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About Terry Brooks

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So far Terry Brooks has created 170 blog entries.

Op-Ed: How Will Leaders Respond to the National Report on Kentucky Kids?

This op-ed was originally published in the Kentucky Lantern on June 15, 2026. Judy and I just reviewed our youngest grandchildren’s report cards (Their older siblings mysteriously can’t find theirs!) and those Brooks kids seemingly are doing well.  The documents were filled with “Os” and “Ss,” which I guess are now the new “A” and “B.”  In-depth narratives – generated by either Ai or hard-working teachers – densely populated a couple dozen spaces.  Those [...]

By |2026-06-16T12:17:06-04:00June 16th, 2026|Blog, Kids Count, News Room|
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OP-ED: Turkey Bombs or Political Spam for Kentucky Kids

This originally appeared as an op-ed in the NKY Tribune on December 20, 2025. These days after Black Friday and before December 25 mean lots of things to different folks. Mobbed malls. Hopeful and expectant kids. Family gatherings near and far. Lots of packages on that doorstep. Perhaps a beautiful church service or cantata. And for me? Really wonderful homemade Italian and more than a bit of football! But for families in remote parts of [...]

By |2025-12-22T12:08:05-05:00December 22nd, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, News Room|
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OP-ED: Congress needs to invest in Kentucky’s kids now to allow us to recover from the pandemic

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in The Courier Journal on June 24, 2021. By Dr. Terry Brooks In his remarkable book, “Shrewd,” author Rick Lawrence recalls the amazing tale of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission. After landing on the moon, the spaceship was hurtling back to earth when a failed bearing in a Guam tracking station threatened to create a re-entry disaster. All of the technical solutions failed. But, station director Charles Force saved [...]

By |2021-06-24T10:19:10-04:00June 24th, 2021|Blog, Economic Security, Education, Health, Kids Count, Race Equity|
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OP-ED: Synergy Can Be a Game Changer in Frankfort for Kentucky Kids

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in The Courier Journal on January 15, 2021. Oxpeckers and zebras. Oxpeckers are small African birds which count on zebras as their key nutritional sources, eating the ticks that cluster on zebras. And zebras? Well, they depend on oxpeckers as pest control agents. The oxpeckers also make a hissing sound whenever they sense a threat, acting as the zebras’ early warning security system to escape to safer locales [...]

By |2021-01-15T13:26:08-05:00January 15th, 2021|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Medicaid, Race Equity|
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OP-ED: Let’s Flip the Destiny for Kentucky Kids

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in the Courier Journal November 19, 2020.  Jyoti Arora in You Came Like Hope asserts, “it takes only a moment for the destiny to flip over.” The haunting message emanating from the 2020 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book is that far too many boys and girls in the Commonwealth had their destiny flip the moment they were born. Because of the zip code in which they live. Because of [...]

By |2020-11-19T17:29:24-05:00November 19th, 2020|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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Congress, “Pay Attention to the Road” and Invest in Kids NOW!

The actress Andie MacDowell observes what we all know. She suggests, “We've become such a multitasking society that just paying attention to the road doesn't seem to be that important anymore. I have to remind my kids all the time that that's what you're supposed to be doing in the car.” MacDowell’s assertion is surely true when it comes to parents and paying attention to the road of home life. In this pandemic, working remotely, [...]

By |2020-10-01T14:15:25-04:00September 30th, 2020|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health|
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Upset Wins for Kentucky Kids

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in the Herald Leader on March 15, 2019.  A high and holy season in the Bluegrass is upon us – March Madness. I will deeply dive into the metrics of winning basketball before completing my bracket. And my grandkids will consider elements like favorite mascots and team colors before completing theirs – and they will beat me. So, while I may be unable to accurately project winners, this I know: [...]

By |2019-09-05T12:57:28-04:00March 18th, 2019|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice|
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Corporal Punishment: An Old Wives’ Tale

Type into Google, “False Old Wives Tales” and you will get a rash of fascinating and fun reads. What? It DOESN’T take seven years for a piece of gum to digest after you swallow it? And cracking your knuckles DOESN’T cause arthritis? And eating right before you go swimming DOESN’T cause cramps? And going out with wet hair WON’T cause you to catch a cold? Both of my beloved grandmothers must be turning over in [...]

By |2019-02-21T18:09:28-05:00February 21st, 2019|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education|
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In 2019, Let’s Work Together for Kentucky Kids

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in the Courier Journal.  Kentucky Youth Advocates (KYA) recently released its 2018 KIDS COUNT County Data Book. This is, in many ways, the report card for Kentucky’s kids on a state-wide, regional, and county-level basis. Lots of data. Lots of good news. Lots of challenges. Though we’ve seen improved rates in 93 out of 120 counties, nearly one in four Kentucky kids still live in poverty. We have [...]

By |2018-12-20T15:39:23-05:00December 20th, 2018|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Youth Justice|
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Common Ground and Common Good for Kentucky Kids

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in the Herald Leader. GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO via the Lexington Herald Leader Kentucky Youth Advocates recently released its 2018 KIDS COUNT County Data Book. This is, in many ways, the report card for Kentucky’s kids on a statewide, regional and county level. It will surprise no one that the report is filled with both good news and challenges. We have made some headway in reducing the percentage of [...]

By |2019-01-21T14:57:38-05:00November 23rd, 2018|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Youth Justice|
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