A Man of Vision

ACTC grant will open doors

MCC statue reflects man's love of West

Lou Dobbs Tonight Show Features AACC President Dr. George Boggs

Senate approves Perkins reauthorization bill

A Man of Vision
By Mike Embry, Kentucky Monthly

One of the sad facts about Kentucky is its reputation as a place where students don't go to college or don't finish if they get there. It's not an image that suits Michael McCall. He was hired in 1997 to increase the number of Kentuckians who complete a college degree or use college to re tool their career goals - for keeping a job or finding a better one.

It hasn't been easy, but for the major strides he's empowered, McCall was selected Kentuckian of the Year for 2004.

"I am honored to have been selected for this most prestigious recognition," he said. "The success of KCTCS is because of the talents and contributions of many other Kentuckians. Because of their support, these last six years have been the most rewarding of my professional career."

McCall was tapped to take a collection of schools across the Commonwealth and give them a new identity. Community colleges, formerly under the umbrella of the University of Kentucky, and most technical schools were re grouped in 1997 as the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.

Not everyone liked the switch. Breaking up is hard to do. But McCall points out that though community college students' diplomas no longer bear the seal of the Commonwealth's land-grant institution they have something as good, maybe better - the mark of the largest school system in Kentucky.

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System - all 16 schools and 65 campuses of it - lumped together is a behemoth. It's a border to border network linking more than 80,000 students. It's bigger than most land grant universities anywhere in the country.

Problem is, size of a school isn't all that gets people to enroll. And whatever it is that's kept people away from college in Kentucky - numbers of the population living at or below poverty level, dependence on outdated farm or coal mine lifestyles, lack of college tradition - still has a firm grip.

It's left Kentucky far behind the national average for students enrolling in and completing any coursework beyond high school. Only about 45 percent of Kentucky's high school graduates enter college. Nationally, about 65 percent do, according to the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education.

McCall wants to see Kentucky's numbers up in the college entry category - particularly at community and technical colleges. And he knows how to bring the people in. He's been a leader in those kinds of schools, at some level, for more than 30 years. He's faced struggles with them in South Carolina and Virginia, and one of the ways he helped turn things around in each location was to change the way people thought about community and technical school education.

"He gave us the image that we're not just a technical institution," recalled Edward Bethea, director of public relations and marketing for Florence Darlington Technical College in South Carolina. McCall served there in the early 1990s and hired Bethea to fill what was at that time a one person office. At first, Bethea did the writing, the graphics design, the filing and contact legwork - everything.

Within four years, McCall saw to it that the public relations office at Florence Darlington had a staff of four. Bethea sees a correlation between McCall's push for better visibility for Florence Darlington and what he described as rapid growth in the school's programs and enrollment.

McCall thinks like an advertising strategist. Liabilities? Nah. They're opportunities. Faced with trying to build interest in the study of communications and theater in Virginia, McCall persuaded a movie company to buy in, said Patsy Joyner, vice president for institutional advancement at Paul D. Camp Technical College. McCall, as president at Paul D. Camp, got the company to build a complex that would hold classrooms and other learning space for communications students. When the movie company pulled out - potentially killing the plan - the excitement didn't just go away. McCall had a new building and the admiration of people who saw his gutsy idea as a sign of kinetic energy in the school he was leading.

"One of the things I've always done is look for strategic alliances," said McCall. And when they don't work, he said, you try something else. The point, he added, is to never quit trying.

In Kentucky, McCall has been selling college to unconvinced people by packaging it not as lectures, books and tests, but tough, paycheck empowering time well spent. That means practical stuff - like training auto workers for Magna International, a Canadian auto-parts maker, in the Warren County Technology Center.

The sales job also includes distance-learning systems so desirable they draw students from across the border in West Virginia. KCTCS trains and recertifies heroes - firefighters who save lives here and even travel out of state to assist in major disasters. And it prepares nurses for job vacancies so massive that some states are considering shipping nurses in from other countries.

Most importantly, McCall is seeing to it that these kinds of programs don't just result in certificates anymore. They bring degrees from accredited community and technical colleges - degrees that students increasingly are using as stepping stones to four year degrees.

But all that takes money. The bills have to be paid and when they're not, classes have to be cancelled - something that's happening from Ashland to Somerset to Henderson. A setback? "You don't change everything because you don't have any money," McCall said, explaining that resources can be shifted from one area to another. "You have to keep focusing on the vision." And hire lobbyists in Washington, D.C.

How badly under funded are Kentucky's community and technical colleges? It's tough to say. Technical programs such as nursing are costly to run. Humanities courses at community colleges are cheaper, but they're not free.

Fact is, there are few systems with which to compare dollar for dollar and program for program with KCTCS, said George Boggs, president of the American Association of Community Colleges. Only Minnesota, the Carolinas, Virginia, Wisconsin and Louisiana come close. That's why it's not hard to understand McCall's $320,000 salary and benefits package. Yes, it's higher than any other comparable position in the Southeast. But the question is what is comparable. McCall oversees an annual budget of $569 million.

This year's salary study for college and university administrators by the Chronicle of Higher Education shows an increasing number of university presidents around the nation - 17 this year - earning upwards of half a million dollars annually. And they oversee a handful of campuses, if that many.

McCall has gained a national reputation as a visionary. He takes over this July as chair of the board of directors of the American Association of Community Colleges, a nationally elected position. One of his tasks will be to keep the plight of community and technical colleges at eye level for legislators on Capitol Hill and with the top leaders in the U.S. Department of Education and other federal agencies.

Daunting task? Norma Kent, vice-president for communications for the National Council of State Directors of Community Colleges, said McCall is up to it because he's a "glass half full" kind of leader. Tom Layzell, president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, calls McCall an "articulate exponent" of what community and technical colleges are - and can be. What takes people by surprise is how McCall makes sure as many people as possible get included in the solutions. "He knows how to bring groups to consensus without doing harm to the human dimension," said Jesus Carreon, chancellor of the Dallas County Community College System. Gov. Ernie Fletcher called McCall a leader of energy and vision.

What's McCall's secret?

"First you deal with the facts, then you deal with people," McCall said. "You present your case in a strong way."

The last part is what people remember most about him, he's been told, when it comes to his passion for community and technical colleges. "I just believe in it," said McCall.

It's a faith that's infectious.

The Daily Independent
March 21, 2005

ACTC grant will open doors

ASHLAND A grant to Ashland Community and Technical College from the Ford Foundation's Bridges to Opportunity Initiative will open multiple avenues for students seeking careers in health care, college officials said.

The $137,000 grant also provides flexibility to those wanting to move from one health career area to another, they said.

For those not currently in health care, access to the certified nursing credential will prepare them for entry-level employment; once that certification is completed, participants could apply to other health care programs. Those holding licensed practical nurse credentials will be able to tackle ACTC's registered nurse program.

"A career pathway is not what it used to be, with an entire career under one employer," said Gary Bradford, dean of community, workforce and economic development. "You might become a nurse and work in a hospital for five years and then decide you don't like that and would rather work in a doctor's office or in pharmaceutical sales, or become a nurse-practitioner."

The initiative will help people like that to change career directions, he said.

The initiative includes what Bradford called a "bridge program," which shortens the time to the advanced certification. For instance, a student with LPN credentials, through the bridge program, could enter the RN program and following a one-semester course move directly to the second year of the two-year RN course. "That's a big savings in time and books," he said.

The initiative could well alleviate the nursing shortage in the region, said Keith G. Brammell, division chair for health services at ACTC.

The grant will fund additional faculty, materials and equipment to teach the necessary courses, he said. "With the current education budget crunch, this grant really helps us out."

It will allow more students to take health care courses and also scheduling of off-site classes, he said.

The grant funds the initiative for two years, starting in August.

MCC statue reflects man's love of West

Evidence of the late Col. James R. Blackwell’s love for the West stands on the campus of Madisonville Community College.

The bronze sculpture “Repentance,” located between the John H. Gray Building and Glema Mahr Center for the Arts, was dedicated Monday in Blackwell’s memory.

“It’s a true honor to be here today with family and friends who knew my dad,” Nancy Blackwell said, blinking back tears. “Those of you who knew him, know he always had a story.”

His love of the West grew from a family trip to Colorado in the early 1970s. He was later transferred to Denver with the U.S. Air Force.

“Having the statue here in Madisonville hopefully will open up an invitation to see the West,” Nancy said. “It was very dear to our dad, and we leave it in Madisonville, where he wanted it to be.”

Blackwell —known as “The Colonel” — was born in Sturgis and graduated from Madisonville High School before making a career with the Air Force.

He first saw the statue during a trip to Santa Fe after his retirement.

Blackwell contacted artist Walt Horton and asked to have one made.

“Repentance” tells the story of an encounter between a little boy who is hunting and a bear he encounters. The boy sends an arrow into the bear’s rear end, then as the shaft dangles out of the bear, who is scarcely injured, he hides the bow behind his back.

The 5-foot sculpture stood in Blackwell’s Madisonville backyard for several years. It was moved to MCC in September 2004, three months after Blackwell’s death. The gift, valued at $90,000, was made as part of the Fulfilling the Promise fund-raising campaign.

“When I became president, I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to have a sculpture — or many sculptures — on our campus?’” said Dr. Judy Rhoads, MCC president. “It’s a piece of artwork, but it’s also a thought-provoking piece of sculpture.”

The dedication program included remarks by Richard L. Frymire, who served with Blackwell in the Kentucky Air National Guard, and poems read by students Lisa-Anne Morran and Ryan Watson.

Blackwell emphasized the importance of education, his children said.

Nancy recalled going home from high school one day and telling him she wasn’t sure about going to college and that she wanted to become a flight attendant.

“The Colonel just about blew a gasket on that one,” she said. “Dad had a real passion for education, for having us expand our minds and continue to grow.”

His son, Jeff Blackwell, recalled when MCC’s first building was constructed in 1968.

“I was about 6 years old and Dad would take us out here to see the building go up,” Jeff said. “He was really proud of Madisonville having a college.”

Rhoads told of seeing a family have their picture made with the sculpture just the other day.

“We want to assure you that we will take great care of the bear,” she said, “and that (Blackwell) will be remembered always by the bear being here.”

Lou Dobbs Tonight Show Features AACC President Dr. George Boggs
Lou Dobbs discusses proposed cuts to Carl Perkins funds - featuring Dr. George Boggs

DOBBS: President Bush today went to a community college in Maryland and there said the government needs to do more to support our two-year schools. However, President Bush's new budget would actually take away from the resources of those attending community colleges.

Bill Tucker has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL TUCKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Bush came to Anne Arundel Community College in Maryland to praise community colleges and to hear stories from students of their successes in training for today's job market.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It makes sense to support the community college system, a system that is able to adjust to meet the needs of the people that we taxpayers expect the community college to serve.

TUCKER: It was a folksy event. The president almost playing the role of a moderator. The kind of event meant to distract from a glaring budget fact. The president wants to cut $400 million in funding to community colleges. The money is known as the Carl Perkins funds, money especially important to small rural colleges which often have the poorest students.

GEORGE BOGGS, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES: That would be a very critical blow to our colleges all across the country to lose that much money that supports their workforce programs.

TUCKER: 11.5 million students attend community college. The average age 29. Average tuition is $1,900, and most students are juggling schoolwork with job work. Two-thirds of the new health care workers are trained at two-year colleges.

Community college leaders are concerned about how their institutions will be affected by the cuts. Critics in Congress see the cuts as symptomatic of a bigger problem.

REP. GEORGE MILLER (D-CA), EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE COMMITTEE: The president says one thing, but he does another. And it's very disappointing when we understand the importance of education to training this country to do the future's work so that we can compete in the world and we can have an educated population. His words simply don't match his deeds. And it's unfortunate.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TUCKER: The president's budget also cuts a billion dollars in money for vocational and technical training. The reason, Lou, an assessment of the program presented last year found that votech programs don't lead to college enrollment.

DOBBS: And the point is?

TUCKER: If you're not going to college, I guess, Lou, you don't have a future.

DOBBS: You know, the fact is -- and my brother-in-law, Bill Segura (ph), who has worked in community colleges and technical and vocational schools as an administrator and official for some years, convinced me long ago that community colleges represent the best educational bargain in this country. And for the president to cut funding while extolling the virtues is mind-boggling.

Is there any explanation forthcoming from the administration?

TUCKER: No. No. In fact, calls to the Department of Education today were not returned. And the event, I'm sure, was planned exactly as it was: a nice, feel-good, warm event, but the money is still coming out of the budget unless Congress does something about it.

DOBBS: Bill Tucker, thank you very much.

Senate approves Perkins reauthorization bill

In a show of bipartisan support for career and technical education (CTE), the Senate voted unanimously March 10 on its Carl. D. Perkins reauthorization bill – the first update the Senate has made to the law since 1998. The bill, S.250, builds on current law with changes including the strengthening of local accountability, a stronger focus on academics, the establishment of separate secondary and postsecondary indicators, and the first recognition of “career and technical” as the preferred term when referring to the field. Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, praised the Senate’s expeditiousness in passing the legislation. He said the bill would help America remain globally competitive by giving workers access to the education and training they will need to be successful in today’s workforce.

“Reauthorizing the Perkins Act will help strengthen our workforce and enable America to compete and succeed in the global economy,” Sen. Enzi said. “This legislation will require state agencies to work together on identifying the needs of the workforce and in designing job and skills training programs to match those needs.”

A cornerstone of the Senate bill is the strengthening of local accountability. Communities receiving Perkins funding would be required to establish and meet local adjusted levels of performance; show continuous improvement in academic and technical achievement; conduct a performance evaluation every two years of the six-year plan; and establish separate secondary and postsecondary performance measures. S.250 also promotes an emphasis on academics by aligning student academic achievement standards in Perkins with No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

To the relief of CTE advocates, S.250 maintains tech prep as a separate program. It encourages the coordination of tech prep activities with Basic State Grant activities by offering states the option of a unified plan; increases the focus on career guidance and academic counseling; and includes new provisions allowing for more attention on the recruitment and retention of CTE professionals. It also maintains state administration funding, and has the distinction of being the first bill to replace “vocation education” with “career and technical education” – the term that has been widely adopted by the field. The Senate also fixed a provision in the bill that would have opened up Perkins funds to four-year programs, instead of targeting resources to secondary and two-year institutions.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) said the bill’s bipartisan passage is a testimony to the importance of CTE programs, and he pointed to successful programming under way in his state.

“Massachusetts has impressive programs for high school students to earn industry certifications and go on to earn a degree at a community college or four-year college,” Sen. Kennedy said. “Typically, these students are responding to real needs of local businesses – in health care, information technology, the construction trades, and other occupations.”

Meanwhile, the reauthorization process in the House of Representatives has also been moving along with the unanimous passage of H.R. 366 by the House Education and the Workforce Committee on March 9. Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Education Reform, said the bill was a crucial step in enhancing CTE opportunities for students.

“Our challenge is to ensure that all vocational and technical education students have access to programs that are sufficiently rigorous in both their academic and technical content, as well as provide clear connections with the options beyond high school that most Americans need for continued success,” Rep. Castle said. “I believe this bill fulfills those standards.”

Like its Senate companion, H.R. 366 supports increased accountability and a stronger focus on academic outcomes. To strengthen accountability, states would be required to make “continuous and substantial” improvement in both the academic and technical skills achievement of students. The bill requires local communities receiving Perkins funding to establish performance indicators and improvement plans, and states would be required to annually evaluate local programs against set performance levels. Localities that persistently fail to achieve those goals within one year of implementing an improvement plan, or fail to meet local performance levels two or more consecutive years, could be subject to sanctions from the state.

The bill also aligns student academic standards with NCLB, and fosters math and science education that incorporates the use of technology. The bill also seeks to strengthen student transitions from secondary to postsecondary education, and requires that states use funds to link programming and support partnerships between secondary and postsecondary institutions. To enhance these efforts, the bill would require states to develop sequences of courses for CTE programming that incorporate both secondary and postsecondary elements, and include challenging academic and CTE content that lead to a degree or other credential. Two amendments supported by ACTE were offered at the committee markup – but failed along party lines. The first would have restored state administrative funds in the bill to 5 percent, and the other would have restored Tech Prep as a separate funding stream.

The next step in the reauthorization process will be a vote by the full House on H.R. 366, which is expected sometime in early April. After the House bill has passed, the Senate and the House will go to a conference committee where they will negotiate the differences between the two bills. To keep abreast of the Perkins reauthorization, visit http://www.acteonline.org/policy/legislative_issues/carl_perkins.cfm.