Masonry Magazine November 2003 Page. 43
The plan recommends not only a substantial cut in funding, but also appears to severely limit students' access to secondary CTE programs.
D. Perkins funds from the Office of Adult and Vocational Education (OVAE) is very subtle in its suggested changes in the reauthorization and the subsequent implications of the funding allotments. While any right-minded person cannot argue against what the reauthorization says, it is what it is not saying that is of most concern.
In the briefs from OVAE they speak of high expectations of accountability, strengthening student outcomes, a renewed focus on core academic areas, etc. These are all points that are critical and must be implemented to achieve true school reform. However, there is a definite absence of wording in the proposal that addresses that CTE must be an integral part of bringing all of the sub-groups identified in No Child Left Behind to a new plateau of success.
CTE insiders know that the proposed block grant structure and newly included wording that is short on true career and technical education outcomes, but long on core academic rhetoric-will allow funds to be subverted from masonry and other skills and used to implement more core classes, such as English, mathematics and social studies. Commonly the students who reap the greatest successes in CTE are the very same students who will rail against having to take one more core class. We'll prove their dissatisfaction with having to take more of the same core academic classes when dropout rates accelerate, school violence increases, and a number of other factors arise.
My hope is that after reading where the current administration proposes to take CTE funding, you are now asking. "What can I do as a mason contractor to assure that this does not happen?" Please take the appropriate measures and continue to support your local masonry programs.
Steve Miller is a Trade and Industrial Education Construction Trades Consultant for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Reach him at Smiller@dpl.state.nc.us or (919) 807-3881.
This article was first published in the September 2003 issue of North Carolina Masonry News. Re-print permission granted and copyright owned by North Carolina Masonry Contractors Association (www. nomica.com)
Sources
Harris-Aikens, Donna (May 2003) Draft Newsletter Article for the National Association of State Director's for Career Technical Education Consortium
NC-DPI Career-Technical Education (March 2003) Vocational Education Information Survey (VEIS) Data, 2000-2002.
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November 2003 Masonry 41