With President Barack Obama winning his second term for president this week, the education community will be watching to see if key legislation moves forward. Over the last four years, a divided Congress has not made much progress on education policy. Committees from both the House and Senate have approved bills to renew the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, but it is unclear whether both sides will agree on the terms of the act.
The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 is due for reauthorization next year along with laws for higher education, special education, and workforce development. With President Obama in the White House for another four years, the President and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will likely continue with the Administration’s major education initiatives. Educated citizens. Skilled workers. Competitive businesses. Thriving industries. The administration is looking at these as the ingredients for an economy that is built to last.
The four core principles introduced eariler this year in the Department’s CTE Blueprint may influence Perkins reauthorization. Those four core principles—alignment, collaboration, accountability, and innovation—are the foundation for the Administration’s proposed reforms to strengthen the nation’s career and technical education system.
Collectively, they would usher in a new era of rigorous, relevant, and results-driven CTE programs that are equitable and accessible to all students regardless of their backgrounds or circumstances. These high-quality CTE programs would give students the skills they need to be successful and businesses the skilled workforce they need to thrive.
Students in these CTE programs would be motivated to learn because they are challenged by the rigor and engaged by the relevance. They would be prepared to complete their studies with industry certifications or licensures and postsecondary certificates or degrees that employers use to make hiring and promotion decisions.
They would start careers that lead to increased employment and earning prospects over time, positioning them to become the country’s next leaders and entrepreneurs.
At the same time, employers and industry would have a strong voice in developing the very programs they need to fill positions within their companies. They would have access to a highly-skilled pool of workers ready to make immediate contributions.