Transcript ADVOCACY

POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT
• Tight budgets – $450 billion deficit
• Divided Congress
• Legislation still requires bi-partisan support
• Focus will be on November elections
POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT
• Education focus will be on No Child Left
Behind implementation
• Accountability is key!
• Congressional Priorities
- Economy
- Defense
- Homeland Security
EDUCATION
APPROPRIATIONS
FY 04 APPROPRIATIONS
• President’s budget proposed eliminating all
funding for programs in current Perkins
Act, and replacing with $1 billion
“Secondary and Technical Education
Excellence Act”
• Proposed 25% cut in funding from FY 03
Perkins levels
FY 04 APPROPRIATIONS
• House and Senate passed versions of the Labor, Health and
Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill in the
summer and fall
• Due to time constraints, this bill was combined with six
others into an omnibus appropriations bill
• The omnibus bill proposed slight increase in Perkins
funding, but provided only small increases for education
overall and included controversial cuts and policy riders
• The House passed the omnibus December 8, and the Senate
passed on January 22
FY 04 APPROPRIATIONS
PERKINS
PROGRAM
STATE
GRANTS
TECH PREP
NATIONAL
PROGRAMS
SECTION 118
TECH PREP
DEMO
TOTAL
President’s
Request
Final
FY ‘04
$1,000,000,000 $1,195,008,000
Change from
FY ‘03
+$2,807,000
$0
$106,665,000
-$633,000
$0
$11,852,000
-$70,000
$0
$9,382,000
-$56,000
$0
$4,939,000
-$29,000
$1,000,000,000 $1,335,031,000
+$2,250,000
FY 05 BUDGET PROPOSAL
• President’s FY 05 budget proposal was released
February 2rd and included a 25% cut in funding
for career and technical education
• Eliminated all funding for programs in current
Perkins Act, replaced with $1 billion “Secondary
and Technical Education Excellence Act”
• Wisconsin would loose approximately $5,479,954
FY 05 BUDGET PROPOSAL
• Included funds for new “Jobs for the 21st Century”
initiative.
• Included some language related to the
reauthorization of the Perkins Act – did not reflect
positive tones that have been coming from OVAE.
• OVAE is expected to release more details of its
Perkins reauthorization proposal soon, and has
issued assurances that more moderate ideas will
form the basis of the proposal.
LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
2004
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Workforce Investment Act
Welfare
IDEA
Head Start
Higher Education Act
Child Nutrition
Perkins
PERKINS
REAUTHORIZATION
REAUTHORIZATION
TIMING
• Final ACTE Recommendations –
January 2004
• New Outline of OVAE Proposal –
Unclear ??
• Congressional Proposals –
Spring 2004 ??
ADMINISTRATION’S
PERKINS PROPOSAL
• Original proposal posed major threat to career
and technical education
• CTE community helped force changes
• Administration appears to be rethinking some of
its original proposal:
– Concentrating on pathways to postsecondary education
through partnerships, providing students with a
common academic core, and developing state approved
programs of study.
ACTE RECOMMENDATIONS
• Purposes: Increase focus on technical skills
and meeting the needs of business and the
economy
• Definitions: Update perceptions of CTE
• Funding: Protect and increase funding;
prepare for the future of the program
• Tech Prep: Refocus on innovation, transition,
partnerships
ACTE RECOMMENDATIONS
• Accountability: Protect technical skill
attainment focus; allow for differences in postsecondary and secondary goals
• State Administration & Leadership:
Strengthen support for state level leadership
• Local Activities: Identify pathways; require
education-business advisory groups
ACTE RECOMMENDATIONS
Areas to Strengthen:
• Career Information and Career Counseling
– Include in Act’s purposes
– Require mandatory support from states
• Teacher Quality, Recruitment and Retention
– State and local plans
– Definition of teacher quality
– Demonstration grant
• CTSOs
– Include in Act’s purposes
– Require mandatory support from states
WORKFORCE INVESTMENT
ACT
• House and Senate have passed bills. Must work out
differences in conference.
• Several concerns:
• Allows governors to take money from partner
program administrative funds – postsecondary
portion only
• Eliminates required Youth Councils
• Reduces focus on in-school youth
• Eliminates requirement for partner program
representation on local boards
WELFARE REFORM
• Process was started last year but not completed.
• The House passed their bill in February, it includes
tougher work requirements and limits full-time
education and training to 4 months.
• The Senate Finance Committee approved a welfare bill
in early September. Its bill includes smaller increases in
work requirements and maintains 12 months as the time
allowed for full-time education and training.
• Education time could be extended as the bill goes to the
floor of the Senate.
WELFARE REFORM
ACTE PRIORITIES…
• Extending time allowed for educational
and training activities from 12 months
(current law) to 24 months
• Including education and training
included as “Direct Work Activities”
I.D.E.A.
• ACTE’s priorities include transition, funding,
discipline technical assistance, and reduction of
paperwork.
• House passed H.R. 1350 April 30, bill has
received mixed reviews.
• Positives: Steps to reduce paperwork, NO
VOUCHERS
• Concerns: No mandatory funding, discipline
provisions, very partisan approach
I.D.E.A.
• Senate introduced its IDEA bill June 12, and the
bill was passed by the HELP Committee.
• Senate bill is bi-partisan and includes a much
stronger focus on ACTE’s top priority –
transition.
• Senate bill must now be debated and voted on
by the entire Senate—could happen later this
fall or in the spring.
HIGHER EDUCATION ACT
• House has begun the process of reauthorizing
Higher Ed
• Plan to use several separate bills instead of
reauthorizing all at once
• Several bills, including ones related to teacher
training—have been passed by the House, but no
action has been taken in the Senate
• ACTE is working to ensure that CTE teacher
training programs have access to improvement
funds
WHAT YOU CAN
DO….
WHY IS ADVOCACY
IMPORTANT?
• Puts your program in the spotlight
• Lets policymakers know what is happening in the
“real world” of education
• Creates more opportunities for students
• The future of career and technical education
depends on you!
WHO SHOULD YOU TARGET?
Education programs like career and
technical education are governed by
the federal government, state
government and by your local school
district—so all three levels are
important!
WHO SHOULD YOU TARGET?
Federal Level:
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Congressional representatives
U.S. Secretary of Education
Office of Vocational and Adult Education
President Bush
WHO SHOULD YOU TARGET?
House Education and the Workforce Committee:
• Chairman – John Boehner (R-OH)
• Ranking Member – George Miller (D-CA)
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Committee:
• Chairman – Judd Gregg (R–NH)
• Ranking Member – Ted Kennedy (D-MA)
WHO SHOULD YOU TARGET?
House Education Appropriations Subcommittee:
• Chairman – Ralph Regula (R-OH)
• Ranking Member – David Obey (D-WI)
Senate Appropriations Committee:
• Chairman – Ted Stevens (R–AK)
• Ranking Member – Robert C. Byrd (D-WV)
METHODS OF COMMUNICATING
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Visits with key policymakers
Fact sheets
Letters/faxes/e-mails
Calls to key policymakers
School tours
Presenting testimony
Political campaigns
GENERAL ADVOCACY
GUIDELINES
• Know the person you are targeting
• Be well prepared for your contact
• Have a goal in mind, and be specific about the
action you would like your target to take
• Be concise in your written and verbal
communications
• Share the results of the contact
• Continue the relationship
WHAT YOU CAN DO…
Attend ACTE’s National Policy Seminar!
March 14-16, 2004
Capital Hilton Hotel - Washington, DC
Invited speakers include:
• Assistant Secretary of Vocational and Adult
Education Susan Sclafani
• Key congressional staff
• Key members of Congress
WHAT YOU CAN DO…
• Develop a relationship with your congressional
representatives
• Share data and statistics with ACTE and your
congressional representatives
• Get informed on key issues and share this
information with others – Sign up for ACTE
Legislative Alerts and take action
• Promote your programs
• Join ACTE and contribute to the Legislative
Support Fund
HOW TO CONTACT ACTE
ACTE
1410 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22315
1-800-826-9972
FAX 703-683-7424
www.acteonline.org
Public Policy Staff:
Christin Driscoll
Alisha Dixon Hyslop