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Department of Career and Technical Studies (DCTS)


PSEA's Department of Career and Technical Studies (DCTS) is composed of Career and Technical Education teachers. DCTS executive board members are appointed by region presidents to serve as region representatives. The executive board also representatives from the seven sections of Career and Technical Education: Agriculture Education, Business Education, Distributive Education, Health Occupations, Family and Consumer Science, Technology Education, and Trade/Industrial Education.

DCTS identifies and addresses the concerns and issues which affect the professions of educators in these disciplines. These issues include the Carl D. Perkins Act, vocational certification, NOCTI testing, CTE State Subsidy funding, and other legislative issues that affect career and technical education. The DCTS president is a non-voting member of the PSEA Board of Directors.

DCTS Executive Board:

Central Region
Kent A. Robb, Mifflin-Juniata CTC EA

Central-Western Region
David Dayok, Somerset County Technical Center EA

Eastern Region
vacancy

Mideastern Region
vacancy

Midwestern Region
Tom Geisler, Beaver County CTC EA

Northeastern Region
Leo Dragon, West Side Area CTC EA

Northwestern Region/Business Ed.
Darlene Albaugh, Warren County EA

Southeastern Region
Phil Fuchs, Chester County IU #24

Southern Region/Technology Ed.
Kenneth Myers, Conewago Valley EA

Southwestern Region
Brian Pegg, Central Westmoreland CTC EA

Western Region
Cynthia Wittman, Forbes Road CTC EA

Agriculture Ed.
vacancy

Family and Consumer Sciences
Dorothy Liller, Altoona Area EA

Health Occupations
Martha Diamond (Vice President), Lawrence County Vo Tech EA

Trade and Industrial
David Namey (President), Wilkes-Barre Area CTC EA

PSEA-Retired Liaison
John Gomolak (Past President), Westmoreland County PSEA-Retired

Staff Consultant
Jeff Grinaway, Midwestern Region, New Castle
 

 
2011-2012 Meetings
The Department Executive Board (region reps and section chair) is scheduled to meet on the following committee weekends; September 23-24, 2011 and February 3-4, 2012. Section groups meet November 18-19, 2011. There will be a combined Executive and Sections meeting on May 18-19, 2012 .

Department Focus
Because all committees/departments/boards are part of PSEA’s strategic planning process, each must submit an annual action plan outlining their activities at the state, region and local levels for the year.

For the 2011-12 school year, DCTS has outlined the following:

  • DCTS will monitor legislation and initiatives that pertain to career and technical education and provide information to DCTS representatives and to appropriate PSEA staff.  DCTS and PSEA staff are working closely with the Bureau of Career and Technical Education as they move forward with their professional development initiatives designed to improve student scores and close the achievement gap for CTE students across Pennsylvania.
     
  • Monitor and advocate for increases in the yearly federal budget allocattions as it applies to the federal Perkins Career and Technical Education Act.
     
  • Most recently, PSEA staff is working with DCTS to monitor the Department of Education’s new interpretation of Chapter 49 requirements for vocational educators to obtain Level II certification. Although this regulation has not changed in approximately 35 years, PDE legal staff is now interpreting the Chapter 49 language to require that Vocational Education Level II candidates complete 78 credits for their Level II certificate. Prior to this, since the 1970’s, the total number of credits required for a Vocational Education Level II has been 60.
     
  • Through PSEA, DCTS will seek to pass legislation which will extend the time allotted to achieve Vocational II certification; from 6 years to 8 years.