This week in Washington, only the Senate was in session, and lawmakers focused primarily on hosting hearings and responding to national security concerns. Both chambers of Congress will be on recess next week before returning on February 27. CTE Month is continuing to draw awareness to our efforts to ensure high-quality CTE is an option for all learners, and ACTE’s Public Policy team is also focusing on upcoming responses to President Biden’s budget request for fiscal year 2024, preparing for the 2023 National Policy Seminar (NPS) and Congressional CTE Caucus activities, such as putting together membership recruitment drives and congressional staff briefings. We will keep you updated on how you can get involved as these efforts progress. Check out our newest headlines to share:

• CTE Expansion A Bipartisan Issue for Governors: As of early February 2023, the Education Commission of the States has reported that at least 19 governors have mentioned CTE in their State of the State addresses. Additionally, 14 governors have addressed the importance of aligning postsecondary education with workforce development. Read more from our analysis of state CTE priorities here.

• CTE Teacher Pay Highlighted in Senate Teacher Pay Town Hall: On Monday evening, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), new Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) hosted an event in coordination with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA) to discuss the state of teacher pay in America. They called for boosting teacher pay at a critical time as schools contend with teacher shortages. Read the blog recapping the event and find the link to the full town hall here.

• Senate HELP Committee Holds Hearing on Health Care Workforce Shortages: On Thursday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a hearing on strategies to address health care workforce challenges, including workforce development solutions and experiences in workforce pipeline efforts among medical professionals. You can watch a recording of the full hearing here.

• Secretary of Labor Walsh Leaving Position: On Thursday, Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh announced to staff that he would be leaving his position as Secretary within the next month. At this time, a replacement has not been named. ACTE will keep you updated on the next nominee to serve as Secretary of Labor.

• Department of Education Announces First Hawkins Centers of Excellence Grant to Support Teachers of Color Pipeline: The Department of Education has announced its first-ever awards, totaling over $18 million, for the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Program grants to increase high-quality teacher preparation programs for teachers of color, strengthen the diversity of the teacher pipeline and address teacher shortages. Read more about the grants here.

• Department of Labor Awards Grants to Improve Equitable Access to Training: The Department of Labor has announced the award of $50 million in grants to help 15 community colleges in 14 states expand access to education and training for good-paying jobs and equitably meet employers’ and workers’ skill development needs. Read more about the grants here.

• First Lady Jill Biden Gives Remarks at Mesa Community College: On February 13, First Lady Jill Biden visited Mesa (AZ) Community College to observe their Mesa College Promise program and promote the Department of Education’s Career-Connected Learning initiative. The First Lady was joined by Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. You can read the full speech here.

• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Rosters Announced: We finally have full subcommittee lists for the Senate Appropriations Committee, including the roster for the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee. You can access the new roster here.

• Department of Labor Plans Webinar on Grant Opportunities: On February 28^th at 10:00 am, the Department of Labor will host a webinar on grant programs and funding opportunities available from the Department throughout the year. Register here.

As of early February 2023, the Education Commission of the States has reported that at least 19 governors have mentioned CTE in their State of the State addresses. Additionally, 14 governors have addressed the importance of aligning postsecondary education with workforce development.

The following list contains information about CTE proposals across different states, including states helmed by Republicans and those led by Democrats:

• Tennessee’s Gov. Bill Lee let the people of the state know of his intention to complete the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCAT) Master Plan, which would construct six new colleges, renovate 16 existing ones and replace seven facilities. He also proposed a $1 billion investment in technical colleges, promoted the expansion of CTE opportunities in K-12 schools, and highlighted a 90% job attainment rate by TCAT graduates.
• Missouri celebrated the creation of 20,000 new apprenticeships three years ahead of schedule, as announced by Gov. Mike Parson, who also highlighted Missouri’s ranking as third in the country for apprenticeship opportunities and described a $3 million investment to continue growing the program in fields such as IT, public health and safety, education and others. The governor also proposed investing an additional $500,000 in Jobs for America’s Graduates to help high school students further their education or step into the workforce and $4 million for Certified Nursing Assistant training.
• Gov. Greg Gianforte of Montana highlighted the 2021 creation of the Montana Trades Education Credit, which has helped build a highly skilled workforce in the state; celebrated the addition of 1,000 apprenticeships in 2022 through the Registered Apprenticeship Program; and expressed continuing support of work-based learning opportunities for high school students. Additionally, Gianforte proposed growing the state’s health care workforce through legislation that aims to join the APRN Compact promoting multistate licensing for advanced practice registered nurses and to improve professional and occupational licensing.
• Gov. Joe Lombardo of Nevada touted career and technical academies and CTE programs as venues for increasing the pipeline of qualified teachers.
• Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer asked for continued funding for apprenticeships and proposed lowering the age of the Michigan Reconnect community college scholarship program from 25 to 21, while noting that 113,000 residents of the state had already been accepted into the Reconnect program. She also reiterated the state’s goal of 60 by 30, which means 60% of residents earning a degree or certificate by 2030.
• Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado noted the state’s intention to increase career-connected learning access for high school students. He also celebrated the creation of Care Forward Colorado to provide free education at community and technical colleges for students interested in health care careers and proposed expanding Care Forward Colorado to include preparation for other in-demand fields like construction, firefighting, law enforcement and early childhood education.
• South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster proposed investing a further $78 million in lottery funds for the expansion of Workforce Scholarships for the Future through the state’s technical college system and touted its success in helping 10,000 students obtain industry credentials.
• Kentucky’s Gov. Andy Beshear highlighted a $245 million investment throughout the past two budgets that went to renovating and rebuilding CTE centers in high schools across the state.

In summary, the outlook for CTE looks bright across the country, with this issue being one of the biggest bipartisan areas of agreement. According to a study conducted by Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow Andy Smarick and reported on in The 74, in the 36 gubernatorial races of 2022, there were six education issues of consensus between Democrats and Republicans. Out of these six issues, expanding CTE was tied as number one with 30 candidates or 42% declaring their support.

For more information on the state-by-state outlook of CTE across the country, check out the recently published 2022 State Policies Impacting CTE: Year In Review report.

On Monday evening, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), new Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) hosted an event in coordination with American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA) to discuss the state of teacher pay in America, and call for boosting teacher pay at a critical time as schools contend with teacher shortages.

The event opened with a video message from several educators across the country, including a spotlight on the particular shortage of CTE educators. ACTE was well-represented at the event – Administration Division VP Eric Ripley submitted a video to the committee discussing these challenges.

A panel discussion was also held with teachers and paraprofessionals from across the country. Allison Sylvester, a middle school teacher from Vermont, shared her reasons for remaining in the classroom, which included the opportunity to observe her students learning and growing in both their academic coursework and in their personal goals.

Tracy Tucker of New York added that the example her teachers set when she was growing up inspired her to join the teaching profession. Jacob Fertig, an art teacher from West Virginia, described the statewide challenges that he has seen and experienced as a teacher, including the role that educators serve as a sort of “first responder” for children in crisis.

Arthur Anderson, a paraprofessional from Virginia, described the $31,000 salary ceiling that he has encountered in his position despite decades of tenure. He frequently picks up extra duties at his school, such as custodial work and driving the bus. Currently, he is in school to receive his teaching degree, fulfilling a lifelong dream of his.

Each of the teachers in attendance called attention to the chronically low pay that educators nationwide must manage in order to remain in the profession. Sen. Sanders noted that he soon plans to introduce legislation to increase teacher pay.

You can video that played at the beginning of the even that featured ACTE Administration Division VP Eric Ripley here. A recording of the entire event can be found here.

Members of Congress were focused on holding some of their first hearings of the 118^th Congress this week, attending the State of the Union speech and responding to national security concerns. In CTE-related news, the CTE Month resolutions have been introduced and we are collecting a strong roster of cosponsors! While the Senate resolution has closed for new cosponsors, House members can still be added as cosponsors. If you haven’t already, please contact your House representative and ask them to cosponsor the resolution! In the meantime, here are some key headlines:

• Congressional Education Committees Outline Priorities: On February 8, the newly renamed House Education and the Workforce Committee held a hearing focused on U.S. education reform, and on February 9, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held its organizing meeting. Given early committee activity often strikes the tone for the remainder of the year, the committees’ focus on issues related to CTE is promising. Read more about the hearings here.

• State CTE Policies Year-in-Review Report Released: ACTE and Advance CTE have released the 10th annual report, State Policies Impacting CTE: 2022 Year in Review. In 2022, 36 states enacted 123 CTE-related policy actions across five categories: industry partnerships and work-based learning, funding, access and equity, data, reporting and/or accountability and industry-recognized credentials. You can read the full report here and read our blog post announcing its publication here.

• State of the Union Highlights CTE Interests: Tuesday’s State of the Union address by President Biden highlighted several initiatives relevant to CTE, including the necessity of recruiting and retaining workers to fill many of the jobs created by legislation such as the CHIPS and Science Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the importance of increasing teacher salaries. Read more about CTE in the State of the Union here.

• Department of Labor Announces Partnership to Train Students for Auto Technician Careers: The Department of Labor has announced a partnership with Mercedes-Benz USA and Job Corps to train cohorts of students at centers in Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Utah for automotive industry careers. Read more about the announcement here.

• Secretary Cardona Visits Omaha Career Academies: On February 8, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visited Omaha Public Schools’ Bryan High School to tour its Urban Agriculture, Design & Construction and Transportation & Logistics academies. News coverage from the visit can be found here.

• Senate Subcommittee Assignments Yet to be Finalized: We are still awaiting the formal announcement of Senate Appropriations Committee subcommittee leaders and members in order to have complete rosters for CTE-relevant committees and subcommittees. A formal announcement is expected soon, according to reports from CQ Roll Call.

• Meet Vilmer Alvarado, ACTE’s Newest Public Policy Team Member: Vilmer Alvarado has joined ACTE’s Public Policy team as the newest Research and Policy Associate. Learn more about Vilmer here.

On February 8, the newly renamed House Education and the Workforce Committee held a hearing focused on U.S. education reform.  Dr. Monty Sullivan of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, a key witness in the hearing, provided testimony focused on the need for more opportunity in postsecondary CTE, including the expansion of the Pell Grant to cover short-term workforce credentialing programs and the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).  

Two other witnesses, Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Scott Pulsipher of Western Governors University, also emphasized the importance of better alignment between workforce and higher education, the expansion of apprenticeship opportunities, and ensuring career readiness in in college. The witnesses fielded several questions from Members of both parties regarding their experiences related to workforce development, adult education, work-based learning, the growing skills gap and low teacher pay.  

On February 9, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee also held a hearing outlining its priorities for the 118th Congress. Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) outlined his key focuses, which included boosting low teacher pay, increased funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), apprenticeship programs for skilled trades, and navigating the impact of artificial intelligence on the workforce. Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA) called attention to the need for reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and WIOA and the high cost of childcare and postsecondary education.   

Given early committee activity often strikes the tone for the remainder of the year, the committees’ focus on issues related to CTE is promising.

Today, ACTE and Advance CTE released their tenth annual report, State Policies Impacting CTE: 2022 Year in Review. In 2022, 36 states enacted 123 CTE-related policy actions across five categories:

• Industry partnerships and work-based learning
• Funding
• Access and equity
• Data, reporting and/or accountability
• Industry-recognized credentials

The Year in Review publication highlights major trends in CTE and career readiness policies, including legislative, budget and executive actions. The report does not describe every policy enacted within each state but instead focuses on policy trends across the nation. Readers looking for specific state policies can visit the companion online state policy tracker and filter by state; system level; and/or analysis tags such as funding, industry-recognized credentials or work-based learning.

2022 caps a decade of reviews by Advance CTE and ACTE of key state policy trends impacting CTE and career readiness. During this time, at least 1,470 policies connected to CTE have been enacted across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Since 2019, access and equity has consistently replaced dual/concurrent enrollment, articulation and early college as one of the top five policy categories, representing an increased focus among states on how CTE-related policies can more equitably serve learners.

Register for an accompanying webinar on Thursday, February 16, at 3pm ET.

My name is Vilmer Alvarado, and I recently joined the ACTE Public Policy Department as the newest Research and Policy Associate. In this role, my core responsibility is to support and advance the Association’s policy, advocacy and professional development goals by collecting and using research, data and best practices to help inform members, the media, policymakers and the public about CTE. In this initial blog post, I would like to introduce myself and explain why I decided to join ACTE. Education has always been an important value for me. When I was a kid, I dreamed of going to college, but I was aware of the notoriously expensive costs of higher education in America. So, I worked hard, got good grades and did everything in my reach to try to make my dream happen. One day, I was walking home from a long day at school and upon reaching my house, I was excitedly greeted by my mother who was holding an envelope. She let me know that I was accepted into a full-ride scholarship program for college. I went on to attend the University of Kansas where I majored in Political Science, Public Administration and Strategic Communications.

Being accepted into that scholarship program changed my life forever but I remained aware of the postsecondary education affordability problem in the United States, especially for students of underprivileged communities of color like the one where I came from. I witnessed many students decide not to pursue any form of postsecondary education due to financial barriers, which disappointed me and made me passionate about creating change.

However, I also witnessed many of my peers go on to successfully pursue their dream careers, despite the difficulties faced by our community, after being inspired by the CTE programs offered by our school district. I personally value CTE because it helped me in my career journey as well. When I was a junior in high school, I had an interest in potentially pursuing a health career. After completing a CNA program, however, I realized that working in health care was not for me but I am grateful for that experience and the opportunity for career exploration.

I strongly believe in fair and equitable access to postsecondary education and career opportunities. At ACTE I hope to help the Association’s members in advocating for CTE and education policy in general at the local, state and federal levels so that more and more students can find their paths in life without money being an impediment.

Before ACTE I interned at numerous nonprofit organizations and member associations doing policy and advocacy work. I also have experience in journalism and communications, having worked for C-SPAN and in the media agency landscape.

Outside of work, I like playing and watching Soccer and video games, going out with friends and exploring new restaurants. I also enjoy reading and listening to the occasional podcast. Additionally, I am an amateur barista, as I have my own espresso machine at home, but sometimes you can find me enjoying a nice cup of coffee at a local coffee shop here in Kansas City, which is where I am from and from where I will be working remotely for the Association.

I look forward to working with ACTE’s public policy team to advance CTE research and policy efforts on behalf of our members. Please do not hesitate to reach out at valvarado@acteonline.org and I would be happy to serve as a resource or answer any questions.