JTEDs at a crossroad

Tina Norton, of the Pima County JTED and the Association for Career Technical Education of Arizona, said Career & Technical Education in Arizona is at a crossroads due to planned $30 million in cuts next school year.
CTE in Arizona provides skills and training to help students move into future career paths in fields that need skilled workers.

JTED is the funding mechanism for CTE in Arizona, she said. Ten percent of CTE students attend on central campuses, with the remainder at satellite programs.

The planned cuts for 16-17 would put CTE funding at its lowest since the 1990s, though enrollment in CTE classes is at its highest, she said. The planned cuts came about due to the myth that JTED students receive double funding, Norton said.
But in fact, programs do not receive  funding for freshmen taking classes and though some students take more than one CTE class, funding is only provided for one class. Overall, though there are 138k students in CTE, funding is only provided for half of those.

Good CTE programs require additional funds for equipment and training for skills needed for certification.

Supporters can learn more at iamcte.org.