| ||||||||||
 
Dr. Ronald P. Rogers CHIROPRACTOR Support for your body's natural healing capabilities 270-384-5554 Click here for details 
  
Columbia Gas Dept. GAS LEAK or GAS SMELL Contact Numbers 24 hrs/ 365 days 270-384-2006 or 9-1-1 Call before you dig 
Visit ColumbiaMagazine's Directory of Churches Addresses, times, phone numbers and more for churches in Adair County Find Great Stuff in ColumbiaMagazine's Classified Ads Antiques, Help Wanted, Autos, Real Estate, Legal Notices, More... 
|
Senator Max Wise: Trust and cooperation needed in schools By Senator Max Wise The 2021 Interim of the Kentucky General Assembly began last month with a meeting of the Interim Joint Committee on Education, on which I serve as co-chairman. A tumultuous 2020-2021 school year leaves us to reflect on the experiences of our students, teachers, parents, and communities. Lessons learned include the limitations of distance learning, how responsive and adaptive schools can be, and how vital positive community cooperation and collaboration are in meeting the holistic needs of our students. Our first committee meeting welcomed stakeholders from the academic community, including representatives from the Kentucky Department of Education as well as multiple local school officials. During the meeting, lawmakers heard about how school districts and personnel have worked to make the most of a challenging 2020-2021 school year. Districts and teachers were able to creatively work together to help meet the needs of students and families. However, there are critical decisions to be considered moving forward. Commanding the attention of many is a discussion on vaccination requirements for Kentucky students. Our school systems serve as an essential partner in promoting public health. Nevertheless, I am a firm supporter of parental choice, and I believe that families' opinions are a matter of great importance. Appreciation of both public health concerns and conscientious decisions is a delicate balance to strike. Education leaders have already proven themselves capable of doing so. I sincerely hope that school personnel will diligently consult with families on this critical public health issue. During the committee meeting, I was proud to hear that school districts have made vaccine information readily available and accessible to those who wish to receive it. On this topic, constructive communication is our best path forward. Last school year, parents, students, teachers, and staff altered their routines and adapted to an overwhelming lack of normalcy. The testimony of committee guests particularly highlighted the essential nature of communication and relationship-building between families and educators. Numerous teachers went above and beyond to accommodate parents' and guardians' work schedules, which sometimes required late nights, weekend calls, or virtual interaction. Cooperation like this is a silver lining we can be proud of. As we prepare for the start of the 2021-2022 school year, let us not discount the importance of trust between our schools and families. Decisions made this summer will impact families across the Commonwealth who trust and depend on our public school systems. Disregarding the personal choice of families will not serve the holistic best interests of Kentucky's youth. A recent decision by Jefferson County Public Schools will require unvaccinated students returning to the classroom to wear a mask. I question this approach, as it contradicts the things we know about COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated that in-person school operations do not significantly contribute to community spread even before vaccination efforts. Furthermore, a large portion of our K-12 students does not have access to vaccinations. Clinical trials in kids under twelve are still underway, and data is not expected until September. Even then, it will take some time for the Food and Drug Administration to review the results. I encourage our school leaders to be public health advocates who appreciate parental choice concerning their children's personal health decisions. Through positive communication and building bridges of trust, we can more effectively encourage wise decision-making within our communities. Those continued efforts will best serve Kentucky students. Senator Max Wise (R-Campbellsville) represents the 16th District which encompasses Adair, Clinton, Cumberland, McCreary, Russell, Taylor, and Wayne Counties. He is Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Education; as well as co-chairman of the Education Assessment and Accountability Review Subcommittee. Senator Wise also serves as a member of the Senate Standing Committees on Health and Welfare; Agriculture; and Transportation. Additionally, Senator Wise serves as a member on the Budget Review Subcommittee on Education. This story was posted on 2021-07-19 20:35:06
Printable: this page is now automatically formatted for printing.
Have comments or corrections for this story? Use our contact form and let us know. More articles from topic Politics:
Legislators explore reducing the cost of local jails Adams to testify before Congress Citizens can attend legislative meetings again KY student-athletes can profit from name, image and likeness Quarles lends support to summer feeding program bill New state laws go into effect June 29, 2021 KY Chief Justice previews courthouse tech upgrades Many ways to stay connected to KY legislative action Comer introduces Postal Service reform legislation Comer pushes for action on massive delays on veterans records View even more articles in topic Politics |
 
115 Jamestown St. Columbia, KY. 270-384-2496 
  
   
 Provided by the Adair Co Fiscal Court and the Adair Co. Emergency Mgt. Agency 
|
||||||||
|
| ||||||||||
|
Quick Links to Popular Features
Looking for a story or picture? Try our Photo Archive or our Stories Archive for all the information that's appeared on ColumbiaMagazine.com. | ||||||||||
|
Contact us: Columbia Magazine and columbiamagazine.com are published by Linda Waggener and Pen Waggener, PO Box 906, Columbia, KY 42728. Please use our contact page, or send questions about technical issues with this site to webmaster@columbiamagazine.com. All logos and trademarks used on this site are property of their respective owners. All comments remain the property and responsibility of their posters, all articles and photos remain the property of their creators, and all the rest is copyright 1995-Present by Columbia Magazine. Privacy policy: use of this site requires no sharing of information. Voluntarily shared information may be published and made available to the public on this site and/or stored electronically. Anonymous submissions will be subject to additional verification. Cookies are not required to use our site. However, if you have cookies enabled in your web browser, some of our advertisers may use cookies for interest-based advertising across multiple domains. For more information about third-party advertising, visit the NAI web privacy site.
| ||||||||||
