Opinion

Dachau.

As we’re in the midst of Teacher Appreciation Week (May 2-6), we’re reminded that education is the foundation of our futures, and it’s brought to life through educators dedicated to helping students reach their full potential. There is research that supports the idea that education, as early as pre-K, produces profound, lifelong advantages. Education at any level offers opportunities to expand experiences, upskill in the workforce, contribute to society in new ways and so much more.

A colleague at the Indiana Policy Review Foundation, Professor Richard McGowan, recently wrote a column bemoaning the lack of required philosophy courses in today’s college curricula. Perhaps lamenting is a better verb due to its classical connotation.

The weather is warming up, the school year is ending and you are looking for fun activities to do all summer long. The Johnson County Public Library has you covered with our annual Explore Summer program that keeps you reading, creating and discovering new things on your own, with friends or with family.

I often used the poem “If I Were In Charge of the World” by Judith Viorst in my 7th grade English class. It is an accessible piece and my students seemed to relate to it. I hoped the poetry lesson would accomplish some of my overarching classroom goals—I wanted students to learn to love the beauty and wonder of language as well as appreciate its power in helping them to think.

To the Editor:

David Ricks, CEO of Lilly, recently told members of the Indiana Economic Club that state policymakers need to address poor educational attainment and high healthcare costs. These topics will sound familiar to faithful readers of this column, but it is refreshing to hear these points made so publicly by a business leader.

David Ricks spoke uncomfortable truths to Indiana’s leaders the other day.

The March Consumer Price Index (CPI) convinced many an economic cosmic cataclysm is about to occur. Yes, an 8.5% increase over the same period last year is startling. That’s why inflation led off the evening news and dominated newspaper headlines.

Cool, damp soil covered our hands as we pushed through it, digging deep in the ground.