Latest news with #Laux
Chicago Tribune
20-04-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Portage Fire Department getting inflatable boat while rescue boat is upgraded
The Portage Port Authority voted unanimously Thursday to buy an inflatable boat for the fire department's water rescue team, reversing a decision last week that would have left the department temporarily beached. The 14-foot inflatable boat will serve as a temporary substitute for the fire department's 13-year-old, 24-foot fire rescue boat, which is now being retrofitted courtesy of a U.S. Coast Guard grant. 'This boat just won't be taking the place of Marine 1 until it gets back,' Deputy Fire Chief Jeremy Himan told the Port Authority. The $8,445 inflatable boat will be able to go places the larger boat can't. The inflatable boat can go farther south on Burns Waterway and into shallower areas. It can also be deployed onto other lakes and streams. That includes Dombey Lake, a large lake just south of I-94 surrounded by a big campground. It would have been useful for some rescue operations there, said Todd Laux, a diver with the water rescue team who wrote the port security grant application for the larger boat's retrofit. 'There will be some areas where we might have to carry it,' even though it will be transported to the scene by trailer, Himan said. That's why the boat's weight was a factor in deciding which option to get. The $8,845 inflatable boat is made of Hypalon fabric, which should hold up better than PVC, Marina Director Barb Lusko said. The boat also will stand up to the harsh weather here, Laux said. The Port Authority had asked about a used boat to save money, but there are a few issues with that, Laux said. It's hard to find used rescue-related boats, especially ones that are still in good shape. 'The fire department holds onto its equipment until the last stitch is going out,' Himan said. Rescue boats can take a beating, and a used boat doesn't come with a warranty. The 24-foot Marine 1 is being retrofitted with new engines and some other work under the terms of the Coast Guard grant. 'There were a couple of damaged spots on the hull that have to be specially welded,' Laux said, so the boat isn't expected before June. The Port Authority wanted to make sure boaters would have protection before that boat is returned. The fire department didn't have money for the inflatable boat, so the Port Authority tapped its marina improvements and capital expenses budgets. 'We can split it, take half out of each,' Lusko told the board. From 2020 to 2024, the water rescue team had 141 calls for emergencies on water, 95 for swimmers and 46 for boaters, Himan said.
Boston Globe
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Three finalists are vying for state education commissioner. Here's where they stand
The finalists - Jack Elsey, founder and CEO of the Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative, Lily Laux, former deputy commissioner of school programs for the Texas Education Agency, and Pedro Martinez, outgoing CEO of Chicago Public Schools - were each asked the same set of questions over nearly five hours at Mass. Bay Community College. And each gave similar answers, saying they would listen to local stakeholders, articulate a clear vision, and promote evidence-based reading instruction. But each also emphasized their unique backgrounds and experiences. Related : Each drew on personal backstories to show their empathy for all students: Laux as the daughter of a low income single mom who grew up in rural Western Massachusetts; Martinez as an immigrant from Mexico whose parents didn't graduate high school; Elsey as a first generation college grad and recipient of a Pell Grant, funding awarded to low income students. Martinez touted his work as superintendent of multiple large districts: Washoe County, Nevada; San Antonio; and Chicago. He also noted the similarities between the commissioner's limited authority over districts and his experience in Chicago Public Schools, where individual school leaders are picked at the campus levels. Advertisement Elsey, who previously as as a teacher in New York and administrator in Detroit and Chicago, drew mostly on his experience working alongside local leaders in Michigan to build a new teacher training program, repeatedly emphasizing the importance of workforce development. Advertisement Laux, also a former teacher, emphasized her state-level experience in Texas. She particularly noted working on overhauling literacy instruction, which is also a priority in Massachusetts. The 11-member board is scheduled to vote Tuesday on a recommendation. At least 8 votes, or a 2/3 majority, are needed for approval. Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler will then have the final say on who will be in charge of K-12 schools in Massachusetts. Related : The public has until 5 p.m. Monday to respond to an Here's how the candidates responded to questions about a few key issues: Educational inequities The candidates were asked how they would address stagnating achievement in Massachusetts and yawning disparities by race, poverty, language learner status, and disability status, taking into account local control. Laux said the state can make the job of superintendents easier with data analysis, sharing evidence on what works, and targeted support. 'The lingering effects of the pandemic have created the widest achievement gaps we've ever seen, particularly around socioeconomic lines,' she said. 'I would absolutely expect the commissioner to be judged on how we're addressing closing those gaps.' Martinez repeatedly emphasized that schools are 'fighting poverty,' which is closely correlated with proficiency levels. 'I see the role of our system as creating social and economic mobility, and nothing else,' he said. 'That is our job.' Elsey emphasized learning from states and districts that are successful and being clear about goals. 'States that have aligned strategy and policy with funding, and with outcomes do better,' Elsey said. 'We have to be clear about what the goals are." Advertisement Management and engagement Martinez leaned on his experience as the chief executive of large systems — Chicago has about as third as many students as Massachusetts — and said it's important to build trust, but have 'non-negotiable' goals. 'The success that I've gotten in Nevada, in Texas, or in Chicago, the common element was always we met people where they were at‚" he said. 'It's about working with them and helping them understand.' Elsey described lessons learned from superintendents across Michigan about their staffing challenges. His approach is to build relationships , involve everyone in strategic planning, and be clear about values and goals. 'We have to help them see what they may not see, and they have to help us see what we may not see,' he said. Laux highlighted her arrival as an outsider in Texas, where she had to approach it with humility and 'listen at scale and act quickly.' 'Lasting change doesn't come from charisma or directives,' Laux said. 'It comes from creating trust, building the right systems, and making sure the people closest to students have what they need.' Rural districts The candidates were asked how they would support rural districts facing enrollment declines and limited resources. Elsey again drew on his experience working with rural districts to create a new teacher workforce program in Michigan. 'We often ask them to solve problems on their own that are bigger than their scale,' Elsey said. 'There needed to be larger, systemic thinking at the regional and state level to support that, because it's not uniquely their challenge.' Laux noted that Texas has some of the country's largest and smallest districts, and leaders had to tailor initiatives to meet all districts needs. Advertisement Martinez talked about his experience in Nevada, where county school systems include rural communities. He said the state has to support regional collaborations, leverage community colleges, and ensure every student has access to opportunities. 'How do we align the systems of the state to better serve them?' he asked. Literacy Laux praised ongoing work in Massachusetts to revamp reading instruction and drew repeatedly on her experience in Texas, which implemented a requirement in 2019 that every K-3 teacher be trained in 'science of reading' instruction — which most districts opposed, she said. 'This required a lot, a lot, a lot of conversation,' she said. 'We did get there, we went through this training, and the feedback was certainly that the timeline was aggressive, but that the material itself was excellent, and the teachers really appreciated the training.' Martinez noted that Chicago's reading proficiency rates dropped dramatically after the pandemic, particularly for young kids. The district designed a new curriculum that most schools adopted and it is now seeing 'the largest reading gains in the history of the district,' although from low levels. Elsey also emphasized the importance of properly training teachers in strong literacy instruction. 'There are evidence-based literacy practices that we know work and schools ought to be using them,' he said. Christopher Huffaker can be reached at
Boston Globe
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Three finalists named to lead Massachusetts education department
'We're excited to have three highly qualified and passionate leaders as finalists for the next DESE commissioner,' said Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler in a statement. 'This public interview process will allow the Board and Massachusetts families and educators to hear from each candidate about their vision for equity, excellence, and innovation in our public schools. We look forward to an engaging and transparent discussion.' Tutwiler sits on the state board and in recent weeks has served Related : Advertisement The education commissioner oversees day-to-day operations of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, which regulates public and charter K-12 schools. The commissioner's duties include creating long-term plans for the department, providing technical assistance, guidance, and training to school districts, collecting and publishing data, and implementing the school accountability system. Here's more about the finalists: Jack Elsey Elsey, an administrator for education non-profits, is the founder and chief executive of state shortages. Advertisement Early in his career, he worked as a middle school social studies teacher with Teach for America in New York City and in media and school relations for Teach for America. He later worked as an administrator in Detroit Public Schools and Chicago Public Schools, then served as chief schools officer for Michigan's Education Achievement Authority, a state-run program to turn around Detroit's lowest-performing schools. The agency appears to have shut down at the end of Elsey's tenure. Elsey spent the next five years running the Detroit Children's Fund before founding the Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative in 2022. Elsey has a master's degree of education in educational leadership from the Broad Center at the Yale School of Management. Lily Laux Laux spent nearly seven years at the Early in her career, Laux was a middle school teacher in Memphis City Schools at a Title I middle school for nearly two years from 2006-08. Starting in 2008, she worked for about nine years for Teach for America as an advisor and manager of a training institute, Laux is currently the Laux has a PhD in American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in history, political theory, sociology, and education. Related : Advertisement Pedro Martinez Martinez is the recently fired CEO of Chicago Public Schools, a district of more than 325,000 students with a budget of more than $9 billion. In 2015, he was a finalist for Martinez has led multiple school districts, previously serving as superintendent of Reno, Nevada's Washoe County School District and as superintendent of the San Diego Independent School District. He also served as 'superintendent in residence' for the Nevada Department of Education. Twice in his career, Martinez has ended up in a public dispute with his employers, including Chicago Public Schools. While working as superintendent in Washoe County, Nev., he was fired in 2014 by that school district after about two years on the job, after building tensions with the teachers union. He took legal action against the board and will stay until June, under the terms of his contract. Like Elsey, Martinez is an alum of the Yale's Broad Center. An immigrant from Mexico who arrived in Chicago with his family when he was 5, he was the first in his family to graduate high school and attend college. Globe staff writer James Vaznis contributed to this story. This is a developing story and will be updated. John Hilliard can be reached at
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What it's like to sit passenger in a Blue Angel F/A-18 Super Hornet jet
BEAUFORT, S.C. (WSAV) The Beaufort MCAS Air Show is going to bring in thousands of viewers this weekend, but not many folks get to actually take to the skies. I got to witness a Blue Angel pilot perform the most incredible maneuvers in the air…all while sitting passenger in the flybridge. It's the thrill of a lifetime. The sound of the jet engine roaring as you take off inside the 2-seater F/A-18 Super Hornet jet. It's a level takeoff, keeping low and steady off the ground. The speed increases by the second, quickly transitioning into a straight shot up into the sky. 'We started off strong. Six G's right off the bat, pulling into the vertical to get airborne here from Beaufort,' said Maj. Scott Laux, USMC Blue Angel No. 7. What you see on the way up is a 360-degree view of the clouds, eventually leveling out to a calmer view of Beaufort's waters. As you take in the view, pilot Maj. Scott Laux radios into your ear, letting you know it's time to start testing the many maneuvers they perform in their aerial shows. 'We start off with a G awareness maneuver. So just a couple of light turns to one G's, three G's, four G's and then six G's to get our body warmed up to the G-forces,' said Maj. Laux. Each maneuver reaches different speeds, and different perspectives. After a few G awareness maneuvers, the first of many aerial tricks begin. The first is a diamond roll. It's a 360-degree roll that's meant to look graceful, as Maj. Laux described it. 'We did it as a as a single ship,' said Maj. Laux. 'Think about trying to do that roll with three other aircraft around you. Pretty crazy.' The next trick was a full circle loop. Imagine a roller coaster loop, but on a much larger scale. 'I put the smoke on, we did a loop and then flew right through our smoke trail down at the bottom again,' said Maj. Laux. A minimum radius turn followed. The first of the really high G-force maneuvers. 'We started at 350 miles per hour and used full afterburner. It was a 7G turn to start out,' said Maj. Laux. 'Then we held four G's to five G's pretty much all the way around the turn, picked the nose up really aggressively at the end and showed you how quickly the F-18 can reposition its nose after the minimum radius turn.' Much of the flight is looking at the ground, the sky, or both, all while flying at extremely high speeds. The Aileron Roll combined both. 'That was two rolls to the left and then one back to the right as fast as I could. I just took the took the stick and shoved it as hard as I could.' Maj. Laux referred to the maneuver as 'tennis shoes in a dryer'. What followed was a 15 to 20 second inverted (upside down) flight at 450 miles an hour. After the inverted flight was a zero G pushover. 'We put the aircraft in a 45 degree nose up attitude and then just pushed over it zero G's to kind of get that weightless sensation.' Laux comparing it to a similar feeling of going up into space. Before the most intense G-force maneuver, Maj. Laux slowed the ship down to around 120 miles per hour. He said the jets are known to fly fast, but they can also fly at slower speeds. 'We basically cocked the aircraft up at about 25 degrees, nose up, but not climbing or descending, still flying straight ahead.' After that, the final act approached. We got really low and really fast. Maj. Laux radioing in, reminding of the breathing and straining exercises needed to withstand the high intensity G-force. 'We went about 670 miles an hour probably, and that was 500 feet above the ground,' said Maj. Laux. 'Then I planted the stick in my lap. And for that one, we hit 7.5 G's, which is the most that the aircraft will give us. We pulled straight up on that one, and once we got pointed vertical, did a few Aileron Rolls in the vertical so we went from 500 feet to about 15,000 feet on that one. In just a few seconds we hit our highest and hardest G maneuver of the day. It was a 45-minute flight. After hitting all the maneuvers, we had time left to explore and have some fun on the beautiful sunny, and perfectly cloudy day. 'We did some cloud surfing and then we did a little flyby of the of the Watchtower down there at the Townsend bombing range.' Now imagine all those maneuvers in the air with 5 other jets just feet apart. Pilot Maj. Laux said this is the reason they train and practice so hard, making sure they can put on an amazing show for folks all over the country. 'It's a lot of training. Some of it's very basic, you know, drink water, eat food, go to sleep, stuff like that. Take care of your body. But then a lot of it is technique as well,' said Maj. Laux. 'The more you do it like anything else, the better you get at it.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
