Shutdown Continues as CTE Nominee Withdrawn

This week, the federal government shutdown entered its fourth week, with no progress on funding legislation for the new 2026 fiscal year (FY26). Meanwhile, the Trump administration shared an updated slate of nominations for several appointments while also rescinding a nomination for a key role overseeing CTE. Elsewhere, a compact for higher education gets broadened for more institutions, and Advance CTE, with partners, submits comments to the U.S. Department of Education regarding the Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Shutdown Continues as CTE Nominee Withdrawn

This week, the federal government shutdown entered its fourth week, with no progress on funding legislation for the new 2026 fiscal year (FY26). Meanwhile, the Trump administration shared an updated slate of nominations for several appointments while also rescinding a nomination for a key role overseeing Career Technical Education. Elsewhere, a compact for higher education gets broadened for more institutions, and Advance CTE, with partners, submits comments to the U.S. Department of Education regarding the Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Public Policy
• October 24, 2025

Federal Government Shutdown Continues

The fourth week of the federal government shutdown began this week, as Congress has yet to reach an agreement on how to fund the federal government. The Senate is out of session today, but this week, it once again voted on the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through November 21. The measure again failed to reach the 60-vote threshold. Senate Democrats continue to insist that any funding bill include the extension of healthcare tax credits set to expire at year’s end, making their support contingent on this included provision. The House remained out of session this week.

Advance CTE will continue to report the progress of these appropriations discussions and communicate the potential impact on education and workforce programs to the wider CTE community.

President Trump Withdraws OCTAE Nomination

This week, President Trump sent a new slate of nominees to the Senate for consideration for political appointments across executive departments and the judicial system. Notably, the chancellor of the Florida Department of Education, Dr. Kevin O’Farrell, was included on the slate as a withdrawn nomination. As a reminder, earlier this year, President Trump nominated Dr. O’Farrell to lead the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) within the U.S. Department of Education (ED). His nomination to serve as Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education was advanced by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions (HELP) Committee in May to the full Senate, and had remained under consideration since that time.

It remains unclear when President Trump will make a new nomination to fill this key role overseeing the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V), Career Technical Education (CTE), and adult education.

Advance CTE will continue to monitor the wider presidential nominations process as it relates to Perkins V and CTE.

Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education Expanded

Earlier this month, the Trump administration issued letters to select universities seeking to create a “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” asking institutions of higher education (IHEs) to sign on to a shared set of principles that institutions receiving federal benefits must follow. The principles include nondiscriminatory admissions, academic freedom, financial transparency, and limiting reliance on foreign funding. It also requires signatory universities to undergo annual external audits of compliance and makes forfeiture of federal funding a possible consequence of non-compliance. After an initial mixed response of pushback or uncertainty from the first round of invitees ahead of the October 20 comment deadline, President Trump signalled the potential for much wider participation in the compact, inviting all IHEs to sign on and adopt the principles.

Advance CTE and ACTE Submit Comments on IES Redesign

Earlier this month, Advance CTE and the Association for Career Technical Education (ACTE) submitted comments in response to ED’s request for information on rebuilding the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) after it was largely shuttered earlier this year. The letter emphasizes the need to better incorporate CTE into the research agenda and data collection efforts, align CTE data definitions with practice, and strengthen cross-agency data sharing to better track learner and program outcomes. Read the letter concerning IES here.