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One major issue in education is the standards for discipline and the follow through from administration. Depending on students and the who the offense is to, discipline can vary based on the administrator, teacher and student. Through this article, they discuss discipline within schools and how to make it meaningful as well as equitable.

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Kids lost in school time during the pandemic. When they went back, they brought new behavioral challenges with them.

"It's gotten to the point where I've left jobs at schools because I was afraid for my safety," Amber Blevins of Bloomington, Illinois, who quit teaching after 20 years in part because of discipline problems with students, says.

However, student discipline problems were on the rise even before the pandemic.

"It's a balance between working with the student on correcting those behaviors. But at the same time, the teacher still has to teach," Craig Witherspoon, superintendent of the South Carolina school district Richland County One, says.

Should classroom culture change? Should discipline be more proactive, less bureaucratic?

Lots of possible remedies, but many states are headed down one particular path: they want to crack down on disruptive student behavior.

Today, On Point: How to fix the growing discipline problem in U.S. classrooms.

Ben Court, senior director of K-12 research at the education consulting firm EAB. (@BMcourt)

Patrick Wall, senior reporter at Chalkbeat, an education news publication. (@patrick_wall)

Elizabeth Errico, executive director of the Children's Mental Health Resource Center.
On behavior concerns before the pandemic
Ben Court: "It's important to frame this, to go back for a second and look at the 2010's. The decade that was actually a really hard time for many students and families. And there's a wide range of factors affecting students. Following the Great Recession, from economic turmoil to the opioid epidemic. Steady rise in mental health crises among students and adults. And also, if we look at know family structure, we saw more students living with grandparents, for example. When we look in schools specifically, they were also facing an increase in academic pressure and testing, in large part stemming from No Child Left Behind.

"And then as a result, we saw oftentimes, you know, fewer opportunities to engage in free play and physical activity and more time spent on screens. So by the time we got to 2018, we already had superintendents and school leaders from across the country coming to us saying, you know what? We're seeing the results of this. We're seeing a steady increase in disruptive behavior in our classrooms, especially at the elementary level. And so when we surveyed teachers originally back in 2018, we saw around 70% of teachers say that they'd seen an increase in disruptive behavior in their classrooms over the past three years. And about half of those saying that the increase had been significant."
On a rise in mental health challenges in teens
Elizabeth Errico: "We can't separate the rise in difficult behaviors in the classroom from the rise in mental health challenges and mental illness in children and teens. Very often it's really just simply misunderstood what symptoms of mental illness look like in kids, because for the most part, we use adult models to understand symptomology. But the fact is that in kids major depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, and even ADHD can appear as symptomatically as irritability, oppositional behavior, difficulty making transitions, difficulty with social interactions with their peers, difficulty with interacting with adults.

"And what many people look at and see as choices, behaviors that are willful, I hear a lot of people use the words the child decided to do X, Y, or Z. They're really totally misplaced. Because in many cases we're looking at kids who are dealing with involuntary symptoms, don't have coping mechanisms, don't have management strategies. And as a result of these involuntary symptoms that are really hitting them like a wave, they're being disciplined, told their bad kids, told that they are causing problems for their peers. It creates embarrassment, it creates humiliation, and it doesn't teach them any of the skills that they need in order to succeed.

"And if there's one thing that psychologists understand, it's that discipline and punishment don't work to change behavior. They're fixated around the idea of stopping something. But you can't stop something without knowing what you're supposed to be replacing it with. It's why ... you don't tell a little kid in a store, don't touch anything.

"You tell them, put your hands in your pockets or put your hands on the top of your head, because it gives them a replacement behavior. Kids, when they're being disciplined, particularly for symptoms, and there's no integration of what type of behavior it's supposed to be replaced with. And they're not being taught how to engage that replacement behavior. The discipline is going to be ineffective and it's going to, in this particular case, put teachers in a position of having that revolving door on their classroom without things improving."
On a survey of 1,100 educators about discipline in American classrooms
Ben Court: "There are a couple of things to note. So during that first survey, the behaviors we saw most frequent or reported most frequently were things like oppositional defiance and tantrums. And you know, around 15, 16% of educators at the time were saying that they were seeing more severe what you might think of as fight or flight behaviors. So physical violence between students in the classroom and fleeing.

"If we fast forward to 2022, what we saw was across the board, no matter which type of disruptive or concerning behavior, we asked about rates. It increased by at least 50%. But among those more concerning behaviors. ... Things like physical violence between students, you're seeing those rates at least double or more. So there's definitely an increase across the board and the number and frequency of disruptive incidents in classrooms. But we're also seeing a slight change in the types of disruptive behavior that we're seeing in classrooms as well. So more severe incidents."
On effective forms of discipline
Ben Court: "Over time what we've learned is that punitive and exclusionary forms of discipline, which have historically been the norm. If you go back, you know, 20, 30 years, we all went through school in which we were used to detentions, suspensions, etc. What we've learned is that, A, there are significant equity concerns associated with that approach. B, It doesn't work when we look at exclusionary forms of discipline that say you hold a student back from recess because they were disruptive in class. That just removes their opportunity to get some of their energy out and ends up exacerbating the situation.

"We know that sending kids home, so suspensions lead to lower academic performance for those students and an increased likelihood of them dropping out of school altogether. When we look even at in-school suspensions or classrooms with high rates of exclusionary discipline, there's some interesting studies to show that not only is it worse for the student who is the recipient of that discipline, it's also worse for other students in the classroom.

"We see overall academic achievement go down in schools with high rates of punitive discipline. And so while I want to be clear that every teacher and student deserves a safe learning environment, we also need to have more informed discussion around what happens after a disruptive incident. A more nuanced discussion about the fact that there are many different forms of what is perceived to be disruptive behavior that occur for different reasons. And so right now there is a lot of. Straight forward, you know, seemingly simple messages being put out into the ether that miss the important nuances of the conversation."
On how lawmakers are approaching student discipline problems
Patrick Wall: "They range from a kind of a crackdown on behaviors ranging from just talking back to teachers to more serious things like attacking a staff member or other students. But I'd say the common theme in these bills is trying to make it easier for schools to remove students from classrooms and from schools. And so some examples are Arizona wanting to allow younger students as young as kindergarten to be suspended, which earlier law had prohibited. Florida would empower teachers to remove disobedient or disrespectful students and even to use reasonable force to protect themselves.

"Kentucky, which as you mentioned, this bill was just signed, would allow schools to permanently remove disruptive students and put them in alternative settings, which could be online programs. Nebraska would let teachers physically restrain and remove disruptive students, and then North Carolina would change a law where less serious behavior stings, just like dress code violations. Things like that would ... trigger long term suspensions, which until now had not been allowed. And so kind of in a range of different ways ... they are making it easier for schools to kind of take tougher action when they believe that students have broken the rules or misbehaved."
How to provide mental health support in classrooms
Elizabeth Errico: "If we open ourselves to the possibility that schools are no longer just about ... reading, writing and arithmetic, and we recognize that children spend the majority of their lives in school, that schools can be resource hubs for children's needs. It sort of changes how we conceptualize the role of school. And the truth is that schools, the public school system, does not meet the needs of most children who have mental health disorders.

"And in our community, parents of kids who have mental health issues very often wind-up home schooling, wind up having to turn to private schools that can provide smaller classrooms with fewer students, with teachers, aides in the classroom, with more support around specials like art and music and physical education. And the problem with that is ... that means that there is a class issue related to who gets access to education that recognizes and addresses issues regarding mental health."
On how to support student needs
Ben Court: "Schools are focused on helping students to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful, beyond high school and through into their lives. We have to define what that is. When we look at the systemic change that Elizabeth referenced, parents are a part of that. Making sure that we are forming effective partnerships for developing the right expectations and right skills at home and within schools is absolutely essential.

"And lastly, districts need to focus on making sure that everybody is on the same page around the expectations, the skills that we're trying to develop and the ways that we're going to address those skills in disruptive situations in a classroom and then have honest discussions around tradeoffs. What does it look like to make sure that we're helping teachers be successful in the classroom? Well, creating the time and space to support student needs today."

Chalkbeat: " Lawmakers across U.S. push for harsher school discipline as safety fears rise" - "Lawmakers across the country are moving to make it easier to kick disruptive students out of school, a get-tough turn toward stricter discipline that reflects mounting fears about school violence and disorder."

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How to fix the growing discipline problem in U.S. classrooms

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Student discipline problems rose sharply in the pandemic. Schools say disruptive behavior has been on the rise for years, but they're not allowed to do much about it. Now, lawmakers want to change that.

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Holding more resource nights for parents to learn about the importance of reading to your child from an early age, ensuring that they understand respect, and the importance of attendance in relation to success in and out of the classroom.

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When brainstorming 5 top issues in teaching, one that stood out to me and why (among other reasons) I left the first school I taught out right of high school was micromanagement from administration at the school level as well as district level. This is showing a.) lack of leadership skills from administrators and b.) lack of trust in the ability of the educators that are hired to do the job. Discussed in the linked article, teachers often leave jobs due to this issue linking to the next topic, teacher shortages.

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We've written a lot about the reasons why teachers quit their jobs, from low pay to high stress to everything that happens outside the classroom door. But this recent tweet from math teacher Alice Keeler puts another pin in why so many teachers quit. Teaching is a fundamentally creative job, and yet there's often very little room for creativity. Micromanagement makes us want to quit teaching.

The response to Keeler's tweet shows how widespread micromanaging is in education.

User @JustaGuy wrote that he once worked at a school with the highest test scores in the building. But he received a write-up because his "do now" was 17 seconds too long. Seventeen seconds, people. The shocking consequence? 80% of the teachers at the school left. Other teachers weighed in with their own micromanagement stories, from being told "no" all the time to having to enforce rules that ultimately don't impact students' education.

Micromanagement also frequently comes up in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook, where teachers have complained about principals who police their wardrobes, perform incessant walk-throughs, critique word choice in their emails, and give teachers grades on their bulletin boards.

Micromanagement often hides as "helping" teachers

We're told that we're getting a brand new curriculum that will make our jobs so much easier-but actually strips any of the joy and creativity away. We're told that adhering to the same rules for everyone will lessen discipline problems, when we've seen that the same rules don't work for everyone. We get treated like we're children, too, and ultimately, what that communicates is a serious lack of trust in teachers.

Autonomy drives job satisfaction (not just in teaching)

@pvigg tweeted about the importance of autonomy for teachers, and the research backs it up. A 2017 study of 20,000 workers found that autonomy, including the ability to make decisions, contribute ideas, operate with limited supervision, and determine responsibilities, is a key factor in overall job satisfaction. And a 2021 study showed a strong correlation between school happiness and teacher autonomy.

The problem is teachers rarely get to make decisions, contribute ideas, and operate with limited supervision

We've heard of principals who ban teachers from drinking coffee. Of walk-throughs where administrators punish teachers for not being on the exact page of the scripted, district-prescribed curriculum. And, of course, of lawmakers who want to require teachers to submit an entire year of lesson plans.

Even under the best principals, the ones who encourage creativity as long as outcomes are met, we're operating in a system driven by high-stakes testing and near-constant scrutiny from those outside education.

And yeah, that makes us want to quit.

We'd love to hear-has micromanagement made you want to quit teaching? Please share in the comments.

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Micromanagement Is Making Us Want to Quit Our Jobs & Here's Why

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As a recent viral tweet has demonstrated, micromanagement is a big reason why many educators quit teaching.

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One of the main issues within the education is the surge of educators leaving the classroom and the pipeline supplying new teachers narrowing. For example, when I graduated from EKU in 2018, I was the only graduate of the FCS Education program. When looking for schools to interview with there with 5+ schools I could look at within the Central, Eastern, and Northern Kentucky Areas. One way that districts and school systems are trying to pay new teachers more, OR for example FCPS is paying graduates who go into teaching and return to FCPS, more money through the grow your own program. This is can be devaluing to established teachers.

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State Report Describes Growing Educator Shortage, and Lack of Funding Plays a Key Role - Kentucky Center for Economic Policy

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The growing shortage of teachers and other school personnel is becoming more severe in Kentucky, according to a new state report.

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Another issue I see within education, specifically Career and Technical Education is the lack of awareness and support for specific CTE program areas. Most people will recognize FFA and Ag programs, but when I tell people I am an FCS teacher, they equate it to the old Home Economics courses. While this is close, FCS has evolved to be more career oriented and more gender inclusive than in years prior. One of the main issues with this, is that parents, educators, counselors, and other stake holders like to put pressure on students to take dual credit, AP, or advanced courses to better their resume for colleges. While in reality, some students do not need to attend a higher education because of one reason or another.

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As an educator, we are given a classroom and then told to educate, nurture and help our students grow. However, how are we supposed to achieve this when classes are being filled to the brim with 36-37 students at a time on top of peer tutors. This connects with the lack of support and awareness of CTE because traditionally CTE are used as dumping grounds for students that otherwise do not thrive in traditional classroom settings.

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There's little debate among teachers that class size matters.

One survey found that nine in 10 teachers said that smaller classes would strongly boost student learning.

"Huge class sizes are a challenge because it makes it hard to focus on individual students who are struggling or who are ready to go on to the next level," one high school teacher explained.

But some education policymakers and pundits remain skeptical, arguing that reducing class sizes is of limited value and diverts money from more effective investments.

This long-running debate is back in the news as New York City, the country's largest school district, will likely be required by state lawmakers to set new caps on class sizes. It's also likely that schools across the country are undergoing a quiet experiment in class size reduction, as enrollment has dropped while the number of teachers employed has barely changed.

So does class size matter? And is it really the best use of finite educational dollars?

Chalkbeat revisited the research on these questions. The key takeaways: Students often do better in smaller classes. But there's no agreement on exactly how much better, and it remains an open question whether or not class size reduction is a particularly good use of funds that could go elsewhere.

All told, "the impact of smaller classes would depend on many factors," said Northwestern University economist Diane Schanzenbach, "including whether funds are reduced for other student supports, the quality of the newly hired teachers needed to staff the smaller classes, and adequate availability of classroom space."

Smaller does seem better when it comes to class size

The most famous and rigorous study of class size reduction took place in Tennessee beginning in 1985, when some kindergarten students were randomly assigned to unusually small classes through third grade. Test scores in the classes of 13 to 17 students quickly surpassed scores in the larger classes of 22 to 25. Those gains persisted for years.

Other studies in California, Minnesota, New York City, North Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin have shown lower class sizes boost test scores, too.

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A few studies have also found other benefits, with smaller classes leading to greater classroom engagement and higher attendance. In Tennessee, researchers later found that students in smaller classes in early grades were also more likely to attend and graduate from college.

It's not clear how big those benefits are, though

These studies do not agree on how much improvement schools can expect from smaller class sizes. In some research, the impact of small classes is more modest than the large gains seen in Tennessee. In Minnesota, for instance, 10 fewer kids in class translated into a tiny increase in test scores.

There are also a few instances where smaller classes didn't seem to improve test scores at all, including in studies in Connecticut and Florida.

"Most studies find at least some evidence of positive effects of smaller classes, but the size of these benefits is inconsistent," wrote Urban Institute researcher Matt Chingos.

Smaller classes mean hiring lots of teachers, which is complicated

Substantially reducing class size generally requires schools to go on a hiring binge in order to staff the new classes - and those new teachers are often less experienced and effective than their peers. That means the benefits from lower class size may be partially counteracted by reductions in teacher quality, which has been shown in studies from California and New York City.

In both those cases, the dip in teacher quality appeared temporary, though. In California, multiple studies have suggested lowering class sizes ultimately improved learning.

Overall, the changes "increased achievement in the early grades for all demographic groups," one set of researchers wrote, finding no evidence of a long-lasting decline in teacher quality.

Lowering class sizes comes with tradeoffs

Some argue that putting resources into reducing class sizes - which requires more teachers and often additional classroom space - is misguided. Schools should focus on getting and keeping better teachers, not simply adding teachers, with the resources they have, they argue.

That comparison implies that there is a straightforward and less costly way to improve teacher quality, but it's not clear that's the case.

For instance, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and several school districts pumped $575 million into a teacher evaluation and quality effort several years ago. (Gates is a funder of Chalkbeat.) Researchers later found it had little if any impact on student outcomes. It may well have been more cost effective to use that money to reduce class sizes instead.

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But that doesn't necessarily mean that New York's class size cap is the right approach. The state is poised to force the city to choose reducing class sizes over other potential investments, and research doesn't strongly support this either.

Placing a hard cap on class sizes may also mean spending a lot to reduce class sizes in better-off schools, limiting the city's ability to target resources to high-needs students.

Schanzenbach argues that removing the discretion of local officials is concerning. "In a well functioning system, principals and superintendents should be looking at their situation and figuring out, how are we going to best invest these resources to serve our kids," she said.

There's still more to learn about how class sizes affect kids, but the perspectives of teachers and parents should be taken seriously

In education policy circles, you'll often hear confident claims about class size reduction: "It works best in early grades," "It only works if class sizes are very small," "It helps disadvantaged students most," or, "It's not cost effective."

In general, the evidence for these claims is mixed, limited, or even non-existent. Remarkably, for instance, there is little rigorous evidence on how class size affects students in high school. Many of the studies are also quite dated.

In the meantime, many parents and teachers say class size makes a difference.

Michael Doerfler, an elementary teacher in Clark County's virtual academy, has seen that even in his unusual setting. He loves teaching online, but this year he's had a class load of over 40 students and struggled to give students as much individual attention as he'd like.

"The thing that would help the most would be the budget to have small classes - 41, 42 is a lot," he said.
Matt Barnum is a national reporter covering education policy, politics, and research. Contact him at mbarnum@chalkbeat.org.

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Here's what research says about how smaller classes affect students.

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I feel at the high school level that we put too much emphasis on organized sports as being the thing that breeds school spirit and not enough on other things that could help bring the student body together as a whole. We should have field days, guest speakers, carnivals, schoolwide service projects, etc. that could incorporate a lot of different kids of kids with a lot of different talents and backgrounds to help build a sense of community. If we did more things that invested more kids in the culture of the school, we might not have the problems that we have with vandalism and fighting. Just my thought.

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The biggest one I can think of is why we still put emphasis on tests such as the ACT when realistically it is made in a way that no real change can be made. We set improvement goals each year but there's a different group of students taking the test, therefore setting a different set

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Personally - uninterrupted plan time. No duties, no forced common plan.

Student wise - equitable transportation. Our lower SES students can’t stay after for help or clubs due to transportation.

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Student debt and the impact it takes on student's futures.

I think that students don't realize the consequences of taking on debt for future education and how college doesn't always lead to better outcomes for them.

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Accountability in education

Clarifying website:

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Accountability in Education: How teachers can help develop student Accountability?

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In this blog, we will explore the meaning of accountability in education, discuss its significance, and provide practical strategies.

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CTE Family and Consumer Science's Teacher 

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CTE Family and Consumer Science's Teacher 

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Smaller class sizes meaning more teachers, helps with engagement as well as focusing on higher student achievement. Does tie into budget and money within the school system.

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A baseline for consequences with more options available. as well as finding money for more things such as PD, subs, athletics, and other school based groups.

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Students need to be taught that failure is okay and part of the growth process.

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Identification for students with special education. Elementary teachers don't get the proper training for IEP testing and so students get identified later as a result of this.

As well as transition readiness from elementary to middle to high school. Better processes set in place.

Teaching at grade level - i.e. 6th grade social studies is teaching at high school level while other classes are teaching at 3rd grade level. Finding the right balance between challenging students and meeting them at their level of understanding.

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Equity- there’s a vast difference in education between the rich and poor neighborhoods especially in elementary school. At Rosa Parks, my kids education is not disrupted by another students behavior unlike the stories my husband comes home with from the elementary school he works at. Also a vast difference in resources for higher income neighborhood elementary schools.

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Ima scream pay all day long every chance I get for one thing. Educators in general. The amount of stuff we see, hear, and navigate daily is absolutely crazy and to be underpaid and fighting to properly care for our families is ridiculous. And I know that seems crazy to say under the umbrella of advocacy but, if I can’t show up to work not stress about income and how I can get another job to make ends meet I can’t really even properly care for the kids at work because I’m stressed before I hit the door good.

Having said that, I also think that equity is a huge issue. For one thing it’s not well understood. Putting up more pics of Black and Brown kids or doing “diversity training” is not enough. There needs to be better funding put into ensuring that kids from the east side of town get just as many resources and access as kids from south end. There needs to be more teachers in the building that look like the demographics of our kids, speak their language, share in their cultural values. For example, when I taught at Olmsted in Louisville, it was in a neighborhood with a high Muslim population. One of the teachers was Arabic and Muslim and wore a Hijab. That went SO far to make a connection with those students and she didn’t even have to open her mouth. Training in people, inclusion, and belonging needs to start with pre service teachers and it needs to be embedded in every single teacher prep class. Because if I go into a class and the teacher is all “that’s ghettoooo” thinking that’s the way to make a connection with a Black child, or playing Latino music but not using talking points to help keep parents engaged and invested in their kids’ education, then we are missing the mark on what they need

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Access to medical needs that could be brought into schools so students can see a dr, pa or nurse practitioner. We serve a low income area and a lot of our students are unable to go to the doctors because of money. We have a lot of undocumented students without health insurance and I mainly see females who are in need of birth control, uti issues etc that have to go to planned parenthood

I always think of equity and socio economic disadvantages students (who don’t have the resources) whether it be for an art class, foods, band is a big one as far as the amount of money that is requested from families and fundraising but I do not know a soul at Dunbar who wouldn’t allow a student not to participate because of the lack of funds. With NHS we tell kids to see us privately if there is a financial hardship and we don’t charge them and pay for the dues and stoles. Same with graduation the YSC, Steve D and guidance all work together to make sure those needs are met. So I guess what I’m trying to say is that equity for all of kids regardless of background etc I know prom does the same thing and pays for kids. I know we’re a title 1 school and have a YSC, mental health therapists, counselors but it’s never enough you know? Then our enrollment goes down and the resources such as teachers are cut. I’m all over the place!

Also more minority teachers!!! And I think the district should be more involved in our schools and come in! Don’t just send us a damn email and an apple for teacher appreciation

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100% mental health access normalizing it and making more accommodations and also getting the older age teachers to understand more because they tend to go more old school with it.

Also winter supplies and feminine health hygiene products.

Addiction….a place where kids can openly talk about having an addiction because most the time having addictions is labeled more towards adults but kids have it too. so having a place you can go to talk and get advice is helpful.

Life skills. My daughter has a friend that’s 17 who lives alone. more access to life skills who don’t have the privilege of mom or dad making them dinner. but you’re class does a good job with that.

teen moms more daycare options resources

my biggest thing is school is a huge overwhelming and uncomfortable place for so many. but it’s a requirement….so requirements should be made to make it feel more homey and inviting. bottom line the school system needs a lot more teachers like you. lol

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Communication with parents and having multi-lingual resources.

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While Kentucky has raised its funding to allow ATC's and CTC's, the amount is not enough to maintain ever growing amounts of needs for students and the rapidly raising prices.

ACTE. (n.d.). Tech Kentucky secures $200 million in CTE funding. ACTE Online. Retrieved from https://www.acteonline.org/tech-kentucky-funding/

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The 2022 Kentucky General Assembly essentially doubled funding for secondary career and technical education (CTE) in the 2022-24 biennial budget. The increased funding will support CTE programs at state-operated area technology centers (ATCs) and local school district-operated career technology centers (CTCs). And it will also direct a change in funding previously restricted to ATCs and CTCs to permit funding of any high-quality CTE program in any public school. It funds programs, not schools. Plus, the budget added millions more for the construction of new CTCs.

Hard work remains to develop the distribution model. But the path to achieve adequate and equitable funding is made clearer. This success results from many steps taken over 20 years. As the last significant increase to CTE funding occurred in 2002.

Documenting the effort and process encompasses a litany of people and events. In reporting the history, no slight to any person or event is intended. This article relies on the written notes and memory of the author. This is a Kentucky story. What worked here may not work everywhere, but perhaps readers will gain some insight or an idea that may be helpful.

Be the advocate you seek.

Kentucky ACTE (KACTE) made a strategic decision to seek partner advocates for CTE. If legislators heard messages about the importance of CTE from seemingly unrelated businesses and associations, attention would increase. That was the plan, and the hope. The Kentucky Farm Bureau, the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers, the Kentucky Retail Federation, the Kentucky Nurses Association, Associated General Contractors of Kentucky, the Kentucky Society of Certified Public Accountants, labor unions, and others supported CTE.

KACTE joined the state chamber of commerce. Because there it could take a seat on the education council and interact with the larger business community. The Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board adopted a sectors strategy to enhance economic development: advanced manufacturing, business and information technology, construction, health care, and transportation and logistics.

Embrace change.

As the first decade of the 21st century neared its end, Kentucky's CTE system was in an administrative jumble. The ATCs were managed by a dedicated staff in the Workforce Development Cabinet. The CTCs and CTE programs in comprehensive high schools received oversight from the Kentucky Department of Education's (KDE) Office of Career and Technical Education (OCTE). There were no common standards. A business course in an ATC and one in a CTC could be very different.

In 2010, then-Commissioner of Education Terry Holliday, Ph.D., announced that KDE would be restructured and an independent OCTE eliminated. At the same time, Gov. Steve Beshear formed a task force on transforming education in Kentucky. They recommended merging ATC management and oversight of CTCs and CTE programs into a single office in KDE.

To increase knowledge and understanding of CTE

Further, Holliday challenged us to develop career readiness standards for CTE. The Association accepted the challenge. And we developed a three-part definition of career readiness, two of which were adopted by the state board of education.

Later, they restored OCTE within KDE, which would be led by an associate commissioner of education. KACTE Past-president Dale Winkler, Ed.D., who rose from a local CTSO member to principal of an ATC and now is executive vice president of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), was tasked with the job. The direction was positive, the support growing, and recognition of CTE's importance had traction. But funding was stymied by other budgetary issues facing the state.

Develop awareness.

Then in 2020, the state received federal pandemic relief funds it could use to support new and existing projects. Thus, a General Assembly task force examined the role and adequacy of CTE, stressing to KDE that it could recommend a funding plan and model. Announced economic development projects would create thousands of jobs, many of which relate to CTE pathways. Awareness was building, and funding was available.

KACTE formed a task force that included Leslie Slaughter, a KACTE member who then served as OCTE policy adviser. OCTE and postsecondary partners were consulted throughout as stakeholders developed a 22-page report on the historical background and current directions for CTE in Kentucky. It included recommendations on adequate funding and access and equity. It included a recommendation for the future to fund CTE programs based on student full-time-equivalents (FTEs) participating in high-quality CTE programs wherever the programs were located. The GA received this report in January 2021. And OCTE fully endorsed its conclusions and recommendations.

Budget and plan for the future.

In truth, the KACTE task force only hoped they would adopt its modest funding recommendation. It was committed to the more expansive access and equity funding recommendation but felt it would take years to move toward that. Then came a precipitating event.

Ford Motor Co. and BlueOval SK announced a $2 billion investment in a battery plant in central Kentucky. That would employ 2,000 construction workers and 5,000 permanent employees. The reality of CTE's vital importance to the state became very clear. A homegrown, skilled workforce was critical for business and industry to be successful, and CTE pathways were on the road to building that workforce. And ultimately, the Kentucky House and Senate passed a roughly 50% increase in CTE funding, which the governor signed.

Now what?

In a sense, the funding victory was just the beginning. CTE must deliver on the promise of equitable access to all CTE programs no matter their location. That effort is ongoing. Already, the new budget has resulted in an increased number of secondary schools receiving state funding for CTE - from 96 to 316. Success will be achieved through the dedicated CTE teachers and administrators in the state's public schools. Success will be measured by the achievement of CTE students and their contributions to a dynamic, healthy and growing economy.

Mike Stone is the executive director for Kentucky ACTE.

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The Kentucky General Assembly nearly doubled CTE funding. And while they must develop the distribution model, the path forward is clear.

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This article showcases the need for CTE courses and states that we need to be able to do more. With doing more comes with the need for more money.

Kentucky Department of Education. (2018, February). Why CTE Matters. Kentucky Teacher. https://www.kentuckyteacher.org/leadership/commissioners-comments/2018/02/why-cte-matters/

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February is national Career and Technical Education Month. I think it's a great idea to have a month where we as a nation can take the time to learn more about and appreciate all that career and technical education (CTE) offers our students. And believe me, our students are learning a lot in these classes.

In Kentucky, our CTE programs start at the 6th grade with exploratory courses aimed at generating student interest in various careers. I like to refer to these classes as the appetizer course, offering a broad view of many possible career options for our younger students. If students don't know a job exists, then it's hard for them to prepare for it during high school or college.

As high school approaches, students are guided by counselors, parents, teachers and their passions to choose one of more than 35 different career pathways that best suit their interests. These pathways - which are the culmination of course work and work-based learning experiences - help prepare students for a wide variety of potential future careers, everything from engineering and teaching to farming and information technology.

Last year alone, more than 131,000 students enrolled in a CTE course in the Commonwealth. Schools choose which pathways they offer based on local and regional workforce needs. Each pathway immerses students in the academic, employability and job-specific skills they need to be successful in the industry in which they have career aspirations.

CTE programs also have solid partnerships with postsecondary institutions. Many courses offer dual credit opportunities that allow a student to enter a postsecondary institution with college credits, which not only saves a student money but also increases the likelihood that he or she will earn a degree.

We are taking these partnerships to the next level with our New Skills for Youth Initiative, which is funded by a grant from JPMorgan Chase and the Council of Chief State School Officers. This initiative, now in its second year, is helping to create regional hubs where multiple school districts partner with a postsecondary institution to offer training that is tailored to the needs of employers in the region. Employers work with K-12 and postsecondary education to help create seamless pathways for students to get the credentials and the certifications they need to walk out of the classroom and into a good-paying job.

I've often heard it said that the way out of poverty is education. I think that's only partly true. The real way out of poverty is a career. Everything taught in Kentucky's high schools, regardless of what type of class it is, should be leading our students toward a career. For many students, these certifications are the key to a secure future.

One of my goals for the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) is to have the Commonwealth leading the nation in the number of industry certifications earned by our students. We're well on our way. In the 2015-16 school year, more than 12,000 students earned certifications in such varied skill sets as a Microsoft Office specialist, emergency medical technician and Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). And because these CTE students earn their certification while they are still in high school, their families don't bear the costs of the required tests, which can range up to the hundreds of dollars.

While classes are at the core of career and technical education in Kentucky, students have other excellent opportunities to explore their future careers. Statewide, more than 50,000 students are members of eight nationally recognized career-technical student organizations. These groups include Future Business Leaders of America, Family Career and Community Leaders of America, the National FFA Organization, DECA (marketing education), HOSA-Future Health Professionals, the Technology Student Association, Skills USA and Educators Rising.

These organizations are co-curricular, meaning that the activities and competitive events they sponsor are directly tied to classroom instruction. Through participation in these organizations, students can apply what they have learned in class and gain recognition for their skill development. They also can practice the leadership, communication and teamwork skills that are so desperately needed in our world today.

Career and technical education has consistently proved to be a wise investment. CTE even increases the likelihood a student will graduate from high school. According to a study published late last year in the American Educational Research Journal, high school juniors and seniors who completed a CTE course were less likely to drop out of school and more likely to graduate on time. That finding is backed up by KDE data.

In the 2015-16 school year, Kentucky seniors who completed three CTE courses - what we call a program of study - had a graduation rate of 98 percent. In comparison, the graduation rate for all high school students in the Commonwealth during that same year was 88.6 percent.

Of those seniors who completed a CTE program of study during the 2015-16 school year, an impressive 94 percent successfully transitioned to a job, the military, an apprenticeship or postsecondary institution. That kind of track record is why I support CTE.

Also, the national study published last year found that taking CTE classes while in high school had no impact on whether a student would attend college - an important point to highlight. I have often heard parents saying they don't want their children to take CTE classes because they fear their child's high school will take them out of the college preparatory path. While this is not the case, the perception is still there. This study seems to show that perception is wrong and I, for one, am glad to see it.

All students, regardless of their plans after graduation, can benefit from the skills learned in CTE classes.

While we've done well setting up an exemplary CTE program in the Commonwealth, I think we can do better. We need to encourage all students to explore the value that CTE programs can deliver, whether it is earning an industry certification, earning college credits or both. And we, as parents, educators and community members, need to support our children in finding their passions to better prepare for a future career.

Our business and community members can support CTE as well by offering students job shadowing or mentoring opportunities. When a high school CTE teacher calls and asks you to participate in their program, I encourage you to grab the opportunity. When a business opens its doors to high school students, not only is it helping students build the skills they need to become successful members of the community, the business is also helping itself by training its future workforce. This kind of partnership helps create stronger students, better workers and more successful businesses.

While February may give us just 28 short days to recognize all that CTE offers our youth, the Commonwealth is working all year long to help expand the benefits of the program to all students. CTE helps ensure that each and every student is empowered and equipped with the knowledge, skills and dispositions to pursue a successful future. I think that is a goal that we all can get behind.

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Stephen Pruitt February is national Career and Technical Education Month. I think it's a great idea to have a month where we as a nation can take the time to learn more about and appreciate all that career and technical education (CTE) offers our students.

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Hi my name is Katherine Blackard and I am an FCS teacher. Did you know Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes provide students with hands-on training and real-world skills for success in today's workforce. To ensure every student has access to these opportunities, we need increased funding for individual program areas. With more resources, we can enhance equipment, attract top instructors, and expand course offerings. Investing in CTE is investing in our students' futures and the strength of our economy. Let's support CTE programs to empower students and drive prosperity. Thank you for your time.

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1. Know the Issues
One of the first issues you think of when you think of education is funding. Money runs the world and that is no different within the world of education. Everything effects funding, student attendance, student’s free and reduced lunch, student enrollment, district, etc. Where Fayette County Public Schools does pay the teachers higher than surrounding counties it still needs funding to run the actual schools. This means, funding cuts and staffing cuts to maintain funding. This is not feasible, specifically for Paul Laurence Dunbar as we serve around 1850-2000 students depending on enrollment year to year. When we, as educators can spend funds for classroom activities, the red book laws and restrictions are unreasonable.

2. Know your District
Fayette County Public Schools is moving to be majority title 1 schools and an ever-growing population requiring new schools to be built to alleviate overcrowding. Within my specific area of teaching, Career and Technical education courses, while able to apply for Perkins Funding and have received LAVEC funding the last two years, do not receive funding such as sports, STEM, etc.

3. Know Where You Stand
My outlook on funding within CTE is dismal across the state and district. When we apply for Perkins, ranking from highest to lowest need, then leaving it up to the district to approve or deny the request with no reasoning. This severely limits the things we can purchase for student use and limits the amounts students can do within CTSO’s.

4. Know the Decision Makers
The Kentucky department of Education is responsible for the allocation to each district for Perkins and LAVEC funding. Then the District School board and Office of teaching and learning is responsible for the allocation, based on numbers, to each school. Within the school, the CTE Department chair and head principle (in the case of PLD) are responsible for the allocation to individual program areas.

5. Know how to Contact Decision Makers
All of the decision makers mentioned in step 4 have public numbers, email, and for FCPS SBDM meet twice per month.

6. Know the Calendar for Decision Making
The FCPS SBDM they gather and meet, generally on the 2nd and 4th Monday night ever month at 5:30 or 6 pm. Linked HERE

7. Know how to State Your Case
Being able to attend the district School Board meetings and discussing the need for more funding for the CTE programs across the district and how the effect the students directly. Also attending advocacy days within Frankfort, KY like the CTE/CTSO/FCS advocacy days.

8. Know how to Reach the Public
Utilizing the Infinite Campus message center as well as social media is a great way to reach the public on the issue of funding specifically for CTE programs. As well as utilizing the CTSOs – FCCLA, DECA, Ed Rising, WPLD and TSA to showcase what our students gain from the CTE program areas.

9. Know Your Role in the Electoral Process

Be an active participant in the election process instead of voting blindly.