Daily Lumina News 042022

Research shows that Black students who have one Black teacher by third grade are more likely to graduate high school and enroll in college. But Black teachers—especially Black men—are in short supply.
In response, some colleges are stepping up with programs aimed at reducing the barriers that stand between Black students and a teaching degree.

For many people, the work revolution that’s supposedly going on across the country right now doesn’t feel very revolutionary.
In this interview, workers share what could make their futures brighter. Policy experts also weigh in on what it might take to turn some of the incremental gains already made into lasting change.

U.S. Department of Education officials on Tuesday announced fixes to what they describe as "inexcusable" pitfalls with the student loan system, saying they will cancel debts of tens of thousands of borrowers.
The changes apply to two key student loan programs: the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and income-driven repayment plans.

The impact of COVID-19 has led to increased mental health issues for college students, with many reporting additional stress, anxiety, and uncertainty about their futures.
Two years into the pandemic, students nationwide reflect on their mental health and how colleges and universities have (and have not) supported them.

Behind a fortress wall and razor wire and a few feet away from California’s death row, students at one of the country’s most unique colleges discuss the 9/11 attacks and issues of morality, identity, and nationalism.
They are students at Mount Tamalpais College at San Quentin State Prison, the first independent liberal arts institution in the country based behind bars. The college was accredited in January after more than two decades of providing high-quality education to incarcerated students.

Community colleges are best positioned to meet the needs of the American workforce—but intervention at historic levels is necessary, says the president of Community College of Aurora in this essay.
This intervention includes more federal support to help people obtain industry-recognized credentials that align with in-demand, high-wage occupations.