Rep. Mike Rogers optimistic about reaching NDAA agreement
On Wednesday, Congressman Mike Rogers (R-AL03), the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, expressed optimism that the conference committee can reach an agreement on the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan version of the NDAA. The House Armed Services Committee did the same, but when the bill got to the floor of the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, Republicans added a number of amendments, including one overturning President Joe Biden’s controversial Defense Department abortion policy. The conference committee is tasked with passing a compromise NDAA that both Houses can pass, and the President will sign. “I am honored to chair the conference committee on the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act,” Chairman Rogers said. “And I am very pleased we have returned to regular order and are holding a formal conference. I commend Chairman [Jack] Reed and Ranking Member [Roger] Wicker for getting a bill through the Senate for the first time in two years and for all the work they did to get us into conference.” “The NDAA is one of the most consequential bills Congress considers,” continued Rogers. “All Members should have an opportunity to have their proposals fairly considered. Regular order guarantees that. It also sends an important signal to the men and women defending our freedom that Congress can function and will prioritize their needs above all else.” “Enacting an NDAA has never been more vital than it is today,” Rogers stated. “America and our allies face unprecedented and rapidly evolving threats from China. As well as ongoing threats from Russia, Iran, North Korea, and terrorist organizations throughout the world. These threats are real. We all just witnessed terrorists act on their threats against one of our closest allies. We all pray for Israel as it counters the most vile attack on its people since the Holocaust. All of these adversaries are aligned in their desire to weaken our allies and end American dominance. To stay ahead of these threats, DoD comes to Congress each year requesting critical new authorities and changes to existing law.” “This year, both the House and Senate NDAAs include critical new authorities to ensure our warfighters have what they need to deter our adversaries and prevail on future battlefields,” Rogers said. “These include: Provisions to expedite the delivery of new capabilities to the warfighter and enable the DoD to better partner with innovators in private industry. Provisions in both bills to revitalize our industrial base, secure our supply chains, and distribute our logistics are vital to ensuring we prevail in conflict with our adversaries, especially China. Provisions that implement AUKUS and expand military cooperation and expedite weapons transfers to Israel, Taiwan, and other allies and partners are needed now to deter our adversaries. And important new authorities that increase servicemember pay and allowances and expand benefits available to military families.” “Over 50 percent of our discretionary budget is spent on defense,” Rogers explained. “The House bill includes several provisions to require accountability from this administration and to end the woke policies being forced on our servicemembers by left-wing bureaucrats. Everyone here appreciates that we have a divided government. That enacting legislation as critical as the NDAA will require compromise. But compromise means we both have to swallow some things that we may not like.” One of the key sticking points has been the Biden administration’s abortion policy. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) has been holding up senior military promotions for nearly a year. Tuberville and Republicans hope that House GOP provisions overturning the President’s abortion policy remain in the final version of the NDAA that comes out of committee. Democrats and the Whitehouse would prefer a bill that does not address abortion. As chair of the conference committee, Rogers is under pressure from both sides. Mike Rogers has represented Alabama’s Third Congressional District since 2002. He is seeking a twelfth term but faces two GOP primary challengers. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama county commissions plan mental health push in 2024 legislative session
Ralph Chapoco, Alabama Reflector AUBURN – The Association of County Commissions of Alabama plans to make a push on mental health issues in the 2024 session of the Alabama Legislature. The organization, holding its annual meeting in Auburn this week, plans to support expansion of residential treatment facilities; improved training for corrections officers on mental health crises; additional funding for a 988-suicide hotline, and 15 more mental health crisis units. “In most counties, we are unable to respond to that cry out for help because there are no beds for treatment for those persons,” said Sonny Brasfield, executive director of the ACCA, on Wednesday. Brasfield said in many cases, families will first approach a local probate judge to get help for a loved one in a mental health crisis. “The probate judge faces himself, saying ‘gosh, yes, this person needs to be committed,’” Brasfield said. ‘“I have nowhere for the person to go. I will put him in line, take him back home.’” If that person develops additional problems, Brasfield said, a family may end up calling law enforcement, which places the person in a detention center, which could worsen the issues. ACCA set a goal to add 3,200 additional beds for those going through a mental health crisis that will require an additional $30 million. “We begin that effort today,” Brasfield said. “And tomorrow, we are setting that as our goal.” The ACCA held two sessions on mental health at a meeting on Wednesday. The first presentation was given by Monroe County Commissioner Justin Sawyer, who was part of an effort by second-term commissioners who reviewed potential issues they wanted to address. The group, the PLAN 2024 Leadership Program, decided to make mental health a priority. “We unanimously said we wanted to tackle mental health, but when we said it, we really didn’t know what to do,” Sawyer said. Members of the group surveyed probate judges for their thoughts. According to a handout passed out to participants on Wednesday, 92% of the judges in the different counties wanted more long-term care options and resources. 72% wanted better non-residential services and programs, and 61% of those surveyed wanted to expand involuntary commitment authority. Many of the judges said they conducted mental health hearings at least days of the week. From there, the group developed the priority list, which included better access to long-term care, expanded mental health training for employers and law enforcement, as well as increasing the number of mental health officers, placing one in all 67 counties. Rep. Rex Reynolds, R-Huntsville, who chairs the House Ways and Means General Fund Committee, followed and spoke of efforts to fund the 988 hotline during the prior year’s session. “That really was to take care of the operations of the projected six crisis centers in Alabama,” Reynolds said. The bill would have funded the 988 line through a surcharge on cell phone lines. The proposal drew opposition from the telecommunications industry, and ultimately did not pass. Reynolds said he plans to file the bill again in next year’s session. The ACCA meeting will continue on Thursday. Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alabama Reflector maintains editorial independence. Follow Alabama Reflector on Facebook and Twitter.
Search warrant executed on White Hall Entertainment, shuts down casino in Lowndes County
On Wednesday, the Alabama Attorney General’s office announced that state authorities have raided the illegal casino run by White Hall Entertainment in Lowndes County. Whitehall is one of a reported 52 illegal gambling establishments being allowed to operate by sheriffs and local officials, who are unwilling to enforce state law. Attorney General Steve Marshall announced on X that he had obtained a temporary restraining order to block White Hall from operating and obtained a search warrant to raid the facility. BREAKING News | https://t.co/hIE3knygEA pic.twitter.com/cRHPt2r03d — Attorney General Steve Marshall (@AGSteveMarshall) November 29, 2023 The AG’s office said that it found more than 600 illegal slot machines and multiple entities associated with the casino location, including Cornerstone Community Outreach, Winter Sky LLC, White Sands Technology LLC, BB23 LLC, and R&J Holding Company, Inc. Pursuant to the TRO, the facility has been closed and sealed, all assets of the entities have been frozen, and there can be no further financial transactions connected with the facility or those operating the facility until further orders from the Circuit Court of Lowndes County. The Attorney General’s Office also sought and executed a search warrant at the gambling facility as part of its ongoing investigation. “Today’s operations reflect the ongoing enforcement of previous orders issued by the Alabama Supreme Court for Lowndes County,” Marshall said in a statement. “The individuals, building owners, and operators of these illegal machines acted in defiance of the law, local court orders, and Supreme Court of our state. Rackets such as these will not be tolerated in Lowndes County or elsewhere in Alabama.” White Hall has been raided in the past. It was ordered to close last year after it lost in a decision before the Alabama Supreme Court. The Court issued an Order in September 2022 declaring that the operation of “electronic bingo” was an ongoing nuisance in Lowndes County and should be abated by the Circuit Court. White Hall Entertainment chose not to abide by the Circuit Court’s order and instead reopened with illegal gaming machines in defiance of the rule of law. The Attorney General’s Office led the operation and received assistance and support from White Hall Police Chief Alvetta Coates and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office. “The Alabama Supreme Court’s opinion makes clear what my office has maintained from the start: these gambling enterprises are not only patently illegal under Alabama law, but also a menace to public health, morals, safety, and welfare,” said AG Marshall in a statement at that time. “Today’s decision will forbid the Southern Star, White Hall, and Victoryland casinos from offering their slot-machine gambling to the public.” “In the five years since I filed lawsuits to cease illegal gambling in five different counties across the state, I have prevailed in court against one deep-pocketed gambling enterprise after another: in 2017, against the River City Casino in Morgan County; in 2018, against the Center Stage casino in Houston County; and, today, against the Southern Star and White Hall casinos in Lowndes County and the Victoryland casino in Macon County,” Marshall continued. The illegal gambling bosses have appealed to the Alabama Legislature. They are currently attempting to negotiate a deal where the legislature will pass a constitutional amendment allowing certain entities, including White Hall, to operate legally while forbidding other Alabamians from being able to participate in this industry. Any gambling facility in Alabama with electronic bingo machines, unless it is operated by the Poarch Creek Band of Indians (PCI), is a criminal enterprise that is operating in direct defiance of state law and is not regulated by any gaming commission. PCI is federally licensed under the Indian Gaming Act. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Tommy Tuberville blames NATO expansion for war between Ukraine and Russia
On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) spoke with the members of the Alabama press corps on why he is opposing more aid for Ukraine. “Next week, the Senate will be voting on more money for Ukraine,” Tuberville said. “You know we have already given them more than $100 billion. There has been very little transparency about where all this money has gone. $100 billion is more than enough. We need the money and the weapons here in our country.” Alabama Today asked Tuberville if he was concerned about reports that leaders of the Baltic states have expressed concerns that if Russia wins the war with Ukraine or appears to have won the war, Russian troops could be crossing their borders in the years to come. “First of all, you have got to look back at what caused this conflict,” Tuberville answered. “What caused this conflict is the United States expanding NATO from all the way from inner central Europe all the way almost now to Ukraine. They have pushed Ukraine into being in NATO. President Putin said that is not going to happen. We are not going to allow the United States basically to be on our border. That is the reason he is fighting this war.” Tuberville said that he would oppose efforts to tie aid to help Israel in its war with Hamas to the President’s aid package for Ukraine. “Democrats want to tie aid to Israel to Ukraine,” Tuberville said. “These two wars have nothing to do with each other. Israel is our formal ally. Ukraine is not. I support the Ukrainian people, but leadership means setting priorities. What’s our goal?” Tuberville suggested that dealing with the crisis on the U.S./Mexico border is a greater concern than the war between Israel and Ukraine. “Before we help other countries, we need to help ourselves,” Tuberville stated. “So we have got a crisis on our southern border like we have never seen in the history of our country. More than six million illegal border crossings since Joe Biden took office. One hundred thousand people dying every year from drugs that come from Mexico. More than 300 people on the terror watch list have been caught since Joe Biden took office. It is frightening to think about how many people we haven’t caught. We don’t know who is here.” Tuberville claimed that the U.S. could end the war in Ukraine. “We could have had this over with, but the United States for some reason, this administration wants it to continue to happen.” Tuberville acknowledged that there was a possibility of a broader conflict in which the U.S. would be directly involved. “I am very concerned of spending money and us getting into a conflict that we don’t need to get in,” Tuberville added, Tuberville said the U.S. needs to change border policies to address the border crisis effectively. “This week, Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas said we need to take these people plus twelve million illegals that are already here,” Tuberville continued. “If Democrats want more foreign aid, they had better fix the border first. Democrats say they are willing to spend more money at the border, but they are not willing to change the policy at the border, so it doesn’t make any difference. If you don’t change the policy, all the money is going to be wasted if we send it down there.” Tuberville said that he is going to continue to prioritize the border and aid for Israel. “I am going to be fighting to secure our border and support our ally, Israel, but stop sending our weapons and money to Ukraine,” Tuberville stated. “Let’s get our own house in order before we help anybody else.” Tommy Tuberville has served in the Senate representing Alabama since 2020 after a four-decade career as a teacher, coach, and sports broadcaster. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Wallace State Community College holds ribbon cutting at new Workforce Training Center
Wallace State Community College (WSCC) held a ribbon cutting on Wednesday for its new Workforce Training Center, which is located on the grounds of Rehau. The Workforce Training Center will provide facilities for training programs and services offered by the college’s Center for Career and Workforce Development. Initially, classes for phlebotomy, computer office training, fiber optics training, some manufacturing training, and a Skills for Success lab will be offered at the site. WSCC plans to offer classes for Certified Nursing Assistants and Medication Assistant Certification at the center soon. Alabama Community College System Chancellor Jimmy Baker, State Rep. Randall Shedd, Cullman Mayor Woody Jacobs, and Cullman Economic Development Agency Director Dale Greer were in attendance, as well as WSCC President Dr. Vicki Karolewics, Vice President for Advancement and Innovation Suzanne Harbin and industry partners Jeremy Sturdivant of the Jimmie Hale Mission, and Tracy Rushing of R.E. Garrison Trucking. Space will also be available for use by area businesses and industries that need facilities for employee training. Hardin said that the facility provides them with a central location to host classes and store materials and supplies for their programs. Through its Pro Skills Pathways program, the Center for Career and Workforce Development offers short-term training to earn credentials students can use to get a job, advance in their current job, or use as credit to articulate into a credit-bearing program at Wallace State. Economic developer Dr. Nicole Jones Wadsworth told Alabama Today, “Wallace State’s newest workforce training center at the Rehau campus will transform the lives of the people in Cullman and the surrounding area. Courses offered will equip graduates with in-demand skills that translate into jobs within a variety of trades. We applaud Wallace State for its continuous communication with industry partners and willingness to go the extra mile to serve our communities.” Registration for the Spring 2024 semester is underway, with classes beginning January 8 for regular and Mini Term I and March 6 for Mini Term II. Registration for Flex Start I courses will be held Jan. 13-19, with classes starting January 15, and registration for Flex Start II courses will be held Jan. 20-26, with classes beginning January 22. To register for classes, visit their website. The two-year college system has an enormously important role in training Alabama’s workforce. This expansion with the Workforce Training Center will help Wallace State perform in that role. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Personnel update: USA Health names Marie Katz executive director for Office of Marketing and Communications
USA Health has named Marie Katz as executive director for the Office of Marketing and Communications for the 7,000-employee academic health system. “As USA Health continues to expand along the upper Gulf Coast, we are delighted to have someone with Marie’s talent and experience leading our marketing and communication efforts,” said Owen Bailey, MSHA, FACHE, chief executive officer for USA Health and senior associate vice president for medical affairs. “I’m excited to see what the future holds as we continue to share the stories of the people and specialized healthcare services we bring to the region.” Katz joined the University of South Alabama’s health system in 2019 as creative services director, then transitioned to interim associate vice president in September 2022. During that time, the health system grew from fewer than 12 locations in two counties to more than 40 sites in two states, which includes the acquisition of Providence Hospital. In the new role, Katz will oversee all marketing and communications efforts for USA Health, which includes University Hospital, Children’s & Women’s Hospital, Providence Hospital, the Mitchell Cancer Institute, the Physician Enterprise, and the Whiddon College of Medicine. Her duties include leading strategic campaign development and media planning, creating communications and marketing strategies, and overseeing internal communications to complement and align with the goals of the health system and Whiddon College of Medicine. “Even before the pandemic dramatically changed some of the ways we reach patients and colleagues, Marie was working with our healthcare teams to establish innovative strategies that continuously demonstrate the unique role academic medicine plays in our community,” said John V. Marymont, M.D., MBA, vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Whiddon College of Medicine. “Along with her other talents, she has the ability to build and maintain relationships that are vital to our success.” Before joining USA Health, Katz was assistant director of creative services for the Office of Marketing and Communications at the University of South Alabama. For more than a decade, she owned The Paper Menu, growing it to a national wholesale business with more than 200 accounts. Previously, she served as art director for PMT Publishing’s Business Alabama and at Sullivan-St. Clair Advertising before it became Red Square. “I am honored to work alongside so many people who have a heart for serving others and who practice compassionate healthcare every day,” Katz said. “It’s also incredibly rewarding to lead a talented team of communications professionals who are eager to share our stories in such meaningful and compelling ways.” A graduate of the University of Alabama, Katz has earned regional and national recognition from The Telly Awards, Communication Arts, CASE, the American Advertising Awards (Addy’s), Lagniappe’s Nappies, and from the National Stationery Show. Her work has been featured in Oprah Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, and Town & Country Magazine. USA Health is the only academic health system along the upper Gulf Coast. With more than 40 care delivery locations, including USA Health University Hospital, USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital, USA Health Providence, the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute, and physician practice sites throughout the area, the health system melds clinical care, research, and healthcare education into the most advanced medical care in the region.
Texas Border Patrol agents apprehend child sex offenders, rapists
By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor U.S. Border Patrol agents continue to apprehend foreign nationals illegally entering Texas who are known child sex offenders. In one of the heaviest trafficked areas along the southwest border in Texas, Del Rio Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Juan Bernal reported agents had apprehended 21 convicted child sex offenders in less than two months. “In less than two months, Del Rio Sector agents have apprehended 21 convicted sex offenders attempting to enter the country illegally. Due to the hard work and dedication of our agents, these dangerous individuals were not able to enter our country,” he said. Bernal also posted mugshots of the convicted offenders on social media. The men were previously convicted of sexually assaulting minors with charges ranging from first to third degrees. They include sexual assault sodomy, rape in the first degree to a minor, indecency with a child sexual contact, a felony charge for enticing a child with intent, aggravated sexual assault of a child, indecency with a child/exposure, sexual contact with a child, lewd and lascivious battery on a child, rape of a minor, among others. Of the more than 1.9 million people who illegally entered Texas in fiscal 2023, the second greatest number were apprehended in the Del Rio Sector. Border Patrol agents alone apprehended 393,226 people and reported 180,034 known gotaways in the Del Rio Sector, The Center Square exclusively reported. The sector covers 245 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border along the Rio Grande River, including Lake Amistad, and reaches 300 miles into Texas from the border. Del Rio Sector agents are responsible for covering 55,063 square miles in 47 counties – nearly 20% of Texas’ 254 counties. The majority of the area is rural farm and ranchland. Their work is in addition to ICE agents continuing to apprehend sex offenders and rapists nationwide, including those attempting to leave the country after they’ve illegally entered and committed crimes. Nationwide, the greatest number of illegal foreign nationals apprehended with known sexual offenses was 488 in fiscal 2021, according to CBP data. The numbers have gone down as fewer agents are in the field on patrol, instead tasked with processing record numbers of people arriving at the border. In fiscal 2022, 365 known sexual offenders were apprehended; in fiscal 2023, 284 were. Prior to Bernal’s announcement, 19 sexual offenders had been apprehended nationwide fiscal year to date as of Nov. 14. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Georgia lawmakers kick off special session to redraw districts
Georgia lawmakers kicked off a special session Wednesday to redraw congressional and state legislative maps. Following U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones’ ruling that maps state lawmakers previously approved violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, called the special session. Jones set a Dec. 8 deadline for lawmakers to redraw congressional and state legislative maps. “The reason we gather here again today, at additional taxpayer expense, is because when the General Assembly met in 2021, Republicans passed legislative and congressional maps that discriminated against minority voters,” state Sen. Harold Jones II, D-Augusta, said during a Wednesday morning news conference. Georgia Democrats have expressed concerns about proposed maps Republicans have released and have offered versions of maps they say comply with Jones’ order for lawmakers to consider. “I’m hoping that the judge is watching us and looking at our plan and knowing that it is the best plan,” state Sen. Gloria Butler, D-Stone Mountain, said during a Wednesday morning news conference. “I would be over the moon if the judge could recommend the Senate Democratic Caucus plan.” On the eve of lawmakers’ return to the Gold Dome, the plaintiffs who sued Georgia over its congressional and state legislative district maps have voiced concerns about a proposed state Senate district map. In a letter to the Georgia House and Senate Reapportionment & Redistricting Committees, their lawyers outlined their legal concerns and gave legislators alternate state House and Senate maps they say comply with Jones’ Oct. 26 order. “In sum: the Committee Plan operates a shell game, in which Black voters in the vote dilution area identified by the Court gain no new opportunities, and districts that the Court specifically struck down remain intact,” the lawyers said in a letter to the committees. In his ruling, Jones indicated the remedy includes an additional majority-Black congressional district, two additional majority-Black state Senate districts, and five additional majority-Black state House districts. The proposed state House map that state Rep. Rob Leverett, R-Elberton, chairman of the House Committee on Reapportionment and Redistricting, released would pit state Reps. Beth Camp, R-Concord, and David Knight, R-Griffin, against one another. “While we do not agree with the ruling and an appeal to a high court has been filed, the Georgia General Assembly must take action to comply with the deadline to complete the maps, or the maps will be drawn by the court,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement. During a Senate Reapportionment & Redistricting Committee hearing, state Sen. Bo Hatchett, R-Cornelia, said the new maps had to comply with the Voting Rights Act, Jones’ order, and “traditional redistricting principles.” “We met with Senate members whose districts would be impacted on both sides of the aisle,” Hatchett said. “It was eye-opening to me. Every member that we met with had the same request: keep my district exactly the way it is — I like the way my district is drawn. “We have the judge’s order on one hand telling us we’ve got to redraw these and then members, on the other hand, saying keep my district the same,” Hatchett added. “So, it was a challenge, but in response to those conversations, in response to the judge’s order and our traditional principles, we believe we drew a map that affected as few districts as possible.” Among the first matters for state senators on Wednesday was passing Senate Resolution 4EX denouncing the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and voicing support for Israel and the Jewish people. In a release, Lt. Governor Burt Jones, a Republican, called on lawmakers to pass House Bill 30, which would define antisemitism and require state agencies to “consider antisemitism as evidence of discriminatory intent for any criminal or noncriminal law or policy.” Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Education professor hoping alternatives to suspensions work in middle school test
A new approach to poor classroom behavior that avoids suspensions and expulsions is being put to the test in Oregon, Texas, Georgia, Alabama, California, and Hawaii. Developed by associate professor Rhonda Nese and her team in the University of Oregon’s College of Education, the approach is different than exclusionary discipline, an approach involving removing students from classrooms and schools. Nese and her team recently got a $3.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to test the Inclusive Skill-building Learning Approach in 60 middle schools in Oregon and five other states. The project will evaluate how effective the model is in boosting education access and the “quality and the social and community environment to prevent school exclusion and substance misuse,” according to the University of Oregon. The approach aims to improve relationships between students and teachers. It also strives to make administrators interact with students better and to find alternative ways to solve behavior and social problems. Nese claims the approach improves student behavior and reduces the need to suspend or expel students. “We’re moving away from the holding cell mentality of in-school suspensions where you just sit in a room and do nothing,” she said. “That’s not a teaching strategy, it does not lead to improvements in children’s behaviors or academic performance, and in fact, it only makes things worse.” Nese said research shows exclusionary discipline “is inextricably linked to substance abuse, incarceration, academic failure, trouble with employment, and lots of horrible predictors for kids.” She added that her approach “creates environments that are inclusive, supportive, and built on the idea that we only succeed as a class when all of us succeed.” The Inclusive Skill-building Learning Approach trains teachers, office staff, counselors, and administrators “to help middle school students feel welcome and supported, resolve problems and avoid conflict,” the release said. Some strategies include having teachers greet students individually, setting expectations for classroom behavior, de-escalation techniques and practicing making amends. Nese said the approach dovetails with what teachers already do instead of creating more work for them. “Greeting students as they come into your classroom isn’t a new thing,” she said. “It’s about doing it thoughtfully and systematically because it’s actually been associated with an increase in classroom engagement and decreases in disruptive behavior. And it’s preventative, meaningful, and takes little to no prep.” Since the program trains an entire school’s staff, it offers teachers backup and support when they need help dealing with a difficult situation. “Everyone from front-office staff to top administrators gets trained, providing more ways for students to get help,” the school said. The approach’s development was initially funded via a $1.4 million grant from the Institute of Education Sciences. “The new NIH grant will now allow the approach to be tested on a variety of indicators of student success and student risk, such as student engagement, inclusive teaching practices, racial and ethnic disparities in school discipline, and opioid and other substance misuse.” If the collected data yields positive results, the plan is to offer training materials to more schools nationwide. “Tax dollars are what funds our research,” Nese said. “So we give all our materials back to our public education systems because this is how we can positively impact the most students.” Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
