Colorado students, companies say apprenticeships are a win-win – By Nicole Brady, thedenverchannel.com
Apprenticeships offer alternative to college debt
High school graduate Riley Becker is only 18, but she is already well on her way to a career in the insurance industry.
She’s one of 23 apprentices at workers compensation company Pinnacol Assurance.
Becker started the internship when she was a junior at Denver School of Innovation and Sustainable Design. It’s one of many schools in the Denver metro area that partners with CareerWise Colorado to offer apprenticeships to students.
“The idea is: Get kids out of high school classrooms for part of the day and into the workplace where they can develop real workplace skills that will benefit them in their career and solve true talent pipeline needs for companies,” said Meaghan Sullivan, a program coordinator with CareerWise Colorado.
New Mexico adopts SAT as requirement for high school juniors, By the Associated Press, The News and Observer
The SAT will become New Mexico's official statewide standardized test for high school juniors this spring, a state official said Friday.
All juniors will be required to take the SAT — an exam administered by the non-profit organization College Board.
Public Education Secretary Ryan Stewart said the exam is aligned with the state's academic standards, and all New Mexico colleges and universities accept it.
"In administering the SAT, we are paying for students' college entrance exams for the first time ever, effectively removing one major barrier to college entrance for thousands of New Mexico students," Stewart said in a statement.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn pushes to relocate U.S. education department to Tennessee – By Jason Gonzales, Nashville Tennessean
In a proposal filed Wednesday, Tennessee U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn is calling for the government to relocate the U.S. Department of Education to the Volunteer State.
Blackburn, along with fellow Republican Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced the Helping Infrastructure Restore the Economy (HIRE) Act, which says it would move most federal agencies out of Washington, D.C. and into economically-distressed regions across the country.
“Moving agencies outside of Washington, D.C. both boosts local economies and lowers costs — that’s a winning combination,” said Blackburn in a news release.
The bill follows a recent announcement of a plan by the Bureau of Land Management to move to Colorado, the release says. As well, two Department of Agriculture agencies moving to Kansas City.
Senator Marsha Blackburn
Two days after Dallas-area tornados, more than 20 schools remain closed – by Staff Reports, WFAA.com
Twelve Dallas ISD and six Richardson ISD schools will remain closed until at least Wednesday and some will be closed indefinitely after three tornados touched down Sunday night in North Texas, including one in North Dallas.
The National Weather Service has confirmed a tornado touched down in Dallas, bringing winds up to 140 mph. The service estimates that tornado was an EF-3.
An EF-1 was recorded in Rowlett, bringing estimated wind speeds of up to 100 mph.
An EF-0 touched down north of Wills Point in Van Zandt County. That tornado brought winds up to 80 mph to the area.
The tornados destroyed homes, businesses and multiple schools, though officials reported no one was seriously injured or killed by the storms.
