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IN MEMORIAM. The reminders and remembrances of 9/11 have mostly finished, and the words and sorrows of so many affected unite us in our shared conviction that this the greatest nation on earth, borne of independence and our God given inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness will not and must not perish, no matter the threat, foreign or domestic.

And now for your weekly Newswire:

A RELIABLE SHOT.  In an increasingly competitive economy and labor force, and with the value of a degree and its already soaring cost on the rise, many employers, and respectively many students are turning to workforce development programs and apprenticeships as a more direct route to success. While apprenticeships have been around a long time and are in many places the norm for young people outside of the U.S., their recent resurgent popularity in the states will prove to be a blessing and a curse to a Higher Ed system already pressed to reform and a K-12 system still working to bridge the knowledge and achievement gap with the university level.

SOLUTIONS.  But there are other solutions as well. Consider the USA Workforce Tax Credit and why that can create the opportunities that are often lacking in the best of communities or industries.

OPPORTUNITY COSTS.  Betsy DeVos’ term as education secretary has seen challenges and setbacks from the usual suspects as well as obstacles made by hesitance and resistance from members of her own party and former allies in her cause. Subsequently there has been little to no movement on any of a number of proposals that might have been more seriously considered, and in particular—a new education choice program to be established at the federal level. While some of the resistance she has met has been purely politically motivated, as in the case of the scathing teachers union push against her nomination and confirmation—another reason may be that some historically strong supporters of opportunity and any opportunity for choice have become decidedly picky when it comes to making progress.

THE FUTURE OF WORK.  Check out XQ Super Schools’ High School & the Future of Work. The guide for state policy makers is a must read for not just those working in law and policy but to anyone looking to become more informed and better armed to make waves in education in their community and in the world; the online version of the report features an interactive page where and a database for all types of statistics and facts having to do with K-12 education, college and the economy, including workforce and education completion data.

HOPE & PREPARATION.  All of our friends and particularly kids are close on our mind right now with Hurricane Florence on its way to the mainland this week, and we’re hoping its effects aren’t felt to the extent of the devastation caused by last year’s hurricane season. We urge anybody in its potential path to pay attention to officials’ requests. Agencies and organizations who are considering response plans however, should consider the larger role online education has played in recovery efforts in the past and keep online providers in their phone book. In a time and age when technology is ubiquitous and digital learning programs incredibly robust, we might consider keeping our kids and families focused on the one thing they can control if they are forced out of school in the next few days—and that is their education. A great reminder of the saving potential for digital learning was covered in E-Learning Inside.

WHY INNOVATION?  All of the issues in today’s Newswire require more of our attention and deliberation. That’s why CER is convening its Silver Anniversary Summit on October 26th in Miami, FL, the gateway to another hemisphere and in a state that has been home to some of the most pathbreaking changes in education to date. Please sign up here before we run out of space. And THANK YOU to our sponsors which include:

HIGHER ED & BEYOND.  Don’t forget to set aside some time to listen to this week’s episode of Reality Check. This week: How is the pipeline to the workforce and career development being invested in and streamlined for an online generation? Andy Rosen, chairman and CEO of Kaplan Inc. sits down with Jeanne to cover everything in postsecondary education, from new innovations happening at Kaplan’s Purdue Global to how Higher Ed is speaking — or in some cases, not speaking — with the K-12 community.