Last week the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed eight pieces of legislation aimed at enhancing career and technical education. Awaiting consideration in the State Senate is:
•HB 2155 would reduce and provide for new vocational instructional certificate awarding requirements.
•HB 2156 would create the Career and Technical Education Partnership Tax Credit Program, in which business firms are allowed tax credits when they contribute to career and technical partnership organizations.
•HB 2157 would require the Commission for Agriculture Education Excellence and the PA Department of Education to issue guidelines and expedite the approval process for schools to initiate new career and technical education programs.
•HB 2158 would require school entities to consider all representatives of career presenters equally and be made available to student in grades 4-12.
•HB 2159 would require all public schools and public school entities to submit their articulation agreements to PDE for inclusion in the online articulation agreements database.
•HB 2203 would require the PA Departments of Education, Labor and Industry and Agriculture to annually update an online career resource center with employment data and statistics.
•HB 2204 would require the PA Departments of Education and Labor and Industry to create a workforce development clearinghouse, and to share best practices with career and technical education entities.
•HB 2206 would require each Workforce Development Board to include at least one career and technical school administrator.
The Keystone Teachers Association will keep you updated on the status of these bills as they advance through the Senate.
