Tacoma, WA - A low-paid group of educators known as paraeducators (or "paras") say it's time they received livable wages. Paras assist teachers in the classroom, often working with students with disabilities and in the special education department. Comments from Barbara Randall-Saleh ("suh-LEE"), president, Tacoma Federation of Paraeducators.

As kids in Washington state head back to school, an often-overlooked group of educators wants recognition for the work they do in the classroom. Paraeducators or "paras" assist teachers, helping students with disabilities and in special-education departments, as well as monitoring playgrounds and even changing diapers. But paras aren't paid much, sometimes relying on food banks for meals. So they, like other teachers striking across the state this week, feel it's time they're paid a living wage. Barbara Randall-Saleh heads the Tacoma Federation of Paraeducators and has been a para for more than 40 years.

"It seems like the district is constantly balancing the budgets on the backs of paras. So, we seem to be the easiest to cut and to eliminate, and so, that makes it very hard."

Teachers have approved strikes in Seattle, Vancouver and other cities over contract disputes after the Washington Legislature authorized funding this year to address the McCleary court decision, requiring the state to do more to adequately fund schools.

Even though teachers are represented by the Washington Education Association and paras are part of the American Federation of Teachers, Randall-Saleh says they've been supporting each other at school board meetings. She says paras are integral to keep schools running.

"Without our assistance in the classroom, teachers wouldn't be able to do their jobs efficiently and, to be honest, I think without paraeducators, the schools wouldn't be able to function at all."

While educators across the state were offered raises, they say more is needed to keep pay in their field competitive. School districts counter that their funds aren't limitless. Unions striking across the state continue to negotiate with their local districts.

As kids in Washington state head back to school, an often-overlooked group of educators wants recognition for the work they do in the classroom. Eric Tegethoff (TEG-it-off) explains.

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Reach Randall-Saleh at 253-473-2033.




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LINCOLN, Neb. - Student-loan forgiveness has become an increasingly popular scam targeting young adults, and as an October deadline looms, consumer advocates are warning people to watch their wallets.

Tami Barrett, Lincoln and greater Nebraska branch manager with the Better Business Bureau, said she expects to see an uptick in fraudulent activity this fall as the current COVID-19 pause in federal student-loan payments draws to a close on October 1.

"A lot of people think it's just older people," said Barrett. "But actually the (Federal Trade Commission) and the Better Business Bureau reveal that 44% of people who actually get scammed are between the ages of 20 and 29 years old."

By comparison, just 20% of people between 70 and 79 have lost money to fraud.

People with student loan debt present a giant target for scammers. According to the U.S. Department of Education, 43 million student-loan borrowers in the U.S. owe a total of $1.6 trillion in student loans.

The average U.S. household with student loans owes more than $57,000, with women and people of color holding the most debt.

Barrett said scammers are likely to offer loan holders free extended forbearance and fake "President Biden loan-forgiveness plans." She said the object of the scams is to steal young adults' money or their identities.

Still, Barrett said there are ways to avoid falling prey to scammers.

"Never agree to upfront fees," said Barrett. "It is in fact illegal to charge an upfront fee for the service of lowering federal student-loan payments or reducing student-loan debt."

President Joe Biden campaigned on canceling student debt, and earlier this month the U.S. Department of Education canceled nearly $56 million in student-loan debt, mostly connected to institutions engaging in misconduct, such as promising jobs or falsely claiming credits would transfer to universities.

If you think you've been targeted, the Better Business Bureau offers an interactive scammer tracking tool at 'BBB.org/ScamTracker.'




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RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Large grants are helping medical schools in Southern California improve diversity, because although Latinos are 39% of the state's population, they make up only 6% of physicians and 8% of medical-school graduates.

Jeff Kim, program director for the California Wellness Foundation, said his group recently gave $450,000 to support the University of California Riverside School of Medicine's efforts to enroll and graduate students from communities of color that are historically underrepresented.

"At the current rate of how we recruit and graduate medical students, it would take us five centuries to have enough Latino doctors to match the Latino share of the population," Kim reported.

The foundation also gave almost twice that amount to the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, to attract more students and retire some of their medical debt. Both schools are currently expanding their programs. Affirmative action in higher education is illegal in California, so schools recruit heavily in high schools and community colleges in low-income communities.

Kim explained doctors who come from the community, speak its languages and understand its culture are able to offer better care.

"Because of historically problematic interactions with health care, certain communities are going to be less trusting," Kim pointed out. "But if they see people from their own community, I think that drives up quality of care and access to care."

According to the California Health Care Foundation, the state faces a shortage of physicians overall, a problem that is particularly acute in the Inland Empire and San Joaquin Valley.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- With Black women carrying more student loan debt than any other group, a national petition has been launched to cancel $50,000 in student debt for every borrower to help build the future of Black women.

More than 28,000 people already have signed the petition to get the Biden administration to cancel out the debt, which advocates say will help close the racial wealth gap by at least 20%.

Shakya Cherry-Donaldson, executive director of the nonprofit 1000 Women Strong, said Black women find themselves at the intersection of cancel-debt conversations. Yet, there is not enough focus on solutions to liberate them from the ever-growing burden of debt.

"We know that a Black woman who graduates with a bachelor's degree is paid the same as a white man who has a high school diploma, a Black woman with a master's degree is paid the same with a white man with a bachelor's degree," Cherry-Donaldson outlined. "You cannot catch up, even with the education and the experience on our side."

U.S. Department of Education data showed significant race-based differences in the amount of debt that students of color assume and can readily pay.

The goal of the campaign and petition in partnership with the American Civil Liberties Union, seen on both organizations' websites, is to empower Black women and close the gap on current trends.

Studies show African American families are more likely to borrow than white, Latino or Asian families and Black women are often the primary breadwinner.

Cherry-Donaldson explained they are looking for opportunities to build wealth.

"For our current families, but also to invest in things such as property real estate, starting our own businesses that all require capital or some type of loan process, so we are completely shut out because we are holding the burden of student debt," Cherry-Donaldson pointed out.`

Lumina Foundation, which advocates for racial equity in America's education system, also is urging policymakers, through its Borrowers of Color Project, to ensure people of color are in the room when decisions are made to address unmet needs.

Cherry-Donaldson hopes to find an ally in Kamala Harris, given her background as the first female, first Black and first Asian American vice president.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation