Techniques October 2012 - 36

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Three perspectives on the 2012 acTE national policy seminar
By candice Beasley, kimberly moody and christine nelson— with an introduction from Jim comer

“most of the faces at acTE and on capitol hill have changed, but the purpose of the seminar has remained the same— educating and informing lawmakers and agency staff to the value of what we do. cTE works!” —Jim comer

he ACTE National Policy Seminar (NPS) is a time for Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE) members to meet with Members of Congress or their staff, hear from high-ranking officials in various levels of government, attend educational sessions, network with fellow ACTE members and more. I attended my first National Policy Seminar in the spring of 1993. Most of the faces at ACTE (then it was the American Vocational Association) and on Capitol Hill have changed, but the purpose of the seminar has remained the same—educating and informing lawmakers and agency staff to the value of what we do. CTE works! After my first trip to NPS, I wrote a report to my school praising the value of NPS and how beneficial it would be to pass along my experience to those who would be attending NPS in the future. My hope for those of you reading this article is to show you the real benefit in attending NPS through the perspectives of two first time attendees and one veteran. I want to thank Candice, Kimberly and Christine for volunteering to document their experiences at NPS. I encourage school boards and administrators to send representatives. The return on your investment to your school and to the profession of career and technical education (CTE) will be immense!

candice Beasley
I have heard many people say, “My vote doesn’t matter,” or “Why would

Representative So and So listen to me?” or better yet, “You’re just talking to an aide, what can they do?” I attended my fi rst NPS with mixed emotions. I was excited that I would have the opportunity to learn more about how ACTE advocates on our behalf, but I was a bit hesitant, too. I knew going into the seminar that I would be sharing my views with you afterward. I also knew we would be making Capitol Hill visits. What if I didn’t know what to say to my legislator? Would my voice make a difference? Fortunately, my apprehension was unfounded. Thanks to information that was presented to us beforehand, and the wonderful network of people I was introduced to, I was able to forge ahead with confidence. I not only made my voice heard, but I also learned how to be even more effective at the local level. This would not have been possible if I had not attended the 2012 ACTE National Policy Seminar in Washington, DC.
www.acteonline.org

Techniques

October 2012

Techniques October 2012

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