Forwarded to the list FYI.



>Date: Mon, 03 Oct 2005 12:22:52 -0400

>From: OVAE <OVAE at ed.gov>

>

>

>THE REVIEW

>

>(Vocational and Technical Education; Adult Education and Literacy; and 

>Community Colleges)

>September 30, 2005

>Beto Gonzalez-Acting Assistant Secretary

>Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE)

>U.S. Department of Education

>

><<http://www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/ovaereview/orev092905.html>http://www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/ovaereview/orev092905.html> 

>

>

>Angela Desrochers-Editor

>

>The Review is an update from the Office of the Assistant Secretary at the 

>Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education.

>

>Note from the Editor

>

>With close to 372,000 K-12 students from Louisiana and Mississippi being 

>displaced and nearly 25,000 community college students being impacted in 

>Louisiana alone due to Hurricane Katrina, the Office of Vocational and 

>Adult Education is dedicating a portion of this month s edition of The 

>Review to hurricane recovery efforts as well as bringing you the latest 

>updates on other important news that affects our subscribers.  In doing 

>so, our format is slightly different this month.  The October edition will 

>contain the regular breakdown of our three areas of focus for the Office 

>of Vocational and Adult Education.

>

>Breaking News

>

>Beto Gonzalez named Acting Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult 

>Education

>

>Last month, Secretary Margaret Spellings named Deputy Assistant Secretary 

>Beto Gonzalez to serve as Acting Assistant Secretary for Vocational and 

>Adult Education.  Before coming to the department in August, Beto had been 

>serving as a Special Assistant in the U.S. Department of Labor s Office of 

>Public Affairs, where he was responsible for coordinating Hispanic 

>outreach and media relations.  Previously, Beto was the Dean of Students 

>and Student Services at Bakersfield College in California and, at the high 

>school level, an Assistant Principal and a teacher of English literature 

>and Spanish.  His education credentials include an A.A. degree from 

>Bakersfield College, B.A. and M.A. degrees from California State 

>University, and doctoral work at the University of California, Los Angeles.

>

>For more information about Beto Gonzalez, read the department s press 

>release at 

><<http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2005/08/08042005a.html>http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2005/08/08042005a.html>. 

>

>

>Hurricane Relief Efforts

>

> From the U.S. Department of Education

>

>The U.S. Department of Education has established a Web site to help 

>facilitate affected schools and educational organizations to receive the 

>necessary supplies they need to rebuild.  Officials from 

>hurricane-affected organizations can post their needs on the Web 

>site.  Also, organizations and individuals who want to donate educational 

>materials and goods can pledge to make donations there.  Staff at ED 

>monitor the site and connect donors and recipients.

>

>To make a pledge to make donations to educational organization please 

>visit www.hurricanehelpforschools.gov/org-form.html 

><<http://www.hurricanehelpforschools.gov/org-form.html>http://www.hurricanehelpforschools.gov/org-form.html>

>

>For schools in the affected areas to register their needs, please visit 

>www.hurricanehelpforschools.gov/school-form.html 

><<http://www.hurricanehelpforschools.gov/school-form.html>http://www.hurricanehelpforschools.gov/school-form.html>

>

>The department thanks everyone who has already given via the ED Web site 

>since it was set up following Hurricane Katrina and to those who have 

>already helped schools via other means.  However, the need is still 

>great.  We are asking that you help us to identify either schools or 

>organizations that would benefit from this information.  So please spread 

>the word by forwarding the information provided in this edition of The Review.

>

> From the White House

>

>On September 16, President George W. Bush proposed $2.6 billion in 

>supplemental aid for education.  Funding would be provided to school 

>districts enrolling displaced children that would cover, for example, 

>additional teachers' salaries and supplemental educational services.  The 

>president also proposes to provide compensation to displaced families for 

>enrollment in private schools.  With regards to higher education, the 

>president has proposed funding to help meet the needs of displaced adults 

>who are in repayment of their student loans; provide aid to colleges and 

>universities receiving displaced students; and provide support to both the 

>institutions in the severely impacted areas and the students once enrolled 

>by these institutions.  For more information please go to

>

>www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/hurricane/index.html 

><<http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/hurricane/index.html>http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/hurricane/index.html> 

>

>

> From the U.S. Department of Labor

>

>Katrina Recovery Job Connection is a new Web site resource focused on 

>supporting the transition back into employment for individuals impacted by 

>Hurricane Katrina.  The site s purpose is to connect job seekers with 

>employers for either new permanent employment or for jobs related to the 

>clean-up, recovery, and rebuilding process in hurricane-impacted 

>areas.  While the site is intended to complement efforts at the state and 

>local levels, it is also intended to make individuals evacuated to other 

>states aware of opportunities in their home state.

>

>

>The site also allows employers to post jobs and job seekers to search for 

>job opportunities and post their resumes.  Please visit 

>www.jobsearch.org/katrinajobs 

><<http://www.jobsearch.org/katrinajobs>http://www.jobsearch.org/katrinajobs> 

>for more information.

>

>Community Colleges

>

>The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has a link on their 

>Web site directed at hurricane relief.  They are monitoring daily the 

>status of colleges, resources for institutions, students, and offers of 

>assistance.  See the sections for the support for students, help for 

>colleges, news updates, status of colleges, policy updates, and hurricane 

>relief resources.

>

>www.aacc.nche.edu/Content/NavigationMenu/NewsandEvents/Hurricane_Relief/Hurricane_Relief.htm 

><<http://www.aacc.nche.edu/Content/NavigationMenu/NewsandEvents/Hurricane_Relief/Hurricane_Relief.htm>http://www.aacc.nche.edu/Content/NavigationMenu/NewsandEvents/Hurricane_Relief/Hurricane_Relief.htm>

>

>The Louisiana Community & Technical College System also has a link on 

>their Web site directed at hurricane relief.  Follow the detailed 

>information on college closures, faculty/staff FAQs, students FAQs, 

>contact information, and hurricane recovery information.

>

>www.lctcs.state.la.us/hurricane.html 

><<http://www.lctcs.state.la.us/hurricane.html>http://www.lctcs.state.la.us/hurricane.html> 

>

>

>The Alabama College System has posted student tuition assistance 

>information and adult education, job training information on their main 

>Web site related to hurricane relief.

>

>www.acs.cc.al.us/ <<http://www.acs.cc.al.us/>http://www.acs.cc.al.us/>

>

>The Mississippi State Board for Community and Junior Colleges has a 

>rolling update on the status of each community college on their main Web site.

>

>www.sbcjc.cc.ms.us/ <<http://www.sbcjc.cc.ms.us/>http://www.sbcjc.cc.ms.us/>

>

>Other News

>

>OVAE establishes Center for Rural Education

>

>The newest addition to the Office of Vocational and Adult Education is the 

>Center for Rural Education (CRE).  Designed to provide a unified approach 

>to rural education, the mission of the CRE is to disseminate information 

>regarding research and promising practices to stakeholders on a wide range 

>of topics of particular importance to schools and communities in rural 

>America and to bring renewed attention to the problems and issues of 

>students in rural schools.   The CRE has the responsibility for the 

>administration of the Secretary s Rural Education Task Force and looks to 

>establish partnerships with the department s principal offices investing 

>in rural education programs, other federal agencies, and the Federal 

>Interagency Committee on Education.  The CRE also encompasses the duties 

>and responsibilities of the Appalachian Regional Staff liaison in 

>monitoring grants issued by the Appalachian Regional Commission.   Former 

>Commissioner of Education Dr. William Smith was named Director of the 

>Center for Rural Education.  Inquiries regarding the Center can be sent to 

>RuralED at ed.gov.

>

>

>Career Voyages Video Tutorial Now Available

>

>The Career Voyages Web site www.careervoyages.gov 

><<http://www.careervoyages.gov>http://www.careervoyages.gov>, sponsored by 

>ED and the Department of Labor, offers a wide range of information and 

>advice for student, parents, career changers, and career advisors, 

>including in-depth profiles of many occupations and related educational 

>requirements and resources.  Because this expansive site can be 

>intimidating to general users - and because young people are a big part of 

>the site's target audience - there is now a video tutorial available at 

>the top of the home page.

>

>

>By clicking on the link, users can launch a short video that walks them 

>through the features of the Web site and introduces some of the 

>navigational tools available.  The video serves to help users access the 

>resources available on the site and motivate them to keep exploring and 

>learning.  By doing so, users can uncover dozens more videos describing 

>many in-demand occupations and their educational requirements.  The Web 

>site also includes career guidance and links to various federal, state, 

>and local career resources.  The videos are available in Windows or Real 

>Player formats.

>

>New Department of Labor resource provides local data on limited English 

>proficient (LEP) populations

>

>The Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor 

>(DOL) has released a special tabulation of 2000 Census data on LEP 

>populations as a resource for One-Stop Career Centers and their education 

>and job training partners.  The data, which are disaggregated by state and 

>for local workforce investment areas within each state, include the number 

>of individuals who speak a language other than English at home, their 

>native language, a self-reported measure of how well they speak English, 

>their educational attainment, employment status, occupation, and income.

>

>For more information and to access the data set, visit DOL s Web site at:

>www.doleta.gov/usworkforce/whatsnew/eta_default.cfm?id=1231 

><<http://www.doleta.gov/usworkforce/whatsnew/eta_default.cfm?id=1231>http://www.doleta.gov/usworkforce/whatsnew/eta_default.cfm?id=1231>

>

>Commission on the Future of Higher Education

>On September 19, 2005, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings 

>announced the formation of the Secretary of Education's Commission on the 

>Future of Higher Education.  The new commission is charged with developing 

>a comprehensive national strategy for postsecondary education that will 

>meet the needs of America's diverse population and address the economic 

>and workforce needs of the country's future.

>

>Speaking at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte, Spellings said, 

>"It is time to examine how we can get the most out of our national 

>investment in higher education.  We have a responsibility to make sure our 

>higher education system continues to meet our nation's needs for an 

>educated and competitive workforce in the 21st century."

>

>Former North Carolina governor James B. Hunt joined Spellings at the UNC 

>event and will serve on the new 19-member commission, along with 

>university presidents, CEOs, policymakers, and researchers.

>

>Spellings said the commission will engage students and families, 

>policymakers, business leaders, and the academic community in a national 

>dialogue about all key aspects of higher education.  Through public 

>hearings to be held around the country, the commission will attempt to 

>answer questions such as: What skills will students need to succeed in the 

>21st century?  How can we make sure America stays the world's leader in 

>academic research?  And, how can we make sure opportunities for quality 

>higher education and best jobs are open to all students?

>

>Spellings noted that the achievement gap is closing and test scores are 

>rising among our nation's younger students, due largely to the high 

>standards and accountability measures called for by the No Child Left 

>Behind Act.  More and more students are going to graduate ready for the 

>challenges of college, she said, and we must make sure our higher 

>education system is accessible and affordable for all these students.

>

>"We should send students a clear message: If you work hard, you can go to 

>college, regardless of how much money your parents make," Spellings 

>concluded. "I hope parents, students, and community members will take an 

>active role in the commission's work.  We all have a big stake in the 

>outcome."  For a complete list of the members of the newly formed 

>commission visit www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2005/09/09192005.html

>

>

>Angela Desrochers

>Communications

>Office of Vocational and Adult Education

>U.S. Department of Education

>Potomac Center Plaza

>550 12th Street SW

>Washington DC  20202-7100

>Phone-(202) 245-7722

>Fax-(202) 245-7837