As partners in Compact 2043, this coalition strongly supports the District’s efforts to ensure that our high school graduates are ready for a future of their own design: for this to be true, schools must prepare students today for the careers of tomorrow. Because the pathway to family-sustaining careers starts in middle and high school, the budget should 

• Build on existing infrastructure to connect high school experiences and career building assets by expanding innovative offerings like the Advanced Technical Centers (ATCs), and best-in-class career and technical education (CTE) programming. 

• Embed work-based learning into more curricular offerings, including expanded access to high-quality, paid internships and apprenticeships, more dual enrollment and early college high school options, and opportunities for work experience. 

• Improve our programs, policies, and systems by investing in and learning from DC’s Education Through Employment Pathways (ETEP) data system, analyses, and insights.