FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4, 2020

Media Contact: Jarrod Nagurka
jnagurka@acteonline.org; 703-683-9312

ACTE Names Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Anthony Gonzalez as 2019 Policymakers of the Year

Reps. Krishnamoorthi and Gonzalez

Alexandria, VA – The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is pleased to announce that it has named Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) as its 2019 Policymakers of the Year. Both Reps. Krishnamoorthi and Gonzalez have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to advancing career and technical education (CTE) in Congress.

Rep. Krishnamoorthi was the lead Democratic sponsor of House legislation to reauthorize the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act in the 115th Congress. This Congress, he is the lead Democratic sponsor of H.R. 1766, the College Transparency Act, which would help students be more informed decision-makers in choosing their postsecondary paths. Rep. Gonzalez is serving his first term in Congress and has quickly emerged as a CTE champion. He is the lead Republican sponsor of H.R. 3497, the JOBS Act, which would expand Pell Grant eligibility to short-term job training programs.

“We are so thrilled to honor these tremendous CTE advocates,” said LeAnn Wilson, ACTE Executive Director. “Representatives Krishnamoorthi and Gonzalez understand the value that CTE brings to students and economies all across the country, and their continued efforts make the CTE ecosystem stronger. On behalf of tens of thousands of CTE professions nationwide, ACTE extends its deep appreciation to these leaders in Congress for all they have done to advance education that prepares students for both educational and career success.”

“I’m honored to receive this award from ACTE and am forever grateful for their tremendous support and leadership in urging the passage of our bipartisan CTE reauthorization,” said Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi. “One thing is certain: skills-based education isn’t just a ladder to higher achievement, it’s a launching pad to a middle class life, a stronger economy, and a nation achieving even more of its potential. Looking ahead and with ACTE’s help, I am eager to pass additional bipartisan reforms, such as the College Transparency Act, to ensure all Americans have access to a quality education and a good-paying job.”

“Career and technical education is critical to connecting students with good paying jobs and fulfilling careers that are currently available in communities like mine in Northeast Ohio,” said Congressman Anthony Gonzalez. “I am honored to be recognized by the Association for Career and Technical Education, and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in Congress to move legislation like the JOBS Act forward.”

Reps. Krishnamoorthi and Gonzalez will be honored in conjunction with ACTE’s National Policy Seminar, an event where hundreds of CTE professionals gather in Washington to have their voices heard and meet with policymakers. The awards will be presented on Tuesday, March 31 at 9:30AM in Senate Hart 902. Please contact Jarrod Nagurka at jnagurka@acteonline.org if you would like to attend.

###

About ACTE
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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 10, 2020

Contact: Jarrod Nagurka
703-683-9312, jnagurka@acteonline.org

ACTE Statement on President’s FY 2021 Budget Request

Alexandria, VA —The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) released the following statements in light of President Trump’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 budget, which included, among other things, nearly $900 million in additional funding directed to career and technical education (CTE). This is composed of a roughly $680 million increase for Perkins Basic State Grants, $83 million increase for Perkins National Programs (with a focus on competitive grants for innovation and modernization of programs), and over $100 million in additional funds that could be generated for Perkins through changes to the H-1B visa program. However, overall, the budget request includes decreases of 7.8% and 10.5% to the Departments of Education and Labor over FY 2020.

“We are excited that CTE is receiving the long-overdue recognition it deserves for its role in growing America’s 21st century economy,” said LeAnn Wilson, ACTE’s Executive Director. “This significant increase will provide much-needed resources to strengthen high-quality CTE programs in every corner of the country, and is a substantial step forward in the national double the investment campaign for CTE. As the skills gap widens and careers require more technical skills now than ever, it is crucial that today’s learners have access to programs that will prepare them for the workforce. This strong investment in CTE programs at high schools and community and technical colleges will do just that.”

Wilson continued, “At the same time, the nation’s education and workforce system functions best when its varied programs and resources are leveraged together. We are concerned to see significant cuts overall to the Departments of Education and Labor in the President’s budget proposal. Substantially cutting or eliminating other programs outside of Perkins impacts schools’ and postsecondary institutions’ abilities to deliver high-quality CTE to students. For instance, programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and Higher Education Act all help support CTE programs, teachers and students through activities such as student financial aid, teacher professional development, and both academic and employability-related supports. We strongly encourage Congress to reject these harmful proposals, while embracing the historic investment that the President has rightly made in Perkins.”

ACTE President Nancy Trivette stated, “This recorded-breaking proposal to invest in CTE is strongly grounded in data, public support and common sense. For far too long high-quality CTE programs have been forced to do more with less. This budget reverses the trend of underinvestment in CTE, recognizes the benefit of these programs to the American economy, and would allow even more students to gain the skills they need to be successful in careers of the 21st century. However, it is also important to note the vital role that other federal education and workforce-related programs play in supporting students’ skill development, and to stress that while this budget would smartly scale investments in CTE, it shouldn’t detract from important progress made in other areas.”

###

About ACTE
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.

Press contacts:
Katie Fitzgerald, Advance CTE
kfitzgerald@careertech.org

Jarrod Nagurka, ACTE
jnagurka@acteonline.org

Mandy Zatynski, Education Commission of the States
mzatynski@ecs.org 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2020

ACTE, Advance CTE and Education Commission of the States Release Seventh Annual Report Examining State CTE Policies

Alexandria, VA – States made career and technical education (CTE) a priority in 2019 with at least 45 states and Palau enacting at least 208 policy actions related to CTE and career readiness, an increase of four states and more than 60 policies compared to 2018. Today, Advance CTE, the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), and a new partner in this annual report, Education Commission of the States, released their seventh annual report, State Policies Impacting CTE: 2019 Year in Review.

This report highlights major trends in CTE and career readiness policymaking, as well as provides a short summary of each policy enacted. Funding, industry partnerships/work-based learning and industry-recognized credentials took the top three policy categories this year, followed by policies addressing governance and access and equity.

“The roughly 200 CTE-related policies enacted in nearly every state highlight just how important CTE is to learners and the 21st century economy,” said LeAnn Wilson, ACTE’s Executive Director. “From priorities like funding, credentialing, work-based learning, access and equity, and more, this year’s report shines the light on ways in which states are acting to grow and strengthen CTE programs. As every state confronts the skills gap in a myriad of industries, high-quality CTE programs are more important now than ever.”

“State leaders enacted a great number and array of  innovative and impactful policies this year, incentivizing work-based learning and credential attainment, expanding funding for CTE and providing scholarships to learners to gain access to a certificate or degree, as just a few examples,” said Kimberly Green, Executive Director of Advance CTE. “We are encouraged by the leadership of states to ensure each learner has access to a high-quality CTE program of study in their community.”

Education Commission of the States tracks hundreds of legislative bills each year through its State Education Policy Tracking resource, which helped inform the context and direction of this annual report. “Workforce development — encompassing CTE and other critical connections between education and the workforce — is top of mind for state leaders,” said Education Commission of the States President Jeremy Anderson. “We have seen it in bill tracking, among governors’ stated priorities, and in requests for information or assistance that we receive from the states.”

###

About Advance CTE
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 visionary state leadership, cultivates best practices and speaks with a collective voice to advance high-quality CTE policies, programs and pathways that ensure career success for each learner.

About ACTE
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.

About Education Commission of the States
We believe in the power of learning from experience. Every day, we provide state education leaders with trusted information and opportunities for collaboration. We do this because we know that informed policymakers create better education policy. Learn more at ecs.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 9, 2019 

Media Contact: Jarrod Nagurka
jnagurka@acteonline.org; 703-683-9312

Rhode Island Association for Career and Technical Education Unifies, Affiliates with National ACTE

Alexandria, VA – The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is pleased to announce that the Rhode Island Association for Career and Technical Education (RI ACTE) has decided to formally affiliate and unify with the national association. Spearheaded by Lynne Bedard and Joshua Klemp, the state-based association is now officially affiliated and unified with the national body. The move will benefit career and technical education (CTE) professionals and students throughout the state.

As a result of the unification, RI ACTE members will now enjoy concurrent membership in their state and national professional membership associations. Through this new relationship, RI ACTE has secured access for its members to ACTE’s robust professional development resources, federal public policy advocacy and leadership opportunities. RI ACTE will now benefit as an organization from a variety of association management services, including online membership processing and use of new electronic communications tools. The partnership will strengthen ACTE’s ability to connect with CTE stakeholders in Rhode Island, and give RI ACTE members a louder voice in national policy discussions.

“ACTE’s Board of Directors and I are excited to expand our partnership with RI ACTE and the CTE professionals in the state,” said ACTE Executive Director LeAnn Wilson. “By working closely with RI ACTE, we’ll be able to better grow, expand and advocate for high-quality CTE in both Rhode Island and the nation.”

“RI ACTE is thrilled to have successfully completed the process to become recognized as a unified state association,” said Lynne Bedard, treasurer of RI ACTE. “This is an exciting time for CTE and we look forward to collaborating with such a prominent and supportive organization!”

“RI ACTE is excited for the opportunity to expand our professional partnership with ACTE,” said RI ACTE president Gerald Auth. “We value the resources provided to the members and look forward to expanding our membership. There is nothing better than high quality career and technical education for students in high school. Providing our members with the appropriate resources to prepare the next generation is essential for our Rhode Island students.”

###

About ACTE
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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 6, 2019

Media Contact: Jarrod Nagurka
jnagurka@acteonline.org; 703-683-9312

ACTE Announces Participants in Third LEAD Program Class

Alexandria, VA – The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) has announced the selection of six CTE professionals from across the country to participate in the third-ever class of ACTE’s Leadership Exploration and Development (LEAD) program. The program is for new CTE professionals with 2-5 years of experience. Participants will meet twice throughout the one-year program for workshops, leadership training, and more.

The third class of ACTE LEAD participants is composed of:

• David Ofori—Region I—Collegeville, PA
• Jessica Howard—Region III—Lone Tree, IA
• Rachel Snider—Region IV—Enid, OK
• Douglas Hansen—Region V—Sahuarita, AZ
• Sahvanna Mease—Region V—Colorado Springs, CO
• Dianne Smethers—Region V—Overland Park, KS

Dr. Joy Morgan, an instructor at NC State University, will serve as the Leadership Consultant for the program, providing expert leadership development training for the participants. The purpose of the program is to develop leadership skills in ACTE’s up-and-coming leaders so they can continue to thrive as educators and leaders in their professional contexts as well as within ACTE. Participants are required to complete the full day pre-conference sessions, one prior to VISION 2019 and a second prior to NPS 2020.  Applicants were required to complete an application detailing their leadership experience as well as their hopes for leadership growth in the future.

For more on ACTE LEAD, visit the webpage.

###

About ACTE
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.