The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) recently announced that 32 school districts across the state have been awarded funds from the Perkins Reserve Grant (PRG) to support career and technical education (CTE) for the 2023-24 school year.
Tennessee’s CTE consists of “16 nationally recognized career clusters with the ultimate goal of preparing students for success at the postsecondary level and in their chosen careers.”
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February is now considered Career and Technical Education Month, according to an announcement from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday. Whitmer’s office said the month is meant to encourage students to explore programs that teach skills that are “high-demand, high skill, high-wage career opportunities.”
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A three-year trade school in Pennsylvania has become a shining example of how learning a trade can scoop people out of low-income situations and place them firmly in high-paying careers.
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Schools like the University of Wisconsin at Stout are addressing the other side of the skills-gap equation. If public schools are going to bring back the trades, then they’ll need educators to teach them. The university’s Emerging Center for Career and Technical Education Excellence seeks to “serve the career and technical education community by meeting the 21st century needs of K-12 and postsecondary technical educators who are at the forefront of workforce education.” The Center offers a number of bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees in the career and technical education (CTE) fields—all of which are geared towards the training of teachers. “UW-Stout is uniquely qualified to address the needs of career and technical educators and leaders as it is the only UW campus that offers a full complement of career and technical education programs,” its website explains. “Graduates from the CTE programs are prepared to teach and lead within secondary and postsecondary settings such as high schools, community colleges, public and private technical colleges, and industrial training programs.” In fact, the Center’s doctoral degree in career and technical education was first launched in 2013, and is the university’s first and only doctoral program. “The degree is designed to help…
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Machine shop training in public high schools has dwindled nationally either because of a lack of funding or no funding at all. So in 2006, instructor Craig Cegielski approached the Eleva-Strum School Board in Strum, Wisconsin with an odd request. Rather than asking for money, Cegielski instead requested permission to launch an in-school manufacturing business.
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The Minnesota Department of Education maintains that the “state of our students is promising” despite continued drops in reading and math scores, and a persistent achievement gap.
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Actor John Ratzenberger, who recently launched a firm to help American companies connect with customers, described the death of shop classes during a Wednesday interview on Fox News.
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In July 2018, President Donald Trump signed the “Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act” into law. The bill reauthorized the 2006 Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, which provides an “increased focus on the academic achievement” of CTE students, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.
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“Free” college education is all the rage, and now it appears that felons are joining in as Gov. Bill Lee proposes to use taxpayers’ money to pay their way to a degree. Lee’s plan could join other “free” education programs. In December Metro Nashville announced a program to spend millions per year offering “free” college to select students, building on similar programs like Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect. Lee on Thursday announced a number of changes to the criminal justice system leading up to his State of the State address on Monday. A press release on his plan is here. “We must significantly improve public safety in our state and I believe that starts with our criminal justice system,” Lee said in the press release. “We will focus on helping individuals to ensure there is a pathway to a productive life beyond crime and ultimately make our state a safer place.” Laine Arnold, Lee’s press secretary, did not reply to questions asking these questions: What is the total cost to implement the criminal justice reforms? Will the inmates pay anything? How much will taxpayers pay for the bachelor’s degree program at Turney Center Industrial Complex and high school education? Lee’s…
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