June 09, 2010
Dear Fellow Career and Technical Educator:
In light of recent events at the DESE, we find it necessary to raise concerns with individuals, our membership, and ask your assistance in addressing these unprecedented circumstances. As many of you are aware, recent developments in the reorganization DESE has created the perception that career and technical education would no longer remain a recognized element of secondary education by choice of DESE since late March. To date, even with a face-to-face meetings with DESE representatives, our initial concerns continue to receive less then direct addressing, as well as, new and additional concerns rising from what is being said and done at DESE.
The proposed reorganization chart for the DESE does not include Career and Technical Education (CTE) and it appears as if there is no concern to include it. Therefore, we are asking each individual member to contact legislators in regard to this issue. Please carefully review the multiple attachments to this letter for specifics about our concerns; however, in a nutshell, the following are major areas we need to have addressed:
- Perkins funding for administrative and leadership duties (15%) is slated to be siphoned off to support other state priorities such as Race to the Top.
- CTE leadership - in the current proposed structure, there is no provision for CTE leadership designations (State Director) as required by federal law for utilization of Perkins funding, or programmatic leadership.
- CTSO’s have been an integral component of CTE and have had impact upon the economy and the economic recovery of our state, not to mention the skill and leadership development of students. The loss of these intra- and extra-curricular opportunities will severely impact students in connecting the academic cores to necessary technical skill training needed for Missouri to make an economic recovery from the current financial crisis. The loss of these intra- and extra-curricular opportunities will severely impact students in connecting the academic cores to necessary technical skill training needed for Missouri to make an economic recovery from the current financial crisis. (Legislators are always interested in stories of how a CTSO specifically helped a student.)
- Under the new organizational chart, what support will be available for CTE teachers, area schools, and comprehensive high schools to assist students in transitions to a career or to continuing education opportunities.
- What assistance will DESE provide to stakeholders for maintaining a quality data collection system and appropriate dissemination of the data to the state and federal levels?
The results of our efforts will dictate the future of Career and Technical Education for of all of Missouri’s students. Please be diligent in contacting your legislators with these concerns. We appreciate all of your support and hope to have better news at the summer conference. Please feel free to contact me at 573-748-0573 or at lhendley@embarqmail.com if you have questions.
As always... for the students and the organization,
Laura E. Hendley, President
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