Opportunity News Free Community College for all and a Tale of Two Counties
•Opportunity Nation shares key stories that explore opportunity-related issues in powerful, provocative ways. Many of these articles and op-eds include new data and research on key economic, educational, social and civic factors that affect upward mobility and community well-being.
As a bipartisan organization committed to working with diverse leaders, organizations and institutions, Opportunity Nation does not endorse all of the opinions or content shared here. But we strongly believe the exchange of ideas and civil dialogue are central to finding common ground and making significant, sustained progress as a society.
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Opportunity Index
A great New York Times story: Income Gap, Meet the Longevity Gap caught our eye and we decided to compare the two counties in the article, wealthy Fairfax County, Virginia and poor McDowell County, West Virginia using the Opportunity Index. Read this and a lot more opportunity-related news on our blog.
Community College
Several states have passed bills or are considering making community college free. Read a round up of the most interesting proposals by Opportunity Nation’s Director of Government Affairs, Melanie Anderson.
Career and Technical Education
Encouraging to see CTE on the front page of the Boston Globe. Strong story on Boston’s attempt to improve the city’s one vocational high school using a model of excellence located just 45 minutes away in Worcester.
Earned Income Tax Credit
Brookings released an interesting analysis this week of the impact of expanding the EITC in the largest 100 metro areas. At least 15 states would double the number of eligible workers, and thousands of childless workers in every metro area would benefit. Definitely worth a look.