June 2022

Between the inked pages of any local newspaper and beyond news stories, there are stories of wins and losses, businesses and social doings, deaths and births and entertainment. There are advertisements and legals and in our paper there are prayer requests. Our newspaper, and others, are more important to a community than some might suspect. My five-year anniversary as editor of the Clay County Courier is coming up in a week at the end of June. I have to say I have learned so much about a great many things in that time. It’s what makes this job so interesting.

Arkansas’ education system greatly depends on our ability to attract and retain teachers. We need to make sure the pay reflects the importance of their job and our respect for their role in shaping the lives of the next generation of leaders. When the pandemic impacted the world, our schools were heavily burdened. Education could not waver even during a time when things felt so uncertain. Arkansas was one of the few states that kept schools open thanks to the amazing teachers in our state. In fact, Arkansas ranked No. 2 in the nation for days of in-classroom instruction during the pandemic. That puts us in front of Texas and Florida. And so, we must be able to provide for those who are willing to go on the front lines for our children’s future.