Showing posts with label Legislative Update. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Legislative Update. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Legislative Day
On Friday, April 8, students will accompany Ms. Martin, Assistant Principal, to represent the Tech Campus during Legislative Day in Springfield. Students will be able to discuss the impact CTE has had on their lives with State officials. Additional information will be provided at the April Board Meeting.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Act Now to Support Career Technical Education Funding
CTE (Career Technical Education) is facing very serious threats. The House-passed appropriations bill for FY 2011, H.R. 1, eliminates all funding for the Perkins Tech Prep program, which would mean a loss of $4,049,330 to CTE programs in Illinois.
The Senate is now working on its version of the bill, and you are in a critical position to speak out for CTE and make an impact. Illinois' Sens. Richard Durbin and Mark Kirk are members of the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee and need to hear from you!
Action Needed:
- Call Sen. Durbin's office at 202-224-2152 and Sen. Kirk's office at 202-224-2854 and ask them to fight to restore Perkins funding in the FY 2011 appropriations bill.
- Try to speak to the staff member that works on education and appropriations issues in each office; if that staff member is unavailable, leave a detailed message and try again at a later time.
- Use the talking points and chart on ACTE's Web site to help make the case.
- Be sure to share what losing this funding would mean to your program, students and community.
- Thank the staff member for the time, and report on the conversation to Jamie Baxter at ACTE.
- If you have already called and were able to speak to the education staff person, then recruit other members of your community to call and reinforce your message. Forward this message to colleagues, parents, business/industry advisory members and others who have a stake in CTE programs. We must continue to put pressure on Sen. Durbin and Sen. Kirk -- because so many programs face cuts in this bill, they need to hear from as many constituents as possible on behalf of CTE and Perkins!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
House Passes H.R. 1—Keep Fighting
On February 19, the House passed H.R. 1 by a vote of 235-189. The bill cuts the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act by $102.9 million by completely eliminating the Tech Prep program. However, there is still hope for stopping these cuts! Our next line of defense is in the Senate. The Senate is expected to begin working on this bill on February 28, since both chambers are on recess next week.
It is crucial that you continue to fight for a restoration of funds to Perkins! Although the process has moved to the Senate, the House will still be involved because both chambers have to agree on the final bill. The recess provides us a great opportunity to keep the pressure on Members of Congress to restore Perkins funding!
TAKE ACTION
Continue to CALL your Senators and tell them to restore funding to the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act! You can call the Capitol Switch Board at 202-224-3121 (Senate) and ask to be connected to your Senators' offices. It is critical that calls continue to these offices from as many different people as possible.
Try to speak to the staff member that works on education and appropriations issues, if that staff member is unavailable, leave a detailed message.
Use the talking points and chart on ACTE's Web site to help make the case.
Thank the staff member for their time, and report on the conversation to Jamie Baxter at ACTE.
Follow-up with House offices:
If your Representative voted for H.R. 1, call that office to express your disappointment and explain how crucial funding for Perkins is!
If your Representative voted against H.R. 1, call and thank him or her for voting against the bill and continue to explain how necessary Perkins funding is to your students, community and economy!
Remember, Congress is on recess the week of February 20. Reach out to state and district offices and look for area town hall meetings or other community events. Take advantage of this time and visit your Representative and Senators in the state and district! Use ACTE's recess guide for tips on how to make the most of the recess.
Visit www.acteonline.org/saveCTEfunding.aspx for more information on how you can get businesses involved in these efforts and other actions you can take to save CTE funding!
It is crucial that you continue to fight for a restoration of funds to Perkins! Although the process has moved to the Senate, the House will still be involved because both chambers have to agree on the final bill. The recess provides us a great opportunity to keep the pressure on Members of Congress to restore Perkins funding!
TAKE ACTION
Continue to CALL your Senators and tell them to restore funding to the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act! You can call the Capitol Switch Board at 202-224-3121 (Senate) and ask to be connected to your Senators' offices. It is critical that calls continue to these offices from as many different people as possible.
Try to speak to the staff member that works on education and appropriations issues, if that staff member is unavailable, leave a detailed message.
Use the talking points and chart on ACTE's Web site to help make the case.
Thank the staff member for their time, and report on the conversation to Jamie Baxter at ACTE.
Follow-up with House offices:
If your Representative voted for H.R. 1, call that office to express your disappointment and explain how crucial funding for Perkins is!
If your Representative voted against H.R. 1, call and thank him or her for voting against the bill and continue to explain how necessary Perkins funding is to your students, community and economy!
Remember, Congress is on recess the week of February 20. Reach out to state and district offices and look for area town hall meetings or other community events. Take advantage of this time and visit your Representative and Senators in the state and district! Use ACTE's recess guide for tips on how to make the most of the recess.
Visit www.acteonline.org/saveCTEfunding.aspx for more information on how you can get businesses involved in these efforts and other actions you can take to save CTE funding!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Career Technical Education Legislative Update
Federal level
CTE has always enjoyed bi-partisan support in Congress, but it is too early to tell how CTE issues will be addressed in the new Congress. With new Republican leadership and turnover in the House CTE will have to prepare for some changes. The most difficult fight that is anticipated will be in the area of the budget. Many candidates who were elected ran on a fiscally conservative platform, promising to cut back federal funding in order to reduce the federal deficit and reduce taxes. It will be difficult for CTE programs to receive funding increases in the new political environment.
State level
The Illinois General Assembly returned to the Capitol yesterday to debate a plan to borrow funds in order the make the State's 2011 State Pension Payment. No Senate Republicans were in support of the borrowing proposal and not all Senate Democrats were in favor of the bill's passage either - this left the bill short of support. Both the House and the Senate return to the Capitol for the Veto Session on November 16. The Veto Session is November 16-18, November 30, December 2.
Even though Quinn won the election it is going to be a tough couple of years until Illinois finds a way to bail themselves out of this economic disaster.
Local level
Dr. Jedlicka testified at the ISBE budget hearings this week along with two exceptional students. The students received tremendous applause from the audience for their passionate speeches.
Tech Campus and the College of Lake County our continuing to find ways to strengthen our partnership to assist students with the transition from high school to college.
Tech Campus leaders met with the Illinois Business Round Table to discuss initiative educational reform issues.
CTE has always enjoyed bi-partisan support in Congress, but it is too early to tell how CTE issues will be addressed in the new Congress. With new Republican leadership and turnover in the House CTE will have to prepare for some changes. The most difficult fight that is anticipated will be in the area of the budget. Many candidates who were elected ran on a fiscally conservative platform, promising to cut back federal funding in order to reduce the federal deficit and reduce taxes. It will be difficult for CTE programs to receive funding increases in the new political environment.
State level
The Illinois General Assembly returned to the Capitol yesterday to debate a plan to borrow funds in order the make the State's 2011 State Pension Payment. No Senate Republicans were in support of the borrowing proposal and not all Senate Democrats were in favor of the bill's passage either - this left the bill short of support. Both the House and the Senate return to the Capitol for the Veto Session on November 16. The Veto Session is November 16-18, November 30, December 2.
Even though Quinn won the election it is going to be a tough couple of years until Illinois finds a way to bail themselves out of this economic disaster.
Local level
Dr. Jedlicka testified at the ISBE budget hearings this week along with two exceptional students. The students received tremendous applause from the audience for their passionate speeches.
Tech Campus and the College of Lake County our continuing to find ways to strengthen our partnership to assist students with the transition from high school to college.
Tech Campus leaders met with the Illinois Business Round Table to discuss initiative educational reform issues.
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