Learning and practice are the cultivation of knowledge, education is merely the vehicle.

— Kaleigh Wotring

I’m sure someone with more wisdom has said that before now, but Google can’t find it, and Grammarly says it’s mine. I expect to find a meme on Facebook soon enough.

I’ve never talked to anyone about education that didn’t have an opinion. The best schools, philosophy,  graduation rates, the highest test scores; all these opinions stem from the genuine concern parents have when considering educational options for their children.

I could have written a very, very long article on my personal opinions on the state of education because I have them. But instead, I will let our contributors tell their stories.

I will say this; I was not able to present as many educational vehicles as I had wanted to in this issue. I wanted to highlight vocational and technical schools for high school and adults; Native Alaskan language and heritage classes; charter schools; optional programs; K-8, and K-12 public and private schools. I also wanted to address adult education and career retraining; rejoining the workforce as a veteran; and the education of those with special needs as children and adults, my list goes on and on.

We have some good reads this month. Meghan Wotring (yes, we are related, she is my sister-in-law) writes about her personal homeschool experience and the decision to homeschool her children. Samantha Lamphier leads us through the process of how she and her husband found the place that felt right for their family.

Recent graduate, Lyndsey Sorenson, shares her story and why she made the tough choice to attend the Alaska Military Youth Academy. The dedication to her future has paid off, and she is bound for culinary school in the fall.

Frank baker reflects on conversations about education, learning, and knowledge he has had over the years with his daughter as well as providing a lighthearted look at a meeting between man and bear. 

Teaching and training go both ways. Kaylene Johnson-Sullivan, and her pup, Lily Blue, are finding out. I can attest to that myself. I am confident that my 6-month-old Australian Shepard, Ruby, is doing a far better job training me than I am doing training her.

And finally, our Day in the Life story features Sarah Naef,  Executive Chef at Allen & Petersen Cooking School. Daniel Shepherd was able to photograph a cooking class as well as sit down with her for an interview.  What he learned was that Chef Sarah was anything but just a Chef and that a burger was anything but just a burger. Look for the photo story on our website.

I have a question for all the ECHO readers out there. Do you even read this letter? Would this page be better filled with ads or stories? I’m putting a poll on our Facebook page (facebook.com/EchoNewsAK) to find out.

I’m also going to ask you all what you want to read in the ECHO. We consider ourselves a community magazine, and as such, we think you should have some say in what you read here. You can send me an email, or I will have another poll on our Facebook page just for that.

Kaleigh Wotring
Publishing Editor, ECHO Magazine