Daily Lumina News 012921

The Seattle area is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations—and high-tech workers there often command six-figure salaries and up. But you can make that much in low-tech, too, says plumber Vinnie Sposari.
There's a shortage of skilled tradespeople throughout the United States, and it is a persistent issue that started well before the pandemic. Given high unemployment, it is an important time to explore what's behind that gap and what can be done about it.

The Biden administration has promised to ramp up efforts to vaccinate Americans—and it has asked leaders of colleges and universities for help.
Under the plan, colleges essentially have two roles: vaccinate members of their communities and spread the word about the importance and safety of getting the injection.

For all the justified angst about drops in higher-ed enrollment last fall, one key trend has been overlooked: At many predominantly online institutions, enrollment went up—in some cases by quite a lot.
This trend is significant for at least two reasons. For one, it’s a marker of the way the pandemic continues to create (or exacerbate) haves and have-nots in higher education. It's also an early indicator of an evolving shake-up in the online-education arena.

Pedro Martinez grew up in a low-income, Hispanic school district. Now, as the superintendent of the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD), he feels strongly that getting students into college is important—but keeping them there is also a school district responsibility.
Martinez says his college readiness focus aims to give students “armor” to survive the intensity of college. The district has covered the cost for students to retake the SAT and ACT to improve scores. It signed agreements with local universities guaranteeing scholarships for a certain number of SAISD graduates. It also works with parents to send personalized care packages to graduates at college.