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** Weekly Update
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A newsletter from The Hechinger Report


Sponsored by:
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In this week's edition: Changing federal policies on electric vehicles may threaten some apprenticeships ([link removed]) . The Education Department's online library narrowly avoids running out of money ([link removed]) . The NAEP board votes to kill more than a dozen assessments. ([link removed])
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[In Kansas, Panasonic and two community colleges scaled up training fast. But jobs in the electrical vehicle industry are less certain than before Trump took office. Credit: Zac Clingenpeel for The Hechinger Report]


** Colleges partnered with an EV battery factory to train students and ignite the economy. Trump’s clean energy war complicates their plans

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Apprenticeship programs like this one have been heralded as the future of workforce development. Born out of partnerships between industry and community colleges, these short-term programs offer credentials closely aligned with employer needs and are often referred to as the pathway to high-skill, high-demand, high-wage jobs. In this case, Panasonic and two Kansas colleges created theirs in a matter of months, adapting an existing curriculum to meet factory demand.

“We’re helping them build their workforce from the very beginning,” said Greg Mosier, president of Kansas City Kansas Community College, or KCKCC.

During the Biden administration, the federal government invested billions of dollars to help build and expand domestic electric vehicle and battery production. Bipartisan federal legislation jump-started economic growth in the clean energy sector, which was part of a broader effort to boost U.S. competitiveness as well as offset the effects of climate change. This unprecedented commitment also spurred private investment, which rapidly transformed this industry and led to high demand for workers in these fields.

But the Trump administration has thrown this career pathway into uncertainty. On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that scrapped a Biden administration goal that half of all new cars sold in the U.S. by 2030 be electric; called for the elimination of tax credits for the vehicles; and pushed to undo regulations around pollution and fuel economy standards. Trump also paused federal funding to build electric vehicle chargers, ordered thousands of stations disconnected at government sites and tried to freeze spending on clean energy projects.

Read the story ([link removed])
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This week's newsletter is supported by:
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Learn new ways to foster equity, build trusting relationships, and create inclusive, joyful, and respectful classrooms this summer. Explore Facing History & Ourselves’ professional development ([link removed]) offerings designed for educators, school leaders, and district administrators.

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** Education Department restarts online library ERIC

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New contract slashes budget in half, but library will continue to operate.
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“No content has been removed or deleted from ERIC.” ([link removed])

ERIC was scheduled to run out of money April 23. Read our story ([link removed]) about what was going to happen.
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** A smaller Nation’s Report Card

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NAEP board cancels tests to try to appease DOGE.
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“None of us want to do this.” ([link removed])
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** 📣 Listen up
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Episode 3 of season 4 of College Uncovered, a podcast from The Hechinger Report and GBH News, is out now.

College Uncovered: The Missing Men ([link removed])

Something has been happening on college campuses that’s as surprising as it is dramatic: The number of women enrolled has overtaken the number of men
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** Reading list
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These school districts are bucking the national math slump ([link removed])

By investing in teacher coaches, data and more math time, two Tennessee districts are seeing students do better than before Covid hit

A lot of hope was pinned on after-school programs — now some are shutting their doors ([link removed])

After-school programs, seen as key to pandemic recovery, face a grim future with the end of pandemic relief dollars and other federal cutbacks

Tracking Trump: His actions to dismantle the Education Department, and more ([link removed])

Read the latest updates about Trump's actions on education

When kids are evicted, they often lose both home and school ([link removed])

Children threatened with eviction are more likely to end up in another district or transfer to another school, often one with less funding, more poverty and lower test scores

As ‘bot’ students continue to flood in, community colleges struggle to respond ([link removed])

In some California colleges, determining whether a student is fake or real can be difficult

OPINION: Policy changes sweeping the nation are harming our students. Educators must fight back ([link removed])

We have a professional responsibility to protect and advocate for our children

OPINION: Arts education must move beyond traditional models and embrace practical skills and hands-on learning ([link removed])

As workforce needs evolve, arts education must encourage digital literacy and business acumen
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