CTE: One community, many strategies for success.
Lynch, Sean
AS ASSOCIATION FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION (ACTE) members
know well, the world of CTE professionals is wide and diverse. The array
of curriculum and programs available to CTE students ranges from
secondary to postsecondary educational institutions and adult-oriented
facilities, and it encompasses a variety of possible career paths and
industry sectors. This rich spectrum is why we at ACTE believe that
there is a place for CTE in every individual's educational career,
regardless of his or her intended career path.
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However, it also explains why effective public policy governing CTE
programs must be considered with a holistic, systemic approach that will
ensure our laws are serving each of these types of learners and
programs. As we take this issue of Techniques to examine the exciting
and creative strategies that rural CTE programs are employing today to
prepare their students for 21st-century workforce success, this
systems-focused approach is particularly relevant as it ensures that
federal policies foster an education system that allows such strategies
to thrive.
In working to develop and advocate for ACTE's legislative
priorities, we carefully consider the implications that our work will
have for each of the diverse delivery models that are in use in
high-quality CTE classrooms nationwide, and we strive to give educators
and administrators the flexibility to find the strategies that work best
for them. We recognize that an effective model for delivering CTE in one
classroom or community may not be logistically feasible or effective in
serving students in another area, and we believe that local choices
about program design should be made using the insights of CTE
professionals in those schools. By approaching CTE as a system, rather
than focusing on one single program model, federal policies can support
an environment where local communities implement the high-quality
components of that system that best serve their students and local
economy.
Rural programs in particular must remain flexible when creating CTE
programs that work for their circumstances. For example, consider a
school in Montana that serves students in remote or frontier areas,
which may not have the same level of opportunity in working with local
business leaders to establish work-based learning programs simply
because there may not be enough employers in the area to work with each
of the students. In this and similar circumstances, a holistic approach
to CTE that allows for flexibility will ensure that these students are
allowed to instead build their skills in a simulated work environment
(1) that can teach the same lessons in a way that works for their
community.
A systems-oriented approach to CTE ensures that all students have
access to high-quality CTE, no matter their field, stage in their
educational experience, or their geographic region. By advocating for
such an approach on Capitol Hill and in communities nationwide, we can
strengthen opportunities for every student and preserve the flexibility
and diversity that make CTE great!
Sean Lynch is the legislative and public affairs manager at ACTE.
E-mail him at slynch@acteonline.org.
ENDNOTE
(1.) See "CTE: Creatively Supporting Rural Communities"
by Catherine Imperatore on page 15 for more information on simulated
work environments.
By Sean Lynch
