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Opinion

GUEST COLUMN, Dave Trabert, Kansas Policy Institute

 

The 2024 state assessment indicates that more than 150,000 Kansas students suffer from what is officially described as having a “limited ability to understand and use English language arts skills and knowledge to be academically successful for postsecondary success.”  This closely aligns with what is commonly referred to as being ‘functionally illiterate,’ which  Dictionary.com defines as “falling short of a minimum standard of literacy or whose reading and writing skills are inadequate to everyday needs.” While not a clinical or official term used by KSDE, ‘functionally illiterate’ captures the real-world implications of students being unable to read at a level necessary for everyday success.

This is not a criticism of teachers or students but of top leadership, as explained below.

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MY PERSPECTIVE, Gary Damron

 

Our local church has experienced two tragic losses in a week's time. As I filled the pulpit Sunday, there was a heavy awareness and sensitivity to many who are struggling.  In times of darkness, we need at least two things: a source of light, and an experienced Guide.

An illustration from my earlier years reminded me of a great darkness, literal, inside a cave in Colorado. When our second son graduated from high school, he invited three friends to go with us on a backpacking trip. I'd made some treks into the mountains, one a part of a graduate class, and decided we could incorporate a cave into the outing. The entrance was little more than a vertical culvert, with a ladder and a rope at the bottom, from which we dropped to the cave floor. I'd been in - and out of - that cave several times before, but that day, after venturing further than before, it was with great relief that we found the entrance as our lights went dim.

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GUEST COLUMN, Carl V. Hill, Alzheimer’s Association

 

When Zelda Hill was in college, he began noticing subtle changes in his father. The man who had always been precise began forgetting current events, mixing up dates and times, and getting lost in familiar places.

Zelda had seen memory loss in his grandparents before, and like many people, assumed it was a normal part of aging. With his father, though, he was more attuned to the changes in behavior, and the family sought medical advice.

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GUEST COLUMN, J. Basil Dannebohm

 

They say if you have a handful of true friends, you’re doing good. If that’s true, I’m not doing so good. I had two good friends for much of my adult life.

Both men were trustworthy and admirable. Like me, both were registered Republican and Democrat at some point in their life but had since become Independent. Both were also fiercely devoted to their faith at one point. As Donald Trump rose to power the first time, both men grew increasingly dismayed by what had become of the nation. The hatred, bigotry, and division they witnessed lay heavy on their hearts.

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Dear Editor,
Boy, are you ever stirring up the pot again by having the audacity to point out Ms. Kathleen Alonso’s sneaky way of breaking the ICE mandate. I honestly don’t think she realized how encouraging others go along with this can get them in trouble with the law, but most importantly, what ethical and moral values are you instilling in the children?
This brings me back to an interview with Mana Abdi. Ever heard of her? Me either until today. She’s a 26 year-old Democrat Representative in Maine; born in Kenya, raised in Somalia until she was 11or 12 , landed in Kansas City, Kan., not speaking a word of English.
She stated how much she hated the move there, the housing was terrible, and it was like “living in a boot camp.” 
She was fortunate that a neighbor was willing to tutor her in English, which she picked up very quickly so she was fortunate to graduate from a college at 18 years old. 
Mercy me, I forgot to ask what “color” the tutor was. 
Maine has a large population of Muslims, and she was the first woman to be elected in Maine’s House of Representatives. Oh, she’s still complaining about how hard it is for people of color (here she remembered to include “blacks”).
She wasn’t happy after they moved to Maine, but being elected to represent her views (which she can), should make the “boot camp” easier to tolerate.
Have you gotten around to labeling me as a “racist” yet? 
I don’t like anything about Representative Abdi and am on my knees thankful she isn’t in Kansas anymore; but more like her are coming, and their goal is to completely wipe out anything/everything our Republic was established on, so you see how crucial it is to guard who we allow to come in and stay in.
Benjamin Franklin’s response to Elizabeth Willing Powel’s question,  might be important to remember these days.
“Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” she asked.
He said, “A republic, if you can keep it.” 
See you.

More Articles …

  1. OPINION – If we didn’t fund programs, we might get better results
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  3. OPINION – Ready to take a new angle to Downtown Liberal development
  4. OPINION – A chance of rain
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