FIC advocates for Perkins: stresses importance of career and tech ed 

During their annual advocacy trip to Washington, D.C., members of CSBA’s Federal Issues Council thanked key Congressional leaders for supporting reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act, and told federal education officials why school leaders oppose the president’s proposal to eliminate Perkins.

FIC delegates met with representatives of Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., and U.S. Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio — who authored bills to reauthorize Perkins in their respective houses; and with Hans Meeder and Richard LaPointe, Deputy Assistant Secretaries in the Department of Education’s Office of Vocational and Adult Education.

In all three meetings, FIC Delegates stressed the importance of career and technical education and the urgent need to fix the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 so it works for students and schools. President Bush has recommended getting rid of Perkins and giving states the money to expand NCLB to high schools. But CSBA President Dr. Kerry Clegg told federal officials students will suffer if Congress supports the president’s proposal to get rid of Perkins.

Clegg and other FIC delegates told federal officials that local vocational education programs that rely on federal Perkins funds are working.

“We are concerned that the increased testing and accountability could squelch good career and technical education programs,” he told Meeder and other federal workforce education officials. “We have a strong buy-in from our local trade unions and contractors for apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship partnership with high schools and community colleges.”

Meeder and LaPointe conceded that the president’s proposal to eliminate Perkins does not have congressional support and said they expect Congress to reauthorize the landmark career and technical education bill.

(The Senate approved the Enzi bill to reauthorize Perkins earlier this session, and Boehner’s companion bill in the House of Representatives passed out of committee on a unanimous vote. The House will consider the bill later this session.)

FIC members told congressional representatives and federal officials that NCLB needs to be fixed before it is expanded into high schools. It’s important, they said, that both Congress and the Department of Education understand why California needs the flexibility to integrate NCLB accountability measures and achievement goals into the state’s own system of proficiency standards.

Meeder assured the FIC that federal officials recognize that California has high academic goals and is working hard to prepare students for both college and work. “A lot of what we are pushing for is already in place in California,” he said. He told them to expect more flexibility under the education department’s new leadership.

“This is a very exciting phase we are in,” he said. “Secretary Spellings really believes in accountability and learning.”

Meeder said the education department has developed partnerships with the Department of Labor to improve career and technical education programs. For example, students can check out a new government Web site (www.careervoyages.gov) that lists the 12 fastest growing segments of the economy and points them toward the jobs of the future.