Use your voice to change the perception of CTE.

DeWitt, Stephen

AS YOU READ THROUGH THIS MONTH'S TECHNIQUES MAGAZINE, which is focused on at-risk youth, I know you will be thinking about the benefits that CTE provides students. Ensuring a quality education for all continues to be an important topic and an area of growing concern to national leaders because it is so closely linked with U.S. economic health and the standard of living for future generations.

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And rightly so. One secondary school student drops out every 26 seconds in the United States, and many other students drop out of postsecondary education. Despite this fact, and the growing concern about the dropout issue, there continues to be a fundamental misunderstanding among many policymakers about effective ways to curb the problem.

The national conversation has focused almost solely on increasing the rigor of academics as a panacea, but the past 25 years of work in this arena have proven largely ineffective. While academie rigor is important, it means nothing to students if they are disengaged from learning and unable to apply the knowledge to a career which inspires them. That's where career and technical education (CTE) plays a significant and critical role. This is one of the strong messages we need you to bring to your elected officials in Washington.

In March, ACTE will be hosting the 2013 National Policy Seminar (NPS). It is an annual time when the CTE community gathers en masse to learn more about effective advocacy, hear from policy experts and promote a common message on Capitol Hill concerning the value of CTE. I encourage you to join us March4-6 to be part of this important annual event. This year's event is especially timely as nearly 100 new Members of Congress--many or whom have limited understanding about CTE--begin their work on Capitol Hill.

In regards to student success, GTE is finally beginning to receive some much-needed attention and recognition in Washington. This year's NPS will include a session exploring some of the national organizations that are helping to raise the profile of GTE. We also will hear from the decision-makers in Congress and the White House who are developing education and workforce policy. But most importantly, conference attendees will be meeting with their state delegations and using their own voices and stories to advocate for GTE and students on Capitol Hill.

Hearing directly from a constituent--those who elect Members to Congress--is one of the most effective advocacy tools that exists. I hope that many of you will join us for NPS to make the climb to Capitol Hill to ensure your senators and representatives understand and support GTE. Even if you are unable to join us this year, it's important that we all use our voices to educate and advocate.

For additional information on NPS, go to www.acteonline.org/nps.

You can read more about ACTE's policy activities and the latest happenings in Washington, DC, on ACTE's CTE Policy Watch blog. Check it out today at www.acteonline.org/ctepolicywatchblog.aspx.

Stephen DeWitt is senior director of public policy at ACTE. He can be contacted at sedwitt@acteonline.org.