Slaughter Investing’s Post

BIG GRANT FOR COLLIN COLLEGE: A North Texas university is getting nearly half a million dollars in grants to train workers in two businesses we at Slaughter Investing are very close to: construction and finance. Gov. Greg Abbott announced that the money was coming to Collin College thanks to the Texas Workforce Commission. The money will be used to train more than 300 new and current workers at local Collin County businesses. This is a grant that’s NEEDED because of all of the growth we’re experiencing now in North Texas. As most of our followers know. Slaughter Investing is biggest on investing in Grayson County, but Collin County was the original blueprint for what we’re seeing in the northern expansion of the DFW suburbs. If you’re interested in learning more about the areas that we suggest investing in, head over to our YouTube page and watch “Investing in 2024, Part 1: Setting Attainable Goals” at https://lnkd.in/e4UY-BDU. READ MORE ABOUT COLLIN COLLEGE’S GRANT: https://lnkd.in/gwXkt73q

Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract makes school pay thousands to cut grass! Middlefield Community Primary School in Speke, Liverpool, opened after the local authority entered a PFI agreement for new school buildings. Head teacher David Potter says nearly 20% of the school's entire budget is now spent on meeting the terms of the PFI contract - squeezing what he can spend on classroom staff. The school has to pay the PFI company for its day-to-day maintenance, catering and cleaning, which will cost more than £470,000 this year - a rise of more than £151,000 since 2021. Costs are also spiralling for Glyn Potts MBE DL, head teacher at Saint John Henry Newman Catholic College, a large secondary school that was opened in 2012. But he is most concerned by the state of the building. Since pupils moved in, it has been beset by problems with the roof, leading to hundreds of thousands of pounds being withheld from payments to the private contractor. Children were sent home in 2021 after problems with the heating system led to radiator pipes bursting - spewing "red-hot" water and repeatedly flooding classrooms. "When a radiator bursts in a school, the ferocity of the water will arc three or four foot up," Mr Potts says. At times, radiator bursts meant up to 60% of the school was out of use. In order to get the heating system replaced Mr Potts had to ask the council to argue with the contractors. Speaking to the BBC, he put his head in his hands as he said: "I have to go to those parents and say I'm doing the very best by them with no impact. "You feel like a failure." If your school is reaching the end of its PFI contract and you need support in procuring value for money services, Invictus Partnership Ltd. consultancy service provider, have a proven track record and an enviable list of long-standing Public and Private sector Clients, who recognise our experience, passion and commitment to deliver relevant and cost-effective solutions, bespoke to their requirements - and we would be delighted to help. https://lnkd.in/emrdTanS #food, #strategy, #education, #facilitiesmanagement, and #managementconsulting

Lots of buzz around short-term Pell--shorthand for expanding the Pell Grant to shorter-term programs. But an important detail is being lost in the fervor to pass short-term Pell bills. As it turns out, short-term Pell already exists! We already spend nearly $6 BILLION a year on programs as short as 15 weeks long through the Pell program. What policymakers seek to pass is very, very, VERY short-term Pell for programs only 8 to 14 weeks in length. What we know about the mixed history of existing short-term Pell and the poor outcomes of 8-14 week programs should give policymakers pause in moving full steam ahead on passing 8-week Pell. Multiple guardrails will be critical along with better ways to fund workforce development than vouchers. Read my latest here https://lnkd.in/e-KERqcS

“Enrollment in non-credit programs in some states is outpacing credit enrollment” - Laura Ullrich offers deep analysis from the Richmond Fed region. This report further highlights the need to create one system (not credit vs. non-credit).

A bill to help our teachers. My focus continues to be on education, jobs and housing because I strongly believe improvement in these areas bring the greatest uplift to my district and districts like mine. We all also know three things to be true: 1. Housing is very expensive 2. Our teachers are underpaid 3. The future of our children depends on our ability to recruit and retain great teachers With these in mind, I created bill H5206 which will allow schools with surplus land to build affordable housing on their campus. This housing will be offered first to teachers and staff within their school district and then to others in need of affordable housing. Given that our state realizes that it isn’t paying teachers enough yet, this would be a great form of assistance while we continue to fight to give them more pay. What are your thoughts?

A very interesting article on how schools can retain staff and attract new recruits by Lucy Heller, CEO of Ark. The undermining of the profession by the media, long hours, low pay and a lack of support and resources are just some of the reasons teachers I have worked with have fallen out of love with the profession. We need to act now.

I believe a strong society is built from the ground up, and education and financial stability are the cornerstones. That’s why Unity Environmental University recently made two major announcements focused on access and equity. On the educational front, we're committed to keeping Distance Education tuition flat through 2030. This guaranteed flat tuition allows students to focus on their studies without worrying about rising costs or annual fee increases. We've further bolstered student success continuing no added costs to our free mental health services, Grammarly subscriptions, and by expanding tutoring hours. By investing in our students' well-being and academic support, we empower them to reach their full potential. Financially, we're ensuring our employees have the foundation to thrive as well. We've raised the minimum wage for full-time, benefits-eligible workers to $50,000 and $23 an hour for hourly employees. This adjustment allows them to focus on their own lives and well-being, ultimately leading to a more dedicated and fulfilled workforce. These decisions from Unity leadership along with the support of our board, translate directly to a better environment for our students to learn and grow. Investing in financial and educational opportunities for those who need it the most isn't charity, it's a smart investment. When everyone has a strong foundation, our entire society benefits. https://lnkd.in/eENzDuvp

There are also small things that should be part of how we design a learning environment that could help. We asked students which small changes we could implement. They proposed condensed timetabled teaching (one or 2 days on campus) and prerecorded material. More facilitated non-hierarchical independent/group study on campus so when they are outside university they can also do more paied work. This is to say that many small changes can really make a difference.

By failing to support our students (and staff colleagues) who face economic deprivation, we not only fail in our moral responsibility as a country but also in our professional and economic responsibilities. It makes good business sense to enable those who are working and studying to be able to afford to do so. Then they are much more likely to thrive personally and professionally, and contribute to the growing economy. This should be a win:win model, not a win (if you can afford to): lose (if you can't) model of economic and professional growth. #equitydiversityinclusion #socialmobility