Executive Order  No. 66: Establishing the Advisory Council on Vocational and Technical Education, and defining its powers and duties

WHEREAS, a sound vocational and technical education program is essential to the continued prosperity of our Commonwealth and the comfort of its citizens; and

WHEREAS, the young men and women of our Commonwealth deserve and require educational programs and facilities of the highest standard; and

WHEREAS, the enactment by the United States Congress of Public Law 90-576, amending the Vocational Education Act of 1963, now provides the opportunity for developing and implementing a comprehensive plan designed to enhance the effectiveness of the vocational and technical education programs conducted throughout the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, the said Public Law provides for and requires the establishment of a State Advisory Council on Vocational and Technical Education which is to assume important responsibilities with regard to vocational and technical education and the state plan for vocational and technical education;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Francis W. Sargent, Governor of the Commonwealth, by virtue of the authority vested in me as supreme executive magistrate, do hereby order as follows:

1. The Advisory Council on Vocational and Technical Education, hereafter referred to as the Council, is hereby established and the Council is hereby designated as the state agency to perform the functions and fulfill the responsibilities of the state advisory council which council is denominated and which functions and responsibilities are set out in Title I of Public Law 90-576.

2. The Council shall be composed of twenty-three members each of whom shall be appointed to a term of three years by the Governor except that of the initial twenty-three members appoint- ed by the Governor, eight shall be appointed to terms of three years, eight shall be appointed to terms of two years and seven shall be appointed to terms of one year. Any vacancy on the Council due to causes other than the expiration of a term shall be filled by appointment of the Governor for the unexpired portion of the term. Members of the State Board of Education shall be ineligible for appointment to the Council. The members appointed to the Council shall include:

(i) (A) At least one person familiar with the vocational needs and problems of management and labor in the State.

    (B) At least one person representing State industrial and economic development agencies.

(ii) At least one person representative of community and junior colleges and other institutions of higher education, area vocational schools, technical institutes, and post-secondary or adult education agencies or institutions, which may provide programs of vocational or technical education and training.

(iii) (A) At least one person familiar with the administration of State and local vocational education programs.

      (B) At least one person having special know- ledge, experience, or qualifications with respect to vocational education and who is not involved in the administration of State or local vocational education programs.

(iv) At least one person familiar with programs of technical and vocational education, including programs in comprehensive secondary schools.

(v) (A) At least one person representative of local educational agencies.

     (B) At least one person representative of school boards.

(vii) At least one person representing school systems with large concentrations of academically, socially, economically, and culturally disadvantaged students.

(ix) Persons representative of the general public, of whom at least one shall be representative of and knowledgeable about the poor and disadvantaged, who are not qualified for membership under any of the preceding categories.

3. The Council shall have the following functions and responsibilities:

(i) It shall advise the State Board of Education on the development of the State plan for vocational and technical education and policy matters arising in the administration of the State plan submitted pursuant to part B of Title I of Public Law 90-576, including the preparation of long- range and annual program plans, and

(ii) It shall evaluate vocational education programs, services, and activities under the State plan, and publish and distribute the results thereof, and

(iii) It shall prepare and submit through the State Board of Education to the United States Commissioner of Education and to the National Advisory Council on Vocational Education an annual evaluation report, accompanied by such additional comments of the State Board of Education as that Board deems appropriate, which (a) evaluates the effectiveness of vocational education programs, services, and activities carried out in the year under review in meeting the program objectives set forth in the long-range program plan and the annual program plan and (b) recommends such changes as may be warranted by the evaluations.

4. The chairman of the Council shall be designated once each year by the Council. The Council, using available funds, is hereby authorized to obtain the services of such professional, technical and clerical personnel as may be necessary to enable the Council to carry out its functions and to contract for such service as may be necessary to enable it to carry out its evaluation functions. The members of the Council shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for their expenses actually and necessarily incurred as board members; provided that such reimbursement shall not exceed $100 per day, including travel time.

5. The time, place and manner of meeting of the Council shall be as provided by the rules of the Council; provided that the Council shall meet within thirty days after certification has been accepted by the United States Commissioner of Education; and, provided, further, that the rules of the Council shall require the holding of not less than one public meeting each year at which the public is given the opportunity to ex- press views concerning vocational education.

Given at the Executive Chamber in Boston this twentieth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and sixty-nine and of the Independence of the United States of America, one hundred and ninety-fourth.

FRANCIS W. SARGENT

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

JOHN F. X. DAVOREN

Secretary of the Commonwealth