On April 15, 2026, Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Deputy Secretary for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) Amy Lena highlighted the importance of investing in career and technical education (CTE) and how those investments are expanding access to CTE in Pennsylvania schools and have helped 3,000 additional students across the Commonwealth enroll in CTE classes.

Since 2023, the Shapiro Administration has increased funding in CTE by $65 million – nearly 50 percent – helping to expand access for students, not only in career and technical centers (CTCs), but also through CTE programs right in their high schools. As a result, CTE enrollment has continued to grow under the administration, with more than 3,000 additional students engaging in CTE and career readiness programming.

An example of the effective use of this funding is Williamsport Area High School. The school offers 15 different CTE programs, including an Educator Rising program which was created under with the use of such funding in 2023 to engage and prepare secondary students interested in pursuing a career in education. At Williamsport, the program is designed for students who aspire to become educators, and provides a comprehensive foundation in teaching and learning through coursework such as Methods in Education, Developmental Psychology, Educational Technology, Neuroscience in Education, and more. The district also offers a Classroom Management Simulator for current educators and staff in the district, allowing them to practice management techniques and instructional strategies through six different scenarios they may encounter in the classroom.

Subsequently, during the 2024-25 budget cycle, Williamsport Area School District (WASD) was able to use more than $700,000 in adequacy funding to continue expanding and establishing CTE programs in their high school, including a state-of-the-art $3 million welding lab.

For more on how (WASD) has enhanced CTE programming, click here.

On April 15, 20256 Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Secretary Dr. Carrie Rowe participated in a roundtable with students and staff at Pottstown Middle School to show how mental health supports implemented in the Pottstown School District have improved outcomes in student success across the school district.

Since January 2023, Pennsylvania has made available nearly $375 million to our schools to support student mental health and security needs, which is a piece of the nearly $3 billion increase the Shapiro Administration has made available to schools to give them the resources they need to create opportunity for every student to succeed.

In  the Pottstown School District, such funding was used to hire a coach focused on student mental health and wellbeing. That coach has helped students go from failing every class to getting good grades, being on track to graduate, and attend college. As a result, the school district has also seen a 90 percent decrease in problematic behaviors like skipping class, a 20 percent decrease in failing grades, and a 40 percent increase in regular attendance

Presently, Governor Shapiro has included another $111 million in his 2026-27 budget proposal for school safety and mental health supports. Thus far, under the Shapiro Administration more than 800 schools have expanded access to mental health services, and more than 200 counselors have been hired since 2023.

For more details on the Pottstown School District program, click here.

On April 9. 2026, PA Secretary of Education Dr. Carrie Rowe highlighted how, over the past three years, the Shapiro Administration has provided $3 million to help migratory learners across the Commonwealth access critical services like specialized after-school tutoring, summer programs, and in-home In fact, during the 2024-25 school year, Pennsylvania’s Migrant Education Program (PA-MEP) served nearly 7,000 children and youth, many of whom spoke Spanish as their primary language. That year, nearly 92 percent of 12th grade PA-MEP students graduated, and more than 60 percent of graduates planned to attend college.

PA-MEP assists local school districts in improving and coordinating the education of children of agricultural workers who have had their schooling interrupted. The program helps migratory children access the same opportunities as their peers who face fewer barriers by coordinating and supporting services that help their progress in school. PA-MEP aims to ensure that all migrant students achieve challenging academic standards, graduate with a high school diploma or obtain a General Education Diploma (GED), and are prepared for responsible citizenship, lifelong learning, and gainful employment. The U.S Supreme Court in Plyer v. Doe (1982) recognized that every child of school age is entitled to a public school education, regardless of actual or perceived immigration status. An essential part of this right is a safe and welcoming learning environment in which all children in the Commonwealth have equal access to a basic public elementary and secondary education.

Since its inception in 1966, the program has served more than 350,000 students from birth to age 22. PA-MEP was initiated after Pennsylvania farmers and growers requested state action to ensure safe childcare and education for children of agricultural workers. Pennsylvania is the only state with its own state funding for migrant education, which supplements federal funds allocated by the U.S. Department of Education.

Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry has a total economic impact of $132.5 billion annually, contributing $1 out of every $16 in the state’s gross domestic product, and supporting more than 600,000 jobs providing $32.8 billion in wages. The Commonwealth ranks first in the nation for mushroom production, and other top commodities include milk, chicken eggs, and broiler production.