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COVID-19 taking aim at the heart of public education
Full text linkThe COVID-19 pandemic, distinguished by both its duration and widespread impact, stands apart from other crises typically faced by schools, such as natural disasters, school violence, or isolated traumatic incidents. Unlike these shorter-term events, the pandemic fundamentally altered the educational landscape, reshaping both school climate and instructional practices. This non-experimental, descriptive study employed a phenomenological research approach to examine the lived experiences of teachers during and after the pandemic. The central aim was to explore how pandemic-related stressors influenced teachers’ decisions to remain in or leave the profession, as well as to identify the supports educators perceived as necessary for managing job-related stress and continuing their careers in education.
By focusing on teachers’ voices, this study sheds light on the personal and professional challenges they faced amid unprecedented disruption. Participants shared insights into shifting workloads, emotional tolls, and evolving expectations, all of which contributed to burnout and reconsideration of their roles in the profession. The findings highlight the profound impact of systemic stressors on teacher attrition and the critical need for better support systems.
This research contributes valuable knowledge to the ongoing discussion on teacher retention in the aftermath of COVID-19. It offers practical implications for school leaders and policymakers, emphasizing the importance of mental health resources, administrative support, professional autonomy, and work-life balance initiatives. Ultimately, the study underscores the urgent need to reassess how schools support educators, not only in times of crisis but as a sustained effort to foster resilience and stability within the teaching workforce
Introduction: Black Preaching and the Black Sermon as a Rhetorical Artifact
Full text linkIn this introductory essay for this special issue, I encourage scholars in the fields of homiletics and rhetoric to expand our understanding of homiletical and rhetorical theory by specifically concentrating on the unique rhetoric present in Black sermons. By examining the sermon as a rich rhetorical artifact, we can explore the nuanced elements of persuasion embedded within these messages. This analysis would highlight speakers\u27 persuasive techniques and enhance the broader discourse on preaching and communication across various religious contexts. Engaging deeply with the rhetoric of Black sermons provides valuable insights that can improve our understanding of the dynamic interaction between faith, culture, and communication
Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part XXXVIII. \u3ci\u3eParabuthus puntlandus\u3c/i\u3e sp. n. from Somalia (Puntland) (Buthidae)
Full text linkA new species Parabuthus puntlandus sp. n. from Somalia (Puntland) is described. Combination of five characters; metasoma V black; pectine teeth number 39–42 in both sexes; pedipalp chela length/width ratio 3.05–4.26 in both sexes; metasoma and telson sparsely hirsute; smooth inner side of the base of fingers of pedipalp chela (tubercle absent) distinguish P. puntlandus sp. n. from all other species in the region. In addition to the analyses of external morphology, we have provided descriptions of the karyotype of P. puntlandus sp. n. (2n=16). Included is also a map of distribution of Parabuthus species in Horn of Africa
The Promise of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy for Opioid Use Disorder
Full text linkThe opioid epidemic presents a profound and escalating public health and economic crisis in the United States. According to the CDC, the economic burden of opioid use disorder and fatal opioid overdose in the U.S. reached an estimated $1.02 trillion in 2017 alone, encompassing healthcare costs, lost productivity, criminal justice expenditures, and premature mortality. While current pharmacologic treatments—such as methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone—have proven efficacy, they are not without limitations, including high relapse rates, issues with compliance, stigma, and insufficient engagement in long-term recovery. These shortcomings necessitate an exploration of innovative, cost-effective interventions. One such promising alternative is psilocybin-assisted therapy. Psilocybin, a serotonergic psychedelic compound found in certain mushrooms, is emerging as a transformative treatment modality for OUD. Unlike traditional maintenance therapies, psilocybin-assisted therapy offers a potentially curative model by addressing the underlying psychological and neurobiological mechanisms of addiction. Through its agonism of the 5-HT2A receptor, psilocybin facilitates neuroplasticity, disrupts maladaptive reward circuitry, and promotes emotional introspection, often catalyzing lasting behavioral change after just one or two guided sessions. From a business and economic perspective, the implementation of psilocybin-assisted therapy could significantly reduce the long-term costs associated with chronic opioid maintenance, emergency care for overdose, and comorbid mental health conditions. Traditional medication-assisted treatments (MAT) can require years of ongoing administration and monitoring, which accumulate significant direct costs and indirect burdens such as reduced workforce participation and caregiver strain. In contrast, psilocybin\u27s therapeutic model is acute rather than chronic, suggesting that fewer sessions may yield durable outcomes, reducing the total cost of care per patient. Furthermore, psilocybin\u27s potential to reduce relapse rates and enhance treatment adherence could alleviate pressure on public health infrastructure, lower recidivism in the criminal justice system, and improve workforce reintegration. Studies suggest that individuals treated with psychedelics for substance use disorders report reduced cravings, enhanced emotional resilience, and sustained abstinence. These improvements can translate to measurable economic gains through restored productivity, reduced healthcare utilization, and diminished social services dependency. Nevertheless, integrating psilocybin-assisted therapy into the healthcare system requires navigating regulatory and societal barriers. Currently classified as a Schedule I substance under federal law, psilocybin lacks FDA approval for clinical use. However, it has been designated a breakthrough therapy for depression, suggesting potential for expedited review. Strategic investment in large-scale, randomized controlled trials will be critical to building the evidence base necessary for regulatory acceptance and reimbursement frameworks. In conclusion, the business case for psilocybin-assisted therapy in treating OUD is compelling. It presents a paradigm shift from lifelong pharmacologic dependence toward psychological transformation and functional recovery. Given the staggering economic toll of the opioid epidemic and the limitations of existing treatments, psilocybin represents a high-impact, cost-effective alternative worthy of rigorous investment and policy support
Planetary Thinking: Hellbenders as Emissaries of Appalachia
Full text linkHellbenders are prehistoric salamanders that have thrived in cold rivers since before the continents divided. Once found throughout Appalachian watersheds, due to exploitation and habitat degradation only a few dozen healthy populations survive. Monstrous yet fascinating, hellbenders were often reviled historically, but in recent decades they have gained iconic status and are now celebrated as charismatic indicators for clean rivers. Hellbenders are symbols of the wild because of their ancient history, elusive nature, and contribution to ecosystem resilience. The same forces that drove the decline of these amphibian sentinels have sacrificed public health in Appalachia. Their demise echoes the struggle of human communities that continue to be jeopardized by extractive industries and betrayed by political kowtowing. As humans navigate the psychological and moral labyrinth of the mass extinction crisis that we are perpetrating, the fate of hellbenders and other wildlife is now at the mercy of human values. The saga of the hellbender shows how the long-term wellbeing of humanity and the integrity of the natural world are inextricably intertwined
The AI Mirror: How to Reclaim Our Humanity in an Age of Machine Thinking by Shannon Vallor
Full text linkBook Review of The AI Mirror: How to Reclaim Our Humanity in an Age of Machine Thinking by Shannon Vallo
Design and implementation of in-prison restorative justice programs: insights on leadership challenges
Full text linkThe purpose of this case study is to provide direct insight into effective strategies for designing and implementing an in-prison restorative justice program. Mass incarceration remains a deeply entrenched characteristic of the U.S. criminal justice system, and prisons pose unique challenges to restorative practices, which literature on the subject often describe in general terms. By focusing on one organization successfully implementing in-prison restorative justice, the study aims at specifically illustrating how the prison system impedes attempts at providing restorative services and what practitioners might do to circumvent or otherwise mitigate those challenges. The study is guided by the following primary research questions: What components of restorative justice are most challenging for an in-prison RJ program? What institutional factors contribute to the difficulty of designing or maintaining an in-prison RJ program? What leadership strategies are effective for ensuring a genuinely restorative in-prison RJ program? The study answers these questions through the experiences of advocates and practitioners doing this work in the Northwestern region of the US
Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part XLI. \u3ci\u3ePandinops sahil\u3c/i\u3e sp. n. from Somaliland (Scorpionidae)
No full textPandinops sahil sp. n. from Somaliland is described and compared with other species of the genus, fully complemented with color photos of specimens of both sexes of the new species, as well as of their habitat. Pandinops bambii Rossi, 2017 is synonymyzed with Pandinops turieli Kovařík, 2016, syn. n. A key for the species of Pandinops and a map of the distribution of the genus are provided
