On July 31, Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle praised colleges and career academies, stating, “We have to design education models that fit the needs of individual students, with pathways to lead them to success." As a matter of fact, Wisconsin has taken the charge of moving the agenda. Just last week, they created the first-ever Legislative Council Special Committee on Improving Educational Opportunities in High School. The purpose is to provide opportunities for both lower- and higher-achieving students. Even state departments of education are disaggregating their data and finding that students who take CTE courses are more likely to take honors and advanced placement courses. Matt Hastings of the Nebraska’s Department of Education breaks it down here. As a former CTE student and teacher, I have a deep passion for CTE, and I have experienced first-hand how CTE can tap into authentic student learning. CTE is no longer the vocational education program of the past. It is a revitalization of education through the incorporation of 21st-century skills and learning that works. — Guest author, Salvador Contes Jr., Assistant Principal, Poughkeepsie High School, NY
