II. Proposed Federal Vocational Legislaton

Scope and content:

"Notes on Proposed Federal Legislation Related to Technical and Vocational Legislation and Testimony Before Congressional Committees

Document 1:

Document 1 contains record of a statement before Senate Subcommittee on Education Arts and Humanities July 1, 1982. It contains testimony by myself. As a statement in opposition S-2325 and a statement by AVA for recommendations for reauthorizing vocational education legislation. It also contains specifications for reauthorizing vocational education which is described in some 69 pages. The notebook contains a statement by myself and Patricia Coppola on a perspective on vocational education in 1982--a 17 page statement with notes at the end. We also included issues confronting technical education [in] the 1980s. The notebook includes a brief outline of the prototype bill titled--Adult Employment Training and Definition of Terms for the Adult Employment Training. The notebook contained a summary of identified issues identified in the National Institute of Education report on career and technical education. This notebook also includes "Federal State Relationships and Vocational Education: A Congressional View of Vocational Education." Also included is a letter from Michael Brustein comparing the AVA proposal for reauthorization of vocational and technical education dated 08-07-81 [to] the AVA proposal. Included in the notebook is a framework for reauthorization of the Vocational Education Act of 1963 drafted by AVA September 25, 1981. Also included are other special reports prepared to educate both members of AVA and others concerning certain facts regarding vocational education. The first item in the notebook is AVA's responses to a series of questions posed to me by Senator Orin Hatch.

Within the black notebook labeled document one, you will find a clipped copy of testimony given before the Senate Subcommittee on Education, Arts, and Humanities, February 23, 1983. This document in a great deal of detail outlines AVA's position concerning reauthorized vocational education legislation. As stated earlier often are given about six minutes to summarize your big ideas but I discovered staff often is constantly changing, and I have found that the more lengthy documents for the record provides to them information they can draw upon as they do their work in preparing new legislation.

Document 2:

A hearing on the Elementary and Secondary Career Education Act of 1977 before the House Subcommittee on Elementary, Secondary and Vocational Education, and Committee on Education and Labor. This was my first appearance before Congress, and I had just been elected president of the American Vocational Association. Testimony starts on page 270. The brief summary and the full statement begins on page 277 which is then followed by several pages of questions from members of Congress and my responses which ended on page 307. Embedded in those responses you will find some of my core beliefs about education that I still believe to this day.

Document 3:

Hearings before the Subcommittee on Elementary, Secondary, and Vocational Education of the Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives on September 17, 24, 25 and 30, 1980. My comments begin on page 223 and end on page 231. This was a beginning effort by Chairman Perkins to begin to lay the foundation [for] the next reauthorization of vocational education.

Document 4:

Hearing before the Subcommittee on Economic Stabilization of the Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs House of Representatives. I peered before the committee on July 24, 1981. As Executive Director of the American Vocational Association, I made a priority to get before as many committees of Congress dealing with related topics to which vocational education can make a contribution as part of a plan to advance quality career and technical studies. My testimony begins on page 71 and ends on page 77.

Document 5:

Hearings on the reauthorization of the Vocational Education Act of 1963: Part Five: National Institute of Education Study. [There] is a report by Dr. Henry David [who] was director of a national congressional mandate study of vocational education, and his report on that study to the Subcommittee on Elementary, Secondary, and Vocational Education of the Committee on Education and Labor House of Representatives, October 21, 1981 with President Reagan's expressed intent to reduce the federal budget and its efforts to cut funding substantially in vocational education, Congressman Perkins held a series of hearings both in the states and in Washington that led up to the eventual reauthorization of vocational education legislation. Anyone interested in the perceived status of career and technical education as reflected in the National Institute report and early 1980s may find this congressional publication of interest.

Document 6:

Hearings on reauthorization of the Vocational Act of 1963 Part Three: Vocational Education and Child Nutrition Programs held in Lexington and Ashland Kentucky on March 13th and 14th, 1981. This publication illustrates how Mr. Perkins's contingency in Eastern Kentucky engaged in the eventual reauthorization of Perkins.

Document 7:

Hearings before the Subcommittee on Elementary and Secondary Education of the Committee on Education and Labor House of Representatives November 1, 3, 9, 1983. You will find a copy of HR 4164 beginning of page 2 and ending on page 106. On page 107 you will find persons who were to testify concerning this legislation. My comments begin on page 111 and end on page 161. Please note that in my opening statement I commended Chairman Perkins and Congressman Goodling for leading a bipartisan effort in introducing this bill, that we wanted to work with them in developing a meaningful piece of legislation. This bill was the bill drafted in the AVA office of former minority staff member who had retired from the Education and Labor Committee, Charlie Radcliffe. Legislation was based on the framework that AVA had developed in collaboration with the American Association of Junior and Community Colleges, state directors of career and technical education, and with input from several AVA committees. We had drafted a framework in fact invited other educational organizations in Washington, D.C. area to make comments on the framework that led to modifications. We also had surveyed our members concerning particular issues. It was AVA's intent to avoid the term all that existed around the 76 vocational reauthorization by building a consensus within our own community of vocational educators and then with other key educational organizations regarding the thrust of the new reauthorizing legislation. In this we accomplished. Other materials will be presented providing somewhat of a trail of activities that led to the introduction of this legislation. Before we drafted the legislation, as Executive Director, I met with Chairman Perkins and Jack Jennings of his staff to make sure it was okay with Chairman Perkins that we plan to use Charlie Radcliffe, former minority staff to help draft legislation. He said "Gene that's okay," but I remember his words,"you have to make sure the Democrat members of the committee will also support the legislation, because I intend to lead the democrats." With minor changes in the legislation, it was introduced and eventually passed both House and Senate.

Document 8:

My last appearance before a congressional committee came on February 17, 1989 before the Committee on Education and Labor. That testimony can be found on pages 552-562. It was a statement about the Southern Regional Education Board State Vocational Consortium to Improve High Schools for Career Bound Students by connecting academic and high-quality-career-technical studies. In a letter to Jack Jennings, which I cannot locate a copy of, I asked he build into the 1990 reauthorization of Carl Perkins legislation the concept of a program of studies with either an academic or career focus with several criteria defining what such a program of studies would look like including linking high-quality CTE with more rigorous academic studies. As my work at Southern Regional Education Board grew, my attention increasingly turned to state policies through both state boards of education and through state legislatures.

In the model of material on reauthorization of the Vocational Education act in 1985, I have included several other reports summarizing hearings held by the House Committee on Education and Labor. We often assisted the staff in finding persons to present their testimony around these different topics. That's a crucial role to play to help the staff find the right folks who can make the case for improving the quality of your program through policy. Someone might find of interest to see the spread of folks who in fact testified before the committee as the chairman continued to lay a foundation and support for reauthorization of vocational education legislation.

Document 9-26: Records of additional hearings Chairman Perkins held on the reauthorization of the 1984 legislation. This involved engaging a broad network of constituency and receiving their input to the proposed legislation.

Document 27-32: Additional hearings and legislation pertaining to career and technical education at other times.

Additional Testimony involved developing a relationship with Appropriations Committee and appearing before them in both 1983 and 1984 in making a case for increased funding for career and technical education in keeping with the new legislation.

1. Statement regarding Fiscal Year 1985 Vocational Education Appropriations before the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee. May 1984 2. Statement--Making the case for Increased Funding--before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Human Services and Education. May 1983 Testimony to present AVA's position on proposed legislation before the Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Productivity before The Honorable Dan Quayle. June 1981.

In response to the Nation at Risk report and its proposal to eliminate vocational education at the secondary school level, a national commission was established on secondary education. My statement presented AVA's viewpoint on the need to retain vocational education in America's secondary schools and what program should look like.

As Executive Director of AVA, one of the roles is to keep the leadership in the field informed.

In 1976, as president of AVA, in Houston at the December annual association meeting, I spoke to the delegates on the state of AVA. A copy of the statement is included.

When I became Executive Director of AVA in September 1977, I made a presentation each year to the Assembly of Delegates. You will find included presentations made in 1981 1982, 1983, and 1984. Each of these spoke to contemporary issues, but most especially toward future reauthorization of the Vocational Education Legislation.

Early on in my role as Executive Director, I defined the role of AVA in policymaking. This document lays out my philosophy for being an effective promoter of your cause.

One of the basic principles is to build professional relationships with other people who influence and support your cause. An excellent example of this work was by Kenneth Edwards, Director of Kill Improvement Training for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. He made it possible for me to appear before his council and the names and follow up to those individuals are in the materials.

It is important to involve your key association members and leaders in preparing position statements. The first set of position statements include meeting around issues you want to address in future legislation. It was my philosophy that you should not find yourself reacting to others' proposals, but you should become proactive in making recommendations for advancing the quality of vocational education. Eleven of the issues we identified in 1980 are in the packet.

We developed a committee of leaders from the field representing different segments of vocational education, and we produced an initial draft of proposed legislation. This is marked draft. We shared that draft with a range of persons to get their reactions, positive responses, criticisms and revised suggestions and omissions. You will find that on the spreadsheet.

One of the earlier drafts dealt with outlining elements of proposed legislation.

In June 1980, through the work of the Legislation Study Committee, we proposed recommendations for improving vocational education to impact selected national goals and concerns.

In July 1982, we created a framework for the reauthorization of the Vocational Education Act of 1963.

Early on in October [1980], we had a meeting with the executive committee of the AVA Board of Directors and the executive committee of the State Directors of Vocational Education on the reauthorization of vocational education legislation. The agreements from that meeting are included in the packet.

A set of proposed policy options for reauthorization was developed around critical issues.

With the approval of Congressman Perkins, we engaged the retired minority staff person from the Education and Labor Committee, Charlie [Radcliffe], who took AVA's proposed framework and provided options for proposed legislation for each of the major issues. A draft included. You will find Charlie's initials attached to that draft. He worked out of the AVA office.

The next step was to draft proposed legislation and a copy of that proposed legislation was introduced in Congress under HR 4164 with support of both republicans and democrats. Attached is a copy as Charlie had drafted it.

As the Committee of the House and Senate began to work through the legislation, information was requested to make a case for the legislation and for increased funding. In the materials, you will find a letter sent to me by Bob Taylor from the National Center for Research for Career and Technical Education that provided answers to several issues.

To keep the membership informed, we created an Update Newsletter for vocational educators. In September and October 1983, the headline reads, "Work Begins on Reauthorization Bill."

You will also find a summary of the introduction of that 1983 legislation by Congressman Perkins.

On June 6, 1984, Senator Hatch introduced the Vocational Education Act of 1984.

Upon the death of Mr. Perkins in late 1984, AVA proposed to a staff of both House and Senate that the bill be retitled, "The Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act."

In April 1985, Secretary of Education, Bennett, sent to the Honorable Thomas P. O'Neil, speaker of the House, some provisions the department believed should be made in the legislation.

On June 24, 1985, Jack Jennings sent to me a piece he had written on how the new vocational education act was forged in Washington.

Reconciling the House and Senate version, you will find AVA's position on the differences between the House and Senate version.

Once legislation is passed, we presented to our leadership what was sought and what we were able to get, and the advantages the new legislation offers to the field and moving forward. See the statement prepared to the State Directors of Vocational Education, November 1984.

The materials provide a summary of the activities by AVA in pursuing the reauthorization of legislation over time. We forged a strong partnership with the State Directors of Vocational Education and the American Association of Community Colleges. We also met with all the national education associations to get their input. When some went to Jack Jennings to get changes in the legislation, he told them, that they would have to see AVA. "AVA has done its homework this year."

During the final stages of the reauthorization, one day I received a call from Al Shanker, President of the American Federation of Teachers. He wanted to have lunch with me. When I met him, he said, "I just wanted to talk to the fellow that we have been told if we wanted to make changes in the legislation, we needed to see you." Al was a former vocational teacher in New York City. He said "We like the bill."

Additional testimony given to different congressional committee.

March 23, 1978 testimony given to CETA reauthorization.

March 12, 1980 testimony given before the labor--HEW appropriation subcommittee.

June 18, 1980 testimony given before the Senate subcommittee on education, arts and humanities.

July 24, 1981 testimony given before the House banking subcommittee on economic stabilization.

July 23, 1982 testimony given before the economic stabilization subcommittee of the banking, finance, and Urban affairs committee.

May 6, 1982 testimony given for the Senate appropriations subcommittee on labor, health and human services, and education.

March 30, 1982 testimony given before the House appropriations subcommittee on labor, health and human services and education.

June 5, 1983 testimony given before the joint hearings of the subcommittee on science, research and technology of the committee on science and technology.

This was expansion of what had been the American Vocational Association perspective before I arrived. During my time at AVA we look for every opportunity to present the story of the potential of career and technical education America, the role it could play in addressing the needs of American youth and adults an the economy and the resources and legislation needed to achieve those ends.

February 4, 1989 you will find a copy of a letter to Jack Jennings recommending provisions to be inserted into the reauthorize vocational education legislation then before Congress. Some of these recommendations found their way into the legislation. These ideals had grown out of our work at SREB working with a network of high schools in our attempt to link career and technical studies to academic studies.

You will find a notebook describing legislative study teams reports we established in working towards reauthorize legislation. We often selected leaders from the field who had Congressman or senator on the authorizing committee."

SREB Years Notebook of the first meeting of the State Vocational Education Consortium and Pilot Sites, November 1987

Example of one of the Technical Assistance Visit reports conducted at HSTW sites by Gene Bottoms. We conducted 25-30 of these visits per year in the early years.

Special reports prepared in the early years at SREB for the State of Louisiana.

Working papers prepared at SREB for policy leaders, state educational and local leaders and school principals.

Examples of four Site Development Guide developed for school leaders. Some such 12 guides were developed.

Articles prepared for external publications while at SREB.

Support from the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation allowed SREB to launch a Middle Grades That Work Improvement effort in 1998.

Other papers and documents developed at SREB dealing with HTSW.

In 2010, SREB launched a collaborative effort with several states to develop Advanced Career (AC) courses to do for CTE what AP did for academics except built on a framework of applied contextual learning. SREB with the collaboration of nine different states prepared 36 courses and more than 190 project-based units. Each project-based unit averaged 150 pages each. Completion of the projects requires students to use high school-level academics, technology, technical skills and teamwork with each other to complete the project. One example of a project-based unit is enclosed. To illustrate the progress made, you will find a participants' guide, October 26 1995 for Integrated Vocational and Academic Teleconference.

I was a member of the study team in Guilford County, North Carolina, looking at Guilford County Schools and worked on the student achievement section of this report, pages 10-25. This was the last report before retiring from SREB.

Articles published since retiring from SREB

February, 2019 article published by Techniques Magazine—Powerful Assignments Matter in CTE Classes.

October 2019 article published by the American School Board Journal—Setting Bold Goals, page 42.

March 2020 article published by Techniques Magazine—The Voice of CTE Students' Success.

Gene Bottoms journey through education—A Path and a Purpose in Vocational Schools. An article published by SREB upon Gene Bottoms' retirement.

Two historical notebooks of earlier documents.

Contents

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