[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 66 (Tuesday, April 24, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S2392]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KAINE (for himself, Mr. Portman, Ms. Baldwin, and Mrs. 
        Capito):
  S. 2737. A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide 
for the preparation of career and technical education teachers; to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. KAINE. Mr. President. Maintaining a talented workforce is 
essential to cultivating a strong economy and positioning our Nation 
for success in today's increasingly competitive global marketplace. 
Opportunities for education, professional development, and the 
acquisition of skills immediately translatable in the workplace will 
help to ensure that our students and workers are equipped with the 
skills required to succeed in the 21st century. Career and technical 
education (CTE) programs play a vital role in increasing student 
engagement, continuing our nation's economic competitiveness, and 
building the skills of our country's workforce.
  In recent years, there has been a resurgence of student interest in 
career and technical education, but shortages in high-quality CTE 
teachers have made it difficult for school districts to meet this 
demand. While the Higher Education and Opportunity Act of 2008 provides 
grants for teacher residency partnership programs to colleges and 
universities who work with high-needs school districts to train 
prospective teachers, no CTE-focused partnerships exist.
  That is why I am introducing with my colleagues, Senator Baldwin, 
Senator Portman and Senator Capito the Creating Quality Technical 
Educators Act, which would amend the Higher Education and Opportunity 
Act to create a CTE teacher-training grant partnership to equip 
aspiring CTE teachers with real-world experience and credible skills to 
apply in the classroom. This legislation would foster teacher training 
partnerships between high-needs secondary schools and post-secondary 
institutions to create a one-year residency initiative for teachers and 
includes teacher mentorship for a minimum of two years. This period of 
hands-on training and mentorship will only increase the ability of CTE 
teachers to benefit their students through classroom instruction and 
serve as a career model.
  In addition to establishing CTE specific teacher-training grant 
partnerships, this bill takes a proactive approach to recruiting and 
training more high-quality CTE teachers. CTE teacher residencies would 
target teacher candidates from a variety of backgrounds including 
recent college graduates, veterans, mid-career professionals, and 
currently licensed teachers with a need for technical skills training 
who seek to transition into CTE fields.
  As co-chair of the Senate CTE Caucus, I am proud to introduce this 
commonsense, bipartisan legislation to recruit and train talented 
teachers to meet the rising need for CTE. The Creating Quality 
Technical Educators Act is an important step towards ensuring access to 
high-quality CTE instruction, preparing teachers for success, and 
maintaining the skill set of our Nation's workforce.
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