As a dedicated advocate of Career and Technical Education, I have had the opportunity to speak with many local government politicians about the general public misperception of what CTE can provide for students. As a strong believer that all it takes to bring about change is getting the right people to listen, I was fortunate enough to speak with PA State Representatives Bernie O'Neill (29th Legislative District), Steve Santarsiero (31st Legislative District), Marguerite Quinn (143rd Legislative District) and Paul Clymer (145th Legislative District) during recent visits to my classroom. Rep. Clymer serves as chairman of the House Education Committee, and after our conversation about the current state of CTE in Pennsylvania, I invited him to meet with my administrative director and I to further discuss the need for change in the funding and public perception of CTE. Without hesitation we went immediately to her office. After only a few minutes, Rep. Clymer suggested holding a meeting of the PA House Education Committee at our school.

Career and technical schools strive to not only teach the technical skills required for students enrolled in their programs, but they also try to ensure that students achieve on state standardized academic tests. In Pennsylvania, all students are required to take the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSAs). The PA Department of Education’s Bureau of Career and Technical Education has developed many initiatives to help improve student achievement on this exam for students enrolled in CTE. One specifically is the PIL (Pennsylvania Inspired Leadership) program. This 30-hour program was developed to “provide CTE leaders with the knowledge and skills to work with teachers to improve the achievement on the PSSA math and reading assessments.” Participants were provided with material to understand the PSSA assessment for math and reading, and taught how to enhance instruction for the areas addressed.

An article by Sarah Womer of The Yuma Sun describes how students in the Yuma Union High School District are using online surveys to express their opinions regarding Career and Technical Education. This high school district is currently conducting surveys seeking opinions on forming a Joint Technical Education District (JTED) in Yuma County. According to Womer, “A JTED is an independent school district specifically established to offer and fund career and technical education/vocational programs for high school students from participating school districts.”