Career and Technical Education (CTE) program pathway positions, and therefore opportunities for students, are being cut.

Require Minneapolis Public Schools students to take two CTE courses to graduate and return the teaching positions that were cut for 2026-2027. 

What is CTE (brief): 

CTE provides students opportunities to experience courses that integrate technical and occupational knowledge and skills with core academic content knowledge. The ability to explore career pathways in applied learning contexts have the benefit of reaching beyond the classroom and into high-demand careers. The CTE courses that are offered in MPS allows any student in the MPS district to attend CTE classes no matter their home school, providing experiential and integrative learning opportunities to all students in the district. 

How is CTE funded? 

The district receives a 35% reimbursement on CTE salaries, supplies, and travel expenses from the state legislature through the CTE Revenue and CTE Levy—meaning for every dollar cut, the district only saves 65 cents—while also losing access to valuable federal and state grants. Or to put it another way, for every three CTE teachers you cut, you are only saving the salary costs of two, because you are reimbursed for the third! Same for CTE instructional supplies, food/cooking materials, travel, professional development, student organizations and extended contracts, curriculum development; everything except benefits and equipment costs. 

How does cutting CTE FTE’s undermine student success? 
MDE data shows that students who complete two or more CTE courses graduate at higher rates, including students of color*. CTE is a proven intervention strategy—it helps students stay engaged, find purpose, and develop real-world skills that prepare them for postsecondary education and careers. 

At a time when students already struggle to access CTE courses, reducing these programs only worsens the problem. In signing below, we agree there is a need to require MPS students to take CTE courses and for CTE needs to maintain their FTE for 26-27.

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*CTE is actively closing the achievement and graduation gap within CTE for students of color. In 2016, 84% of BIPOC students enrolled in CTE graduated from high school, and in 2019 (the most recently available data from MDE), 86% of students of color graduated, compared to 94% of white students enrolled (MDE, 2021). Minnesota CTE was able to decrease the gap from 10% to 8%. 

Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education. The Macmillan Company.

Minnesota Department of Education. (n.d.). What is Career and Technical Education?.                                Career and Technical Education. https://education.mn.gov/mde/dse/cte/