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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: The Trump administration has undone policies encouraging the hiring of women in the trades ([link removed]) . A Virginia school district's social studies curriculum asks students to think through all sides of historical and political debates ([link removed]) . Rural, religious campuses are facing major enrollment challenges ([link removed]) .
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[Despite making up 47 percent of the workforce in the U.S., women constitute less than 5 percent of workers in skilled construction trades. Credit: Sophie Park for The Hechinger Report]
** More women are landing construction jobs. Trump’s war on DEI could change that
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Despite making up 47 percent of the workforce in the U.S., women constitute less than 5 percent of workers in skilled construction trades — a cluster of careers that typically offer high pay without requiring a college degree. The few women who land apprenticeships in a skilled trade often face bullying, harassment and low-level work opportunities. In recent years, nonprofit groups offering “preapprenticeships” and other programs designed to improve female representation in the trades have made some progress in changing the culture of construction worksites and improving access for women, nearly doubling the share of women in skilled trades from less than 3 percent to about 5 percent in the past decade. Now, advocates say those efforts are under threat from the Trump administration’s attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion.
A day after his inauguration in January, President Donald Trump revoked several decades-old executive orders designed to diversify the workforce, in an attempt to root out what he called “immoral race- and sex-based preferences under the guise of so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion.” Among them was Executive Order 11246. Issued in 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the order required federal contractors to provide equal employment opportunity without discriminating by race.
In 1978, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance issued a goal that took the order a step further: Contractors had to make a good faith effort to hire women to fill at least 6.9 percent of their positions in construction. That figure, which hasn’t been updated in 45 years, was based on the share of women in the workforce in the 1970s.
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This week's newsletter is supported by:
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Discover Facing History & Ourselves’ professional development opportunities ([link removed]) for educators this summer! Live, on-demand, or in-person workshops, webinars, and courses on history, ELA, and more are available.
Explore Now! ([link removed])
** A school district singled out by Trump says it teaches ‘whole truth history’
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After the deadly 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia’s Albemarle County school system set out to combat racism by teaching about discrimination, resistance and resilience.
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** Losing faith: Rural, religious campuses are among the most endangered
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Rural students often have few options other than religious institutions fighting to survive.
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“We just don’t have the demographics anymore." ([link removed])
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** 📣 Listen up
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Episode 6 of season 4 of College Uncovered, a podcast from The Hechinger Report and GBH News, is out now.
College Uncovered: The Old College Try ([link removed])
High school students now make up a fifth of community college enrollment. At 37 community colleges nationwide, more than half of students are still in high school
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** Reading list
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University students offload critical thinking, other hard work to AI ([link removed])
Two studies indicate students are using chatbots in a way that undermines what they learn
For new grads, landing a job may be hard. Navigating the workplace may be harder ([link removed])
Colleges are rewriting career services for a generation that prioritizes mental health and well-being
Tracking Trump: His actions to dismantle the Education Department, and more ([link removed])
The president is working to eliminate the Education Department and fighting ‘woke’ ideology in schools. A week-by-week look at what he’s done
15 years of The Hechinger Report ([link removed])
We launched in 2010, and our site has become a deep repository of some of the best education journalism in the nation
Trump’s cuts to teacher training leave rural school districts, aspiring educators in the lurch ([link removed])
The administration nixed some $600 million in teacher-training grants, citing DEI. Programs to recruit and train rural teachers are cutting scholarships, laying off staff and closing shop
A federal program helped student-parents thrive. Now it’s on life support ([link removed])
More than 1 in 5 college students is a parent, but a lack of child care holds many back
As conservatives push for more babies, Congress proposes cuts that could hurt families, toddlers and infants ([link removed])
Proposed cuts to Medicaid, energy assistance and child care will be felt by the nation’s youngest
OPINION: Canceling AmeriCorps grants threatens the future of education and workforce pipelines that power our nation’s progress ([link removed])
We are alarmed by cuts to the transformative, life-changing programs that we now lead
OPINION: School principals play a unique role in setting the tone for their schools. We should all pay attention ([link removed])
Community school leaders are key to improving our education system during these challenging times of funding loss and shifting federal mandates
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** Talk to us about Tuition Tracker
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Our Tuition Tracker website helps students, parents and educators research the true cost of a college degree. This interactive tool is used in thousands of classrooms nationwide.
We know this website has value — and we are committed to keeping this tool free for all to use. Help us make TuitionTracker.org ([link removed]) even better by filling out this short survey ([link removed]) . A few minutes of your time will make a difference in the lives of young people. (Extra credit: Share the website and survey link with a friend!)
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