Contact:
Krysta West
Communications Director
Senate Republican Office
(207) 287-1505
krysta.west@legislature.maine.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AUGUSTA – On Thursday, May 11, Senator Brian Langley (R-Hancock), Chair of the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs, presented the committee with LD 1576, “An Act To Enable Earlier Introduction of Career and Technical Education in Maine Schools.”

LD 1576 seeks to amend the career and technical education (CTE) laws to enable career and 40 technical education programs to serve students in grades 6 to 8, as 11 other states have already done.

“This bill is about providing more opportunity for districts and CTE centers to collaborate in order to offer students educational opportunities they may otherwise not be able to access until high school,” said Sen. Langley. “Accessing career and technical education programs in middle school affords students an opportunity to explore career opportunities in a variety of fields before entering high school.”

In testimony provided to the committee in support of LD 1576, the Maine Department of Education said that CTE programming supports both college and career readiness, which are equally important.

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