Daily Lumina News 051923

Wealth bestows many advantages when it comes to college admissions. Now, a new edge is emerging. This one extracts fees from well-heeled families to enable their teenage children to conduct and publish research that colleges may regard as a credential.
But the research papers—and the publications—can be dubious.

It’s not unusual for politicians to speak at public colleges’ graduation ceremonies. But this year, one governor’s controversial education policies are drawing protests and petitions from some students.
That politician is Glenn Youngkin, the Republican Virginia governor who made the culture war central to his 2022 election campaign.

California’s prison population is shrinking, with the state closing three more prisons and downsizing six others.
This new reality is creating unexpected challenges for both the 1,500 prisoners who attend college in the closing facilities and for the state’s community college system.

Like many rural colleges, Patrick & Henry Community College in Martinsville, Virginia, is focused on keeping up with the region’s labor needs and updating its education offerings to align with those needs. Officials there also work with local industries to improve training for open jobs.
But it’s not enough to build the business partnerships and pave the career pathways, says a report from the Aspen Institute on College Excellence. Rural colleges need buy-in from the community in order to make the greatest impact.

California’s proposed state budget revision could make a dent in the state’s ongoing teacher shortage by reducing obstacles to earning teaching credentials.
The budget, if passed this summer as revised, would clear the way to train more teachers of English learners, pay teaching residents, and allow military spouses with out-of-state credentials to teach.

Medical assistants are critical to doctors with private practices, hospitals, and clinics. These individuals do everything from handling patient records and insurance forms to obtaining vital signs, drawing blood, and administering electrocardiograms.
The nation desperately needs more medical assistants. A rare partnership between a group of community colleges and a private, for-profit institution aims to help.