Evading Race: A Critical Race Analysis of Vocational/Career and Technical Education Policy

Abstract

Using critical race theory (CRT) as both our theory and analytical framework, we interrogated vocational, career, and technical education (VCTE) policy as a racial instrument. We applied key CRT themes to examine both primary sources; including historical and contemporary VCTE Acts (e.g., Perkins I-V) and Congressional reports; and secondary sources, including academic analyses of VCTE, its history, and related legislation. Findings demonstrate that VCTE policy upholds race-neutrality, which we argue is problematic because without being designated a special population, racially oppressed students stand to miss out on important funding opportunities that could dramatically alter and improve their lives.