New Perkins: Worth the Wait.

New Perkins: Worth the Wait. What a long strange trip it's been. So said Tom Holdsworth of the National VICA VICA Vocational Industrial Clubs of AmericaVICA Video Conferencing Alliance (UK)VICA Vocational Industrial Chapters of AmericaVICA Vision Counsel of America office when he heardthat the Perkins bill passed, noting that the Grateful Dead's JerryGarcia was still alive when this reauthorization process started. Nearly four years in the making--and it was worth the wait--passageof the Perkins reauthorization will ensure that our nation's systemof vocational-technical education will continue to improve as we moveinto the next millenium. The legislation has come a long way since thefirst bill was drafted in early 1995. Remember the job training block grant proposal (CAREERS and theWorkforce Development Act), with all of the money potentially beinggiven to governors and local workforce boards with no requirement thatthey send any of it to schools? Remember the attempt to attach the Perkins Act to welfare reformlegislation in the summer of 1995, or the conservative groups helping usto defeat a bad conference agreement on the block grant bill in late1996? The controversies continued in 1997, the beginning of the 105thCongress, with the Senate's insistence on still trying to combinevocational education vocational education,training designed to advance individuals' general proficiency, especially in relation to their present or future occupations. The term does not normally include training for the professions. programs with job training, giving the governorscontrol of all funds. In every case, we successfully pushed back harmful proposals andworked toward policies that will make vocational-technical educationstronger in the future. The result is H.R. 1853, the Carl D. PerkinsVocational and Technical Education Act The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act was first authorized by the federal government in 1984 and reauthorized in 1998. Named for Carl D. Perkins, the act aims to increase the quality of technical education within the United States in order to help the economy. , which passed both chambersunanimously on October 9. The bill meets all of AVA's toppriorities for the reauthorization, including: * A separate bill and funding for vocational-technical education,apart from job training or any other initiatives. * Governance by education authorities at the national, state andlocal levels. * Within the Perkins Act, separate authorization The right or permission to use a system resource; the process of granting access. See access control. for tech prep. * Ten percent funding for state leadership activities and 5 percentfunding for state administration. * Strengthening academic and vocational-technical instruction. * More emphasis on professional development, including businessexperience for educators and training in the use of technology. * Support for career guidance and counseling guidance and counseling,concept that institutions, especially schools, should promote the efficient and happy lives of individuals by helping them adjust to social realities. (including a separateauthorization for the kinds of activities carried out by NOICC/SOICC),vocational student organizations, family and consumer scienceseducation, nontraditional training and employment activities. Growing leaps and bounds in size and sophistication so��phis��ti��cate?v. so��phis��ti��cat��ed, so��phis��ti��cat��ing, so��phis��ti��catesv.tr.1. To cause to become less natural, especially to make less naive and more worldly.2. as thereauthorization process dragged, the AVA Ava, in the BibleAva(ā`və), in the Bible, an unidentified city of Mesopotamia, perhaps the same as Ivah. Its inhabitants are called Avites. Legislative Network has becomea veritable powerhouse A fourth-generation language from Cognos that was introduced in the late 1970s for midrange computers. It supports both character-oriented, terminal-based applications as well as Windows clients. Applications developed under PowerHouse can be imported into Cognos' Axiant client/server environment. . Not only did our advocates around the nationsave the Perkins program from very real death threats, but theysuccessfully urged Congress to make positive, proactive changes to thecurrent law. The strength of this network is now well known on Capitol Capitol, seat of the U.S. CongressCapitol,seat of the U.S. government at Washington, D.C. It is the city's dominating monument, built on an elevated site that was chosen by George Washington in consultation with Major Pierre L'Enfant. Hill. Members of Congress call and ask for our grass-roots help on theirinitiatives because they know we can make an impact. While the legislative journey on this particular bill is coming toa happy close, our work is never done. Now comes the implementation ofthe new law. Look for a new Perkins guide from AVA late this year and aspecial session on the law at the annual convention in New Orleans New Orleans(ôr`lēənz –lənz, ôrlēnz`), city (2006 pop. 187,525), coextensive with Orleans parish, SE La., between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, 107 mi (172 km) by water from the river mouth; founded . (Formore information, call (800) 826-9972.) Thank you for all of your time, energy, hard work and support. Nancy O'Brien Assist. Executive Director for Government Relations