a first–generation college graduate, and is a supporter of school choice. Previously, he was an advisor to former Arizona governor Doug Ducey.

• Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA-42) – Rep. Garcia is a supporter of tuition-free community college. He has previously served as a professor of public policy and communications at California State University, Long Beach, and as mayor of Long Beach, CA. 

• Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37) – Rep. Kamlager-Dove previously served in the California State Senate, California State Assembly and as a trustee for the Los Angeles Community College District. 

• Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-CO-7) – Rep. Pettersen previously served as a member of the Colorado State Senate and Colorado House of Representatives, representing the 28th district. As a state senator, she chaired the House Education Committee. She plans to work to invest in community colleges to reduce costs for students.

• Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-CO-8) – Rep. Caraveo is a first–generation college graduate and pediatrician. She previously represented the 31st district in the Colorado House of Representatives.

• Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL-15) – Rep. Lee served as Florida Secretary of State and as a judge in the Florida Thirteenth Circuit Court. Her mother was a public school teacher. 

• Rep. Jared Evan Moskowitz (D-FL-23) – Rep. Moskowitz is a school safety and mental health advocate. He has previously served in the Florida House of Representatives and has a background in emergency management. He supports expanding school funding, increasing teacher pay and improving school safety. 

• Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-HI-2) – Rep. Tokuda previously served as a member of the Hawaii Senate, where she chaired the Education Committee. She supports universal access to free public education from early childhood through college, and funding for workforce training. She was co-director of CyberHawaii, which supports workforce development in IT, cyber security and data science.

• Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-IL-1) – Rep. Jackson is a former business professor at Chicago State University. He supports workforce training through community and technical colleges.

• Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13) – Rep. Budzinksi previously served as chief of staff at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). She plans to work to expand CTE opportunities and skills training. 

• Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA-15) – Rep. Nunn previously served in the Iowa Senate, Iowa House of Representatives and as a member of the Iowa Air National Guard. His father was a teacher. 

• Rep. Morgan McGarvey (D-KY-3) – Rep. McGarvey formerly represented Kentucky’s 19th Senate District. He is a supporter of universal pre-K and tuition-free community college. 

• Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD-4) – Rep. Ivey has worked on Capitol Hill, primarily serving as a counsel in the Senate. He supports increased federal funding for education. He previously served as the state’s attorney for Prince George’s County, Maryland. 

• Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI–3) – Rep. Scholten was formerly an attorney for the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. Her campaign materials note that she will advocate for teacher compensation, early childhood education, college affordability and apprenticeship and skilled trades programs. 

• Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI-13) – Rep. Thanedar previously served as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives. He is a researcher and entrepreneur. He writes ”The skilled workforce is the backbone of our societal infrastructure and should be treated with such respect.  Apprenticeships are often funded, paid, provide hands-on training and experience, don’t result in debt, and provide an actual pathway to employment. That’s why I also support free skills training and vocational schools.” 

• Rep. Marie Glusenkamp Perez (D-WA-3) – Rep. Glusenkamp Perez is the owner of a small auto repair business. She campaigned on investing and expanding apprenticeship and skills training programs at high schools, community colleges and vocational schools.

• Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT-1) – Rep. Zinke is returning to serve in Congress as Montana’s First Congressional District representative after serving as Interior Secretary under former President Trump and representing Montana‘s formerly at-large Congressional District. He is a supporter of school choice. He notes on his campaign website from the Montana State Senate “We expanded options for rural education and skilled trades, knowing that not every kid learns the same way or excels in the same subjects.”   

• Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX-30) – Rep. Crockett previously represented the 100th District in the Texas House of Representatives. Her father is a teacher. 

• Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT-AL) – Rep. Balint last served as a member and majority leader of the Vermont Senate. She is also a former middle school teacher. 

• Rep. Gabriel Vasquez (D-NM-2) – Rep. Vasquez previously served as a member of the Las Cruces, NM, City Council. In addition, he worked for Washington, DC–based First Focus as an advocate for children and families.  

• Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC-4) – Rep. Foushee is a former school board member. She is also a supporter of universal free pre-K and cancelling student debt. 

• Rep. Val Hoyle (D-OR-14) – Rep. Hoyle is a first-generation college graduate. She is a supporter of paid apprenticeship programs, cancelling student loan debt and tuition-free community college. She notes in her campaign platform that “As Labor Commissioner, [she] has championed paid apprenticeship programs that provide hands-on workforce training throughout Oregon and expanded apprenticeship opportunities beyond the building and construction trades in partnership with labor unions, employers and community colleges.” 

This week in Washington was a quiet one for CTE-related items. While the House was in recess, lawmakers were focused on announcing their first few committee hearings, determining further committee assignments, and holding conversations about the debt limit and potential environmental and tax legislation. The Senate is also out of session, returning Monday, January 23. We expect its focus to be on assigning senators to committees and announcing the first few hearings of the 118th Congress when it returns. As Washington kicks into high gear during the next few weeks and months, it will be a busy time for CTE advocates, so stay tuned for more news and resources to come! Here are your key updates this week:

• House Determines Committee Balances, Names Appropriations Subcommittee Chairs for the 118th Congress: On January 16, House Republican Steering Committee leaders named their picks to join several top House committees, informally known as “A-list” committees. A list of Members joining the A-list committees can be found here. House Appropriations subcommittee chairs, known as the “cardinals,” were also named. Read more here.

• Department of Education Awards Grants to Support Postsecondary Students: Secretary Cardona has announced 38 grant awards totaling over $30 million to colleges and universities from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), which aims to improve higher education opportunities and outcomes for students from underrepresented communities. The grants will support postsecondary institutions, including many community and technical colleges, in advancing innovative and evidence-based strategies to better support their students, address students’ basic needs, launch open textbook programs, improve campus resources for veterans and create opportunities for violence-impacted youth. Read more about the awards here.

• Department of Education Awards Grants to High-Need Communities: The Department of Education has announced awards totaling more than $35 million for the Promise Neighborhoods and Project Prevent grant programs. Promise Neighborhoods grants provide coordinated support services and programs to students from low-income backgrounds at every stage of their education from early childhood through their careers. For fiscal year 2022, four new grants totaling $23 million will focus on the implementation of services in neighborhoods that have not yet received support through the program. Read more about the grants here.

• Department of Education Releases Candidates for 2023 Presidential Scholars: The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program honors some of the nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors, including those chosen as candidates for Presidential Scholar in CTE. View the complete list here.

On January 16, House Republican Steering Committee leaders named their picks to join several top House committees, informally known as “A-list” committees. These include the House Appropriations, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services and Ways and Means Committees. The ratios of Democratic to Republican members for each committee were agreed upon by Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).

A list of Members joining the A-list committees can be found here.

House Appropriations subcommittee chairs, known as the “cardinals,” were also named.

Most notable for CTE stakeholders, Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL) was named as the chair of the Labor-Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, which has appropriations jurisdiction over education and workforce development programs through the Departments of Education and Labor. Rep. Aderholt replaces Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) as the lead Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee Republican. You can view a full list of appropriations cardinals here.

The first full week of the 118th Congress has wrapped up. With Members of Congress now sworn in, focus is shifting to organizing committees and beginning work on legislation. In particular, there is already a lot of conversation over fiscal year 2024 funding levels and the debt ceiling. The Senate remains out of session until January 23, and the House will return to Washington on Monday, January 16.

ACTE will soon publish a resource on engaging in advocacy with freshmen Members of Congress. As the 118th Congress is getting underway, it is an important time for CTE advocates to begin getting to know these new members and think about developing relationships with them!

• Updated: Investing in CTE Yields Big Returns: ACTE has updated its fact sheet about the economic benefits that CTE programs have for learners and communities across the country. The Investing in CTE map shows just a sampling of CTE’s financial impacts across different states and localities. View the graphic here.

• House Republicans Advance Rules, Committee Chairs: After Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was finally elected Speaker of the House early last Saturday morning, the new Republican majority in the House turned to other organizing activities necessary for the 118th Congress. Read more here.

• House Education and Workforce Committee Republicans Begin Oversight: New House Education and the Workforce Committee Chair Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) has begun several promised oversight activities. Read her letter to Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona here.

• New Proposed Income-Driven Student Loan Repayment Plan: The Department of Education has released a proposal to reform the existing income-driven student loan repayment plan. The plan would amend the terms of the Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE) plan to offer $0 monthly payments for any individual borrower who makes less than roughly $30,600 annually and any borrower in a family of four who makes less than about $62,400. The regulations would also cut in half monthly payments on undergraduate loans for borrowers who do not otherwise have a $0 payment in this plan. The proposed regulations would also ensure that borrowers stop seeing their balances grow due to the accumulation of unpaid interest after making their monthly payments.

• Statement from Senate Appropriations Leaders on Appropriations Bills: Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME), the Senate Appropriations Committee’s new Chair and Ranking Member, issued a joint statement on their bipartisan commitment to funding the government and passing the Senate’s appropriations bills through regular order. Read the full statement here.

• Department of Labor Awards Grants to Support Justice-Involved Young People: The Department of Labor has announced the award of $33 million in Growth Opportunities grants to programs in 11 states. Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, the second round of grants will enable 13 organizations to help justice-involved young people develop leadership skills, offer mentorship and provide education, training and paid work experiences.