Senate Approves Career Tech Board Measure

A bill intended to restructure the State Board of Career and Technology Education has passed the Senate. HB 1068, co-authored by Senator Herb Rozell, D-Tahlequah and Representative Ray Miller, D-Quinton, would do away with the current Career Tech board and require the governor to appoint new members from each Congressional district.

HB 1068 would require the Governor's appointees to the board to come from a business or industry where a majority of the workforce performs tasks for which the state’s Career Tech system offers training or other educational services. In addition, the bill would require Career Tech board members to have at least a high school diploma to serve on the board.

"This bill makes sure that we have people on the board who have an intimate understanding of what our Career Tech centers do and who also meet a minimum educational requirement. Many other agency boards are structured this way, and I think it’s a good idea for Career Tech to have similar standards," Senator Rozell noted.

The reconstituted board would have only two members from the Oklahoma Board of Education. Previously, the Career Tech board included all members of the Board of Education

The Career Tech board currently includes State Superintendent Sandy Garrett, who is the Chairperson and a voting member. Career Tech Director Pete Buswell also serves as a non-voting member of the board. Senator Rozell said these positions would remain unchanged under the bill.

"Our Career Tech system is a critical component of our education system. We need to make sure that it not only consists of the most highly qualified individuals, but also has an appropriate number of members to do business efficiently," Senator Rozell said.

HB 1068 is now headed back to the House for approval.