Thank you, Senator Kennedy
Aug 29, 2009
A champion of career technical education, Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts passed away on Tuesday, August 26, 2009 from brain cancer. He was 77.
He was a staunch supporter of career technical education. He played an important role in passing the School-to-Work Opportunities Act, which have provided millions of students a variety of work and school opportunities, up-to-date resources, and hands-on experiences for students to enter the workforce. He also helped pass the Vocational Education Amendments of 1968 which helped shape vocational education programs and established a National Advisory Council on Vocational Education. In 1984 the Vocational Education Act was renamed the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act, and established programs emphasizing the acquisition of job skills through both vocational and technical education. The Perkins Act is essential to the funding of career technical education programs all over our state. In 1990 the bill established the tech-prep program. The bill was reauthorized in 1998.
A champion of community service, he shared in SkillsUSA’s belief that community service is vital to the future generations of Americans. In 1990 he helped pass the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1990, which created AmeriCorps in 1993.
Senator Kennedy was also a supporter of higher education, working with Senator Claiborne Pell in 1972 to create the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant, which was renamed the Pell Grant in 1980. Pell grants increased the availability of grant aid to disadvantaged children. In addition, he was a key supporter of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which protected women from discrimination in educational institutions. In 2007 he helped pass the College Cost Reduction Act, which authorized a $23 billion increase in student aid. It also reigned in interest rates on undergraduate subsidized student loans to help make debt more manageable for student borrowers. Recently, he helped pass a variety of acts to ensure continued availability of federal financial aid to college students, despite an economy in recession.
Whenever the SkillsUSA Massachusetts delegation visited Washington D.C. during the Washington Leadership Training Institute, if he was in the nation’s capitol he made sure that he had taken time out of his busy schedule to meet with us. Many of our state staff and former state officers have fond memories of our visits with him.
SkillsUSA Massachusetts will sorely miss a true champion of our beliefs, our state, and our fellow citizens. Thank you, Senator Kennedy, for everything and taking care of all of us.
Senator Kennedy’s website is allowing supporters like you to submit our memories of our senator, and to express our sympathies with the Kennedy family. Selected memories will be displayed on TedKennedy.org. We have already sent in our message—will you send your message too?
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