Higher Education Help & Your Child's Eyes

Believe it or not, something as simple as affording groceries each week is keeping some from higher education.  Now there's help.  Plus, you're child's eyes could be the difference in how they learn.  Why seeing the right professional before school is so important.  That and more in this week's "Kentucky Focus w/Scott Fitzgerald"

Episode Transcript

(00:02):
Coming up this week one Kentucky Focus, why it's imperative to have your child's
eyes checked before the school year.Speaking of education, all too often other
expenses preclude many from furthering set education. We'll tell you about one Kentucky outlet
that's actually doing something about it.Plus responsible journalism at a time when political

(00:22):
tensions are high. I'm Scott Fitzgerald, and welcome to Kentucky Focus. Welcome
to Kentucky Focus on the Kentucky NewsNetwork, the show that looks at issues
affecting the Commonwealth and its citizens.We cover state politics and history, human
interest stories, sports, and evenentertainment. It's Kentucky Focus on k and

(00:43):
n hear that that's the sound ofyour life, perfectly imperfect, beating in
rhythm to the world you've created.But every time you drive after drinking,
music gets drowned out. Your lifesounds pretty great. Don't let a buzz

(01:07):
ruin it. Buzz driving is drunkdriving. Don't drive buzzed. A message
from nits in the I Council.Welcome back to Kentucky Focus. I'm Scott
Fitzgerald. Well's parents prepare for theirchildren's return to school in person, Comprehensive
eye exams with an optometrist should beincluded, and they're back to school checklist.

(01:29):
Increased use of screens at school,which grew significantly during the pandemic,
has increased the likelihood that well ourkids will develop vision issues such as myopia,
e coordination issues, eyestrain, anddry eye. Unfortunately, vision screenings
in schools am pediatrician offices provide lessthan four percent of the information really needed
to comprehensively identify eye issues, andthey're not a substitute, say experts for

(01:53):
an annual optometrist visit. Left undiagnosedeye problems could be misdiagnosed as learning to
disorders, causing further academic and developmentaldelays. Joining us to talk about this
is doctor Stephen Reed, president ofthe American Optimetric Association. Thank you,
doctor Reid for taking time when itcomes to back to school checkups. The
eyes are a pretty big deal,right. The eyes are extremely important and

(02:16):
making sure a child has a comprehensivehintsive examination by doctor of optometry really for
two main reasons, development and learning. When a child is born, their
vision is not twenty twenty and that'snormal. But as the child grows and
develops, their visual system also developswith them, so that later in life

(02:37):
they do get the twenty twenty,or at least that's the goal. So
if a child has some type ofvision problem, whether that be a refractive
condition like they're near sighted or farsighted, or perhaps for some type of
eye disease, if we can catchthat early and ad mitigate that problem,
then we have a chance to keepthe child on the right visual development track.
If not, then oftentimes later thatvision problem become locked in and it's

(03:00):
a problem not only for that childduring school, but can be for the
rest of their lives. And thenI mentioned the learning aspect as well.
It's estimated that about eighty percent ofwhat a child learns is through their vision.
So on the same hand, ifa child has a vision disorder and
the parent doesn't know about it,and oftentime a child won't complain because they

(03:22):
don't know what normal vision is supposedto be, then that can also affect
their learning. And one of thesneakiest things we see is faresightedness. If
a child is far sighted, theysee fine far off, so they run
and play. Everything looks good,but when they try to read. It's
uncomfortable. They have an aversion tolearning, and not only can that affect
the learning tract, but they canalso be labeled slow learners when in fact

(03:44):
they may be just as smart aseveryone else, they just don't like to
read, or they could be labeledas having some kind of behavioral disorder.
So it's extremely important to have acomprehensive examination by doctor of boptometry for a
whole lot of reasons. Joining usto talk about our eyes and our children
is again doctor Stephen Reedy is thepresident of the American Optometric Association, so
he know some thing or two abouthow to take care of our eyes.

(04:08):
Hey, doc, we're also seeinga rise in screen time issues, aren't
we. Oh yes, yes,it's certainly impacting eye health all across the
board. So the way the eyeis supposed to work is whenever you look
at something up close, the internaleye muscles focus sin It's kind of like
focusing on a camera. And aschildren say, back in my day,

(04:28):
we were outside a lot, wewere looking far off, looking up close,
back and forth. Well, alot of children today are not doing
that, and they're looking at theirscreens. And so if that muscle within
the eyes continually stand focused on thisup close. Then it starts to get
tired, and eventually your brain says, well, you know what, where
this is where you need to see, We're going to make you nearsighted,
so that that's where you see theclearest. Well, then the child can't

(04:50):
see far off and they have towear glasses or contacts for that. And
so because of this environmental aspect ofnearshotting, we have seen a twofold increase
in the amount or the incidents ofnearsightedness in this decade versus the last.
So it absolutely has impacted not onlychildren, but adults as well. We're

(05:11):
spending a few minutes with doctor StephenReedy as the president of the American Optometric
Association. As kids and even collegestudents prepare to head back to school,
something we need to learn well isour eyes and the health of our eyes.
So, Doc, is there abig difference between say a routine screening
and getting in to see a goodeye doctor. Yeah, that's a great,
great question there. So when avision screening is done, the tests

(05:35):
that are performed is about five percentof what is done in a comprehensive examination.
And so what can happen is thatvision problems are missed when we do
a full exam or a comprehensive examination. We don't miss these problems because you
know, number one, we're trainedto do this and we're doing a whole
plethora of the testing, the testingthat needs to be done, and so

(05:58):
we always advocate for that up front. One of the things that really has
bothered me in my career is whena screening is done and a child is
marked as passing, but they infact do have a visual problem that was
missed. Well, then a letteris sent home with the parent, Hey,
you know what, your child passedtheir school screening, and in fact
the parent says, well, mychild's fine, I don't need to have

(06:18):
an examination done, when in factthe child needs that and needs to have
some intervention on their vision problem.So we just advocate our front. Let's
just go ahead and get a comprehensiveexamination. Let's find a problem and fix
it. Last question for you,doctor Reid. If a parent is listening
and they agree, yeah, weshould do something about my child's eyes and
they need to get this done,where can they turn to. Yeah,

(06:39):
the best place to go is theAmerican Optimetric Association website and that is aoa
dot org. Within this there area lot of helpful tips and hints on
good eye health and proper care.But there's also a doctoral locator, so
you can plug in your zip codeyou can find a doctor of optometry close
to you that can take care ofyour child's OS and vision. He is

(07:00):
doctor Stephen Reed, president of theAmerican Optimetric Association and doc. This has
been great advice. We really appreciateyou spending a few minutes with us in
all the best. Hey, thankyou appreciate it coming out. The cost
continues to be one of the mainreasons why people don't pursue higher education.
Sometimes students need more than just scholarshipmoney, and one Kentucky institution of higher

(07:21):
Learning understands this and is doing somethingabout it. We'll talk about that next.
I'm Scott Fitzgerald, and you're listeningto Kentucky Focus. Out here in
the middle of these acres, itcan feel like you're the only person on
earth. That's how it feels whenyou're struggling with your mental health. But
you don't have to feel alone.Find more information that love your mind Today

(07:44):
dot org. It's brought to youby the Huntsman Mental Health Institute in the
adjuncton Welcome back to Kentucky Focus.I'm Scott Fitzgerald. Nearly fifty percent of
those responding to a recent survey aroundthe Commonwealth said they were worried about running
out of food before they had moneyto buy more. Something that doesn't align
when looking to pay for higher education. Now there's help. Joining us today

(08:05):
is President of the Kentucky Community andTechnical College System, former Agricultural Commissioner here
in Kentucky, doctor Ryan Quarrels.Thank you for joining us, doctor Quarrels.
So what did you come up with? Well, for the first time
in over twenty five years, wedid a Kentucky Community and Technical College statewide
Day of giving back in April.We raised one point five million dollars one

(08:28):
thousand donors from twenty seven states.And we think that this is just a
tip of the iceberg, so tosay, with developing a community college alumni
base. You know, it's alot easier for schools with big sports teams,
the four year degree universities that havestrong alumni base. But guess what,

(08:50):
CASETCS is the largest higher education entityin Kentucky, over one hundred thousand
students and some of those students needa little extra health and that's why we
raise this money for them. We'retalking with KCTCS president and former Commission of
Agriculture here in the Commonwealth, RyanQuarrels on a massive fundraising effort to help
folks out in further the education.So President Quarrels, how big of an

(09:13):
effort was this to get off theground. Well, it took a couple
of years. Actually it was inthe works well before I was selected as
president. But we're trying to dowhat other universities are already doing, and
that's engaging our alumni, our employers, those that benefit from KCTCS don't And
let's not forget about it. It'sa great place to start your four year
college degree, get an associates,and transfer to a school of your choice.

(09:37):
It's also a phenomenal place to geta technical degree. We're the ones
that teach you how to become anHVAC technician, a mechanic. We have
a helicopter school, welding electricians,and so for us, it's about workforce
development. But we know that theKentuckians that we serve, there's a lot
of need out there as well.Forty five percent of our students report being

(10:00):
food and secure at some point.We know that oftentimes some of money as
little as two hundred dollars may determinewhether or not a student will complete their
degree, if a car breaks down, if they're displaced from where they're living,
if they need groceries. And sothat's why we raised this money and
will continue to raise this money tohelp out student needs so they can get

(10:20):
to the finish line and cross thatstage. CACTCS President and former Commissioner of
Agriculture Ryan Quarrel's joining us now ona massive fundraising effort to get folks a
little help who want to further theireducation here in the Commonwealth. So President
quarrels, how will the money's beallocated? How's that designed a case by
case basis? Do people present theircase to you? Well, what the

(10:41):
beauty of this fundraising effort is thatthe donor gets to choose where their money
goes. And so let's just saythere's sixteen community technical colleges and they may
have gone to one, maybe theirchild has benefited from a coursework from there,
so they can actually donate it directlyto one of those sixteen colleges,
or there's a general fund that wemanage system office, or they could earmarket

(11:01):
like I did to help out withfood insecurity. And so even today,
you want to check us out,just google CASETCS Foundation. You can donate
and choose where your money goes.But if you're undecided, the money more
than likely is going to go toa student in need that stop gap life
happens. They may be in andout of housing. We have a lot

(11:24):
of students that are homeless that arebenefiting from our programs, but the food
in security is a big one aswell, and so this is really just
the start. We are proud thatwe had one thousand donors chip in sometimes
five dollars, sometimes more, sometimesanonymously, to raise one point five million
dollars in one day. But weknow that the need exceeds that mount by

(11:46):
manyfold. So if you want tohelp us out, check out and invest
in the future. That is alot of money. President Quarrels, you're
a former community college student with astrong background in higher education. How important
is the Kentucky Community and Technical collegesystem to our state. Well, it's
the backbone of the entry point forhigher education in Kentucky. That we are

(12:09):
in seventy different locations and so we'renot a regional We're not located in a
metropolitan area only. We are locatedacross rural Kentucky in downtown Lexington, downtown
Louisville. And so point one isthat forty four percent of all undergraduates in
our state are with the community andtechnical colleges. These are folks that are

(12:31):
eager to start their college career inhigh school, that may be adult learners.
We actually are the biggest provider ofGEDs as well, and so we
help Kentucky and start their college career. Then secondly, we provide the workforce
development arm for our employers. Weknow that there's plenty of jobs out there
right now, and so we're tryingto bridge the gap between employers that need

(12:56):
qualified, well educated workers and inKentucky and that are choosing a career,
and we want to make sure thatwe can help make it affordable, that
we're a price point leader, andthen we're going to help you get a
job once you finish with our program. Again, we're talking with Casey TCS
president and former Commissioner of Agriculture.Hearing the Commonwealth. That is Ryan Quarrels
and President Quarrels is the holder ofseven college degrees from places like Vanderbilt,

(13:18):
Harvard, Kentucky College of Law,the University of Kentucky. What do you
say to that potential student says,I'm just not cut out for college.
Everyone has a place at our communityin Techhoo College, we are open access.
We will admit and help any Kentuckianthat wants to better their lives,
whether it's a four week program tolearn tile to drive a semi truck with

(13:41):
our CDL program, or forklift operator, whether it's a shortened eighteen month program
to learn to become alignment to repairelectrical utilities. They make great, fantastic
starting salaries. But also being somebodythat came from rural Kentucky who grew up
on a tobacco farm, sometimes there'ssome Kentuckians that question whether or not they

(14:05):
should go to college. And guesswhat. Our community technical colleges are open
access. We're here for anybody andeverybody. We are affordable and that we
want to make sure that you canstart achieving your dream with us. You
know, I recently spoke at oneof our graduation ceremonies, and one third

(14:26):
of the students who graduated that daywere first generation college goers. Wow,
that for many Kentuckians, whether they'rein our recovery centers, we're also teaching
in our prison in jails right nowas well, is that we sometimes are
addressing issues that the other universities maynot have a footprint ind and so we're
more than just a starting point fora college career. We're also the point

(14:52):
for Kentuckians that may have faced adversityin life to have a second chance and
find a job. It's not justgoing to benefit them, it's also going
to benefit their family and help ourcommunities across Kentucky. Again, we're talking
with kc TCS president and former Commissionerof Agriculture here in Kentucky, Ryan Quarrels,
and they raised one point five milliondollars in a single day to help

(15:13):
students potential students with their As youmentioned, President Quarrels, there are shortcomings
when it comes to maybe possibly gettingin the way of an education. If
someone's listening to this right now,President Quarrels, and they want to give,
they want to be a part ofthis. It's not just the one
day of giving. They can certainlycontinue to give. Where can they go
to be a part of this.If you'd like to chip in and help

(15:35):
give back, just google KCTCS foundationboard or check out the foundation boards of
our sixteen colleges. Perhaps you havea close relationship with Jefferson Community Technical College
or Etown Community Technical College. Theyall have foundation boards as well. But
as donation, as little as afew dollars can go a long way,

(15:56):
especially with stocking the food pantries atour community and Technical college. Well,
it's fantastic. I appreciate you spendingsome few minutes with US President Quarrels.
The transition been okay from now Commissionerof Agriculture to your new role. How
are things going? Well, I'mdedicated to public service. This is just
a different chapter in my life andI enjoyed thirteen years in public office.
But higher education, especially with ourcommunity and technical colleges, is a calling

(16:19):
for me that we want to makesure that we reach Kentucky's potential, and
that means having an educated workforce.You know, not every Kentucky And needs
to go to a four year college, but every Kentucky And needs to gain
his skill perhaps a technical skill tohelp them get a good paying job.
And so for me, this isjust the next chapter in life. I'm

(16:41):
a big believer that education can takeyou anywhere in life, but here in
Kentucky we want to help you reachyour dream and find a great job.
Well, President Quarrels, we thankyou for your service to the commonwealth,
sir, and thank you for spendinga few minutes with us today. We
really appreciate that and all the besttoo you And if we can do anything
for you here in the future andhelp you get the word out, please
let us know. Thank you somuch. Coming up political divisiveness and journalistic

(17:03):
responsibility. Can we put that genieback in the bottle. I'm Scott Fitzgerial.
We're back after this. I'm KentuckyFocus. Don't you wish your wife
came with a warning app that dogdoes not want to be pat any Well,
life doesn't always give you time tochange the outcome, but pre diabetes
does. Take the one minute testtoday at do I have prediabetes dot org,

(17:25):
brought to you by the AD Counciland that it's pre Diabetes Awareness Partners.
Welcome back to Kentucky Focus. I'mScott Fitzgerald. Well, the assassination
attempt on former President Devil Trump isbrought to the forefront emotional reactions from many
and in some cases the media.So where are we when it comes to
responsible journalism? In twenty twenty four, long time and well known journalists with
the Courier Journal and journalism professor atthe University of Kentucky School of Journalism and

(17:49):
Media, Al Cross joined Terry Minerson news Radio eight forty whs this week
to talk about it and to helpus understand how we got here. Cross
says media is much different today thanit ever has been, especially when it
comes to reporting the news. It'sthe job of the journalists to cover what
happens. Unfortunately, our media environmenttoday twenty four to seven with the cable

(18:14):
news channels, has a lot oftime to fill up. They don't have
enough important facts to report, sothey pay people to be talking heads and
spout opinion, and that confuses peopleabout just what's fact and just what's opinion,
and you know who's grinding the acts. Again, we're listening to legendary

(18:36):
journalists with the career journal and journalismprofessor at the University of Kentucky School of
Journalism and Media, Alan Cross,who appeared with Terry Minors this week on
news radio eight forty WHS to talkabout media and reporting hot button issues like
the assassination attempt at former President DonaldTrump. For Cross, the fundamentals of
responsible journalism haven't changed in the businessof holding both people and institutions accountable,

(19:02):
and the purpose of that is tomake democracy work. First, you report
facts that will help people make adecision when they vote, and then we
hold accountable the people who get votedin when it comes to personal political divisiveness.
Licensed clinical counselor doctor Charles Pemberton withDimensions Family Therapy here in Kentucky says,

(19:22):
we have a lot in common withour animal kingdoms. Humans share a
lot of things with our animal kingdom. We all have you know, we
look at masso as a hierarchy ofneeds. We all need to have food
and water, we all need topro create, we all need to have
a power structure. The difference inhumans and most of our animal kingdom is

(19:44):
we also need a group or atribe, and morality is that set of
rules that allow the tribe to existwithout fighting amongst itself. Well, the
problem has been that we when welived apart from each other, the tribes
of department, we could make thatwork except for skirmishes between the tribes.

(20:06):
But we've lived on top of eachother for so long without a more universal
set of morality to allow us toget along. And it's my belief that
the current social media market, thecurrent news market where people are getting their

(20:27):
information, all of that that hasmade it easier for us to connect with
our existing tribe and stop listening toeveryone else. And if we can't listen
to everyone else, it's going tobe very, very difficult to form a

(20:48):
more universal set of rules that allowall of us to get along. So
how did we get here? DoctorPemberton says it could be a cultural shift.
Oftentimes they would ask a question,start a conversation only to be able
to give a lecture. And Ithink we have grown up in that mentality,

(21:12):
and now we have people bigger thanour family, be it our politicians,
be it our celebrities, be itour movie stars, be it our
religious leaders that are tending to dothe same thing. They're not asking questions

(21:32):
for to know how we feel,what our needs are, what we're thinking.
They're asking questions so that they canquickly pivot and point out that either
we're wrong or how they're right,and that does not form that connection that
is so vital and is what isneeded today. I'll use another example.

(21:55):
People talk about how well we don'tfeel like we're connected at all, but
yet we can go to our neighbor. We have a really good conversation with
our neighbor. And our neighbor maybe on the other side of the political
fence than us, but we're stillgoing to loan them a tool, and
we're still going to have a drinkwith them, and we're still gonna But
yet we talk about the other sidein a group and we have nothing to

(22:15):
do with them. We've got tomake those connections. That said, what
about Well the solution again, weturned to licensed clinical counselor doctor Charles Pemberton
with Dimensions Family Therapy here in Kentucky. If we don't start making connections with
people before we start correcting people,we are doomed. And so yes,

(22:38):
it means we need to hang aroundpeople that don't like the same movies as
us. I need to sit aroundand talk to people that love rom coms
to understand, well, what isit you like about rom com. I
don't have to tell them that they'rewrong for liking them, but I need
to sit down and be able tohave that conversation and they need to hear

(23:00):
that I like science fiction and hearmy side. They don't need to tell
me I'm wrong, but we arein a society where we want to correct
you're wrong before we ever make aconnection with people. And finally, it's
really the same for everyone, saysdoctor Charles Pemmerton, even clinical counselors.

(23:23):
As a professional who works with individuals, I have my own questions and I
need to be able to sit downwith other professionals, other people in the
field that may share my ideas,but more importantly, sit down with professionals
that don't share my ideas and whatI believe, so that I can see

(23:44):
the whole picture. And those aredifficult. I mean, it's difficult to
get two therapists in the room thatare on the other side of an idea
and just listen to each other.You think that would be easy, We're
no different. Thank you again tolegendary journalists with the Career journal and Journalists
and professor at the University of KentuckySchool of Journalism and Media al Cross,
as well as licensed clinical counselor doctorCharles Pemberton with Dimensions Family Therapy here in

(24:07):
Kentucky for an engaging discussion that I'msure we're going to have for generations to
come. I'm Scott Fitzgerald. You'relistening to Kentucky Focus. We're back to
wrap things up after this. Don'tlet biased algorithms or degree screens, or
exclusive professional networks or stereotypes. Don'tlet anything keep you from discovering the half

(24:33):
of the workforce who are stars.Workers skill through alternative rocks rather than a
bachelor's degree. It's time to tearthe paper ceiling and see the stars beyond
it. Find out how you canmake stars part of your talent strategy at
Tear Thepaperseiling dot Org. Brought toyou by Opportunity at Work in the ad
Council. Across the United States,Catholic Charities is there when you need us.

(24:55):
We help struggling neighbors regain their footingand dignity and give a hand up
to those in need. Catholic Charitiesbrings comfort and relief to the most vulnerable,
no matter their faith and guides themtoward the future they deserve. That's
a wrap for this week. Again, thank you to doctor Stephen Reed,
president of the American Optimetric Association,for underscoring the importance of getting those eyes

(25:19):
checked, especially for our kids beforethey head back to school. And for
more information you can log onto AOAdot org. Also thank you to the
President of the Kentucky Community and TechnicalCollege System former Agriculture Commissioner here in Kentucky,
doctor Ryan Quarrels, after they raisedone point five million dollars in one
day to help future students with everydayexpenses. If you'd like more information or

(25:41):
would like to give, simply visitKCTCS dot edu. And thank you again
to legendary journalist and professor the Universityof Kentucky, Al Cross, as well
as doctor Charles Pemberton with Dimensions FamilyTherapy here in Kentucky for helping us look
at ourselves when it comes to politicaldivisive in our own backyard. Also this

(26:02):
week, with the Olympics getting underway, good luck to all our local athletes
and their quest for gold, andwe'll continue to provide you updates on each
of them here on the Kentucky NewsNetwork, where all of us add to
K and N and Kentucky Focus.I'm Scott Fitzgerald, wishing you a happy
end, safe week. We'll talkto you next time on Kentucky Focus.
Kentucky Focus on the Kentucky News Network, the show that looks at issues affecting

(26:25):
the Commonwealth and it's citizens. Wecover state politics and history, human interest
stories, sports, and even entertainment. It's Kentucky Focus on kNN. You
say you'd never give into a meltdown, never let kids toys take over the
house, and never fill your feedwith kid photos. You'd never plan your

(26:49):
life around their schedule, never lockyour thumb to clean their face, and
you'd never let them leave the houselooking like less than their best. You
say you'd never put a pacifier inyour mouth to clean it, never let
them stay up too late, andnever let them run wild through the grocery

(27:11):
store on I'll Play and I'll Three. So when you say you'd never let
them get into a car without youthere, no, it can happen.
One in four hot car deaths happenwhen a kid gets into an unlocked car
and can't get out. Never happensbefore you leave the car. Always stop,
look lock brought to you by NITSAand the ad Council. When it

(27:37):
comes to making plans, you arethe best. What about those round trips
that you plan in advance, whichare perfect on your way there and perfect
on your way back. Or thosemeetings with friends for which you make a
group chat three months before so thatnobody or anything is missing. Or your
daughter's first birthday party you planned itwith much dedication that instead of the first

(28:02):
it felt like our kinses. Thesame way, you plan each detail for
those moments. Start planning to protectyou and your loved ones from a natural
disaster. Sign up for local weatherand emergency alerts, prepare an emergency kit,
and make a family communications plan.Protecting your family is the best plan

(28:26):
you can make. Get started atready dot gov slash plan brought to you
by FEMA and the appcount Scar ismaking a strange noise. No matter what
it is, you can't just pretendit's not happening. That's an interesting sound.
It's like your mental health. Ifyou're struggling and feeling overwhelmed, it's

(28:48):
important to do something about it.It can be as simple as talking to
someone in your community or just takinga deep calming breath when you need it.
Ah Nice. For mental health resources, check out Loveyomindtoday dot org.
At Loveyourmind Today dot org, you'llfind information that may help you get through
a tough time, things like tipsfor dealing with stress, how to navigate

(29:10):
difficulties like financial worries, anger,substance use, and more. You can
also find real stories of how peoplenavigated their own mental health challenges, because
once you start to address the problem, you can go so much further.
Visit Loveyomindtoday dot org. That's LoveyourmindToday dot org, brought to you by
the Huntsman Mental Health Institute and theAD Council