Opinions

While campaigning for this senate seat in 2022, the number one question on many people’s minds was “What is happening in today’s schoolhouses?” From what folks see on TV, it appears ideologies being taught run counter to the beliefs held at home, worldviews are promoted that conflict with the parents’ values and beliefs and important core subjects are being ignored. Having visited nearly every school and their superintendents within this district, I believe, here at least, we are all on the same side. However, Nebraska does have many of the same struggles in education as the rest of the nation. In the last two years our teacher shortage in Nebraska has increased by 60 percent. In addition, although our numbers are slightly better than the national average, 58 percent of millennials come from broken homes and 19 percent of the students who graduate from our nation’s educational system are functionally illiterate. That is in spite of the fact that we spend an average of $162,000 to educate each student through 12th grade.

In life, things change. People grow old. People die. New life is born and the cycle continues. This past week has been one that has brought with it plenty of change. Some in the form of the people currently on this floating rock we call home and some change in the form of events that people love.

It’s hard to believe that we’re (over) halfway through the school year already, January has come and almost gone. The Elementary Leadership students have again been hard at work. Teachers have nominated students from their third and fourth grade classrooms to be a leader in our building; this has amounted to 20 students total as a part of the group.

By now, if you are like me, you are ready for this frigid, snowy weather to subside so we can go back to enjoying our regular activities again. We at the chamber hope that one of those activities you are looking forward to is our annual Gala coming up on January 27. The weather has not dampened the chamber’s excitement for our event as we continue making preparations for an evening of fun, good food and celebration. The chamber is so fortunate to have members who help make our gala something to remember. Everything planned is supported by local chamber businesses— the social hour, the food, even the entertainment is provided by local talent. We will again be honoring chamber members with our annual awards—recognizing them for their service and dedication to our Central City area. And speaking of support and recognition, we have chamber members who have provided sponsorship funds for this annual event. A huge THANK YOU goes to these individuals and businesses: Rick & Kazuko Kunz, Dan & Sue Monaghan, Tom & Nancy Wagner, Local Edge, Christensen Insurance, MidAmerica Speakers Bureau, State Farm-Chasity Pfeifer, Wegner Monument, Cottonwood Estates, EyeCare Associates, Trav’s U-Save Pharmacy, Hermsmeyer Detailing, Central City Veterinary Clinic, Runza, Hamilton Telecommunications, MyEllement Boutique, Central City Housing Authority, Central City Scales, Merrick Foundation, Cornerstone Bank, Central City Mall, Merrick Medical Center, Archer Credit Union. Please tell them how much you appreciate their help in making this a fun night!

Well, still a lot of snow out there. This time around I remembered to start my car so we wont have that delay ahead of us. This week’s newspaper is going to look a bit different then you may expect. Especially from a guy who is very deeply invested in local sports.

Carrying out the death penalty humanely During my Air Force pilot training we once went into an altitude chamber to discover how our individual bodies reacted to a lack of oxygen to the brain, a condition known as hypoxia. While flying at high altitudes the loss of oxygen can happen quickly and insidiously, so it is imperative for pilots to know their personal symptoms of hypoxia so they can get their mask on immediately to provide essential oxygen.

Welcome back and I hope you are warm wherever you may be reading this. It is currently Tuesday night as I write this and I am already dreading departing the office for home due to the weather. That reminds me, I should probably go start my car.

Tackling tenure in higher education While I was a pilot at Delta Air Lines, every nine months every pilot would have to return to Atlanta for two days of intense simulator training. We would spend six hours each day in a full motion simulator with a 180-degree 3D visual. Loaded into the program was every airport we could possibly fly to and any conceivable mishap, emergency or scenario a pilot might encounter. If it could happen in the air, it could be created within those grueling hours in the sim. The trainer could simulate the effects of horrible weather, turbulence, engine stalls, fire, rapid decompression, a hijacking and so on. Although the vast majority of our flights were routine we trained regularly so we could respond in an instant if the unthinkable happened. While unpleasant, those exercises were something each of us knew we needed so we could respond accordingly in the event one of those scenarios actually happened. Our performance in the simulator was graded and no union could protect you if you did poorly. Evaluation of pilots is necessarily performance-based, and I suspect anyone who gets on an airplane wants it so. The airlines didn’t just give us pep talks and set high expectations; they trained and tested us regularly. That’s because in the marketplace employers know it is not what you “expect” of your employees that fosters performance but what you “inspect.”

Being a parent can be the most rewarding experience. But it can also be very challenging. Most parents need to have a support system in place to answer questions related to their child. One of the additional support systems in place is a team of professionals for parents that have questions regarding their child’s development. This is the Early Development Network team from ESU 7 that works with Central City Public Schools to serve our youngest group of children with individualized needs. These services are at no charge to the families and are provided by the public school system.