The federal government is investing $42.45 billion, including $1.36 billion in Louisiana, to bring affordable broadband internet to places where it’s currently lacking, but there aren’t enough workers to accomplish this goal. Employment in the telecom industry has plummeted by 23% over the last decade, as new technology that requires new skills exacerbates an already steady exodus of older workers. Dave Stehlin, chief executive officer of the Telecommunications Industry Association, in a guest column for Route Fifty, explains what states can do to tackle this worker shortage.
At least 13 states expect to have [Broadband Equity, Access, and Development ] BEAD funds available after last-mile deployments funds are disbursed. Ideally, some of these funds will be used for education programs to help increase the number of skilled technicians and engineers adept in the latest networking technologies, which will be needed to maintain and operate the networks. Digital skills training is also vital for newly connected communities to leverage deployed broadband networks for economic and social success.
Literacy training lagging
Compliance with new training required for teaching reading is lagging, according to state data. The methods, which are mandated by a 2021 state law, are a major component of Louisiana’s efforts to improve literacy rates. But as of May 1, only 71% of teachers and 79% of administrators have taken the course. The Times Picayune | Baton Rouge Advocate’s Elyse Carmosino reports:
After the law was passed in 2021, districts could choose from one of four state-approved vendors to provide the training before the start of the 2023-24 school year. The course takes about 52 hours to complete, according to vendors. But as of May, about 13% of school districts and charter schools still needed half or more of their teachers and administrators to complete the course. Louisiana’s five biggest districts — East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Orleans, St. Tammany and Lafayette parishes — all had yet to finish the program.
What we know about Harris’ tax plan
Campaign officials for Vice President Kamala Harris said this week that she supports a White House tax plan that would raise nearly $5 trillion over the next decade. The revenue would be generated by taxing wealthy people and corporations more. The New York Times’ Andrew Duehren explains what we know about Harris’ tax plan and what remains unknown:
Ms. Harris’s commitment to the White House budget clarifies much about how she hopes to raise revenue if she wins the election in November. But even the thick White House budget leaves several key tax questions unaddressed, including how exactly Democrats should approach the expiration of key provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act next year.
The surge in college closures
The number of nonprofit colleges and universities that have closed their doors due to financial reasons has skyrocketed over the past decade. The Wall Street Journal’s Milla Surjadi explains the reason for the uptick and how it could get worse:
The pace of closures is expected to continue as federal Covid-19 funding dries up and applications drop due to a reduced birthrate, according to analysts and educators. The rise in prices is also one reason many young Americans are re-evaluating the overall value of a four-year degree. Most at risk of closing are rural liberal arts schools with fewer than 1,000 students. Students are often drawn to their niche programs, tiny class sizes and defined sense of community.
Louisiana colleges and universities could be on the brink of financial crises, as declining birth rates drive down the number of college-age students and an expiring sales tax creates a massive hole in the state budget.
Number of the Day
51% – Percentage of Americans who lived in middle-class households in 2023, down from 61% in 1971. (Source: Pew Research Center)