Show-Me Institute

January 26 Virtual Event: Increasing Accountability in Education
2022-01-26 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago)
Joins us on Wednesday, January 26 from noon to 1:00 pm central time, for a virtual summit on increasing accountability around performance reporting in education.
Panelists Show-Me Institute’s Susan Pendergrass, and ExcelinEd’s Patricia Levesque join host Michael Q. McShane from EdChoice.
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The Need for More Accountability in Missouri
Missouri schools are failing to teach the core subjects of reading and math and the most recent test scores show that students are falling further behind.
Missouri’s Department of Secondary and Elementary (MO DESE) has not offered the level of transparency regarding student performance that is necessary to create an education system focused on higher standards, reducing achievement gaps, and results-based accountability.
The status quo is leaving thousands of students behind without the fundamental skills to pursue higher education or compete in the modern labor market.
In response to DESE’s failure to perform one of its most basic functions, we launched The Missouri School Rankings Project and MoSchoolRankings.org.

The 2022 Blueprint for Missouri Virtual Town Hall
2021-12-08 14:00 - 15:00
Please join the Show-Me Institute for a Virtual Town Hall on Wednesday, December 8 at 2 p.m. The presentation will outline our 2022 Blueprint for Missouri, which consists of free-market policy solutions to the challenges facing our state. You will hear from our expert policy directors and analysts about a broad range of issues including education, healthcare, tax policy, transportation, and government accountability. Register through Zoom to receive the event link. We hope you can join us.
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This event is sponsored by Show-Me Institute and Show-Me Opportunity.

Policy Lunch: Missouri School Rankings Project (St. Louis)
2021-11-18 12:00 - 13:00
Missouri schools are failing to teach the core subjects of reading and math, and the most recent test scores show that students are falling further behind. In response to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) failure to perform one of its most basic functions, the Show-Me Institute, in conjunction with Show-Me Opportunity, launched The Missouri School Rankings Project and MoSchoolRankings.org.
On November 18, Susan Pendergrass, director of research and education policy, will present her findings from the Missouri School Rankings Project and give an overview of how to use the website.
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Sponsored by Show-Me Institute and Show-Me Opportunity

Douglas Murray: Reflections on the Revolution in America
2021-11-10 17:30 - 19:00
You are invited to join the Show-Me Institute, Show-Me Opportunity, National Review Institute, and NewsTalkSTL on Wednesday, November 10 for a complimentary event with Douglas Murray. Murray will give an outsider’s perspective on the recent shifts in American culture, the culture wars, and the attack on free speech and education. Please RSVP to secure your seat.
Murray is a best-selling author, an award-winning political commentator, and a senior fellow at the National Review Institute. He has written books on neoconservatism, terrorism and national security, freedom of speech, and the rise of woke culture and identity politics. His upcoming book, The War on the West: How to Prevail in the Age of Unreason, explores why in recent history it has become acceptable to discuss the flaws and crimes of Western culture, but celebrating the West’s contributions is condemned as hate speech.
The reception begins at 5:30 p.m. with hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. The presentation begins at 6 p.m.
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Tech Panic: Why We Shouldn't Fear Facebook and the Future
2021-10-21 18:00 - 19:00
This event is now a free virtual event!
In a time when some people argue that Big Tech has gotten too big, Robby Soave’s message is simple: don’t panic. In his new book, Tech Panic: Why We Shouldn’t Fear Facebook and the Future, Robby argues that whatever challenges the future holds, we will be better prepared to handle them as a country, as a society, and as individuals if the government hasn’t vaporized social media via some giant, metaphorical “Unfriend” button.
Robby is a senior editor at Reason and has also been published in The New York Times, The Daily Beast, and U.S. News & World Report. Named on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list in 2017, he became well known for his correction of a Rolling Stone article on sexual assault at the University of Virginia and his correction of the highly reported incident concerning Catholic high school students at the Lincoln Memorial in 2019.
Please join the Show-Me Institute and Reason for an evening of conversation. The webinar link will be sent to you after you register.
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Critical Race Theory in Missouri (Springfield)
2021-10-13 12:00 - 13:00
Patrick Ishmael, the Show-Me Institute’s director of government accountability, sent Sunshine Law requests to Missouri schools to find out which schools are teaching Critical Race Theory. Parents, students, and taxpayers deserve to know what their schools are teaching. In October, come hear Patrick present the findings of the Show-Me Curricula Project and enjoy some light refreshments on us. Please RSVP to save your spot!
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In-Person: Critical Race Theory in Missouri (Kansas City)
2021-10-07 07:30 - 08:30
Patrick Ishmael, the Show Me Institute’s director of government accountability, sent Sunshine Law requests to Missouri schools to find out which schools are teaching Critical Race Theory. Parents, students, and taxpayers deserve to know what their schools are teaching. In October, come hear Patrick present the findings of the Show-Me Curricula Project and get a donut and coffee on us. Please RSVP to save your spot!
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This event is brought to you by Show-Me Institute and Show-Me Opportunity

In-Person Legislative Update 2021 (St. Louis)
2021-09-08 07:30 - 08:30
You are invited to join us for a discussion with Rep. McCreery and Sen. Onder on the bills passed, pending, and defeated this past legislative session. Both will be available for questions following their remarks. Register early to claim your spot!
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This event is brought to you by Show-Me Institute and Show-Me Opportunity

In-Person Legislative Update 2021 (Columbia)
2021-08-25 12:00 - 13:00
Please join us Wednesday, August 25 for a legislative update with Representative David Smith and Senator Caleb Rowden. Enjoy a delicious lunch while Rep. David Smith of the 45th District and Senator Caleb Rowden of the 19th District discuss the most recent legislative sessions in the Missouri House and Senate. Both will be available for questions following their presentations. Do not miss this chance to hear directly from your legislators!
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Live Event! Media Matters: The Impact of Storytelling on Culture
2021-06-14 17:30 - 19:00
Join us on Monday, June 14 (Flag Day) for an in-person presentation by Lee Habeeb on The Impact of Storytelling on Culture.
Lee Habeeb is the CEO and founder of the non-profit radio network American Private Radio and the on-air radio host of Our American Stories.
Event Details
NOTE: If you are not fully vaccinated, in accordance with CDC guidelines and St. Louis City Emergency Order 19, please wear a mask and observe social distancing.
Where: 5297 Washington Place | Saint Louis, MO 63108
When: Monday, June 14
Reception@5:30 pm
Presentation@6:00 pm
Click Here to Register

About Our American Stories

Download the Our American Stories podcast on Itunes, Google Play, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts, and visit ouramericanstories.com to find an affiliate station near you.
About Our Speaker
Lee Habeeb got his start in radio co-creating The Laura Ingraham Show, which launched in 2001. By 2007, it was the #1 show in America in its time slot. He moved to Salem Media Group, where he serves as VP of Content, overseeing shows hosted by some of conservativism’s greats: Bill Bennett, Dennis Prager, Hugh Hewitt, Larry Elder, and Eric Metaxas. Habeeb also writes a weekly column at Newsweek.

Ramesh Ponnuru: The Case for a Conservative Economic Agenda
2021-05-12 12:00 - 12:45
Conservatives have traditionally favored freeing markets and shrinking government. But new political and economic trends are leading many conservatives to question these old commitments. Join us on Wednesday, May 12 at noon for a talk by Ramesh Ponnuru who will make the case for a new conservative economic agenda.
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Questions may be submitted prior to the event by emailing them to Zach.Lawhorn@ShowMeOpportunity.org and during the event via the Q&A feature on your Zoom screen.
Ramesh Ponnuru is a senior fellow at National Review Institute and a senior editor at National Review, where he has covered national politics and policy for 25 years. He is also a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion, which syndicates his articles in newspapers across the nation. He is a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and he serves as a contributing editor to National Affairs, the quarterly journal of conservative ideas. His articles are frequently published in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. In 2015, he was included in the “Politico 50,” Politico’s list of “the thinkers, doers, and dreamers who really matter” in American politics.
In 2014, Ponnuru contributed to and (with Yuval Levin) edited the book Room to Grow: Conservative Reforms for a Limited Government and A Thriving Middle Class. New York Times columnist David Brooks called the book “the most coherent and compelling policy agenda the American right has produced this century.” Ponnuru was subsequently featured in a New York Times magazine cover story about reform-minded conservatives. In 2013 he was a resident fellow at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics. He is a regular speaker on policy, politics, and constitutionalism at the nation’s leading college campuses and law schools. He also appears regularly on television programs about public affairs. He is the author of a book on the sanctity of human life and American politics and of a monograph on Japanese industrial policy. Previously he has been a columnist for Time magazine and WashingtonPost.com. Ponnuru grew up in Kansas City, Kansas, and graduated from Princeton University. He now lives in the Washington, D.C., area with his wife and three children.

Hybrid Homeschooling: The Future of Education
2021-03-30 11:00 - 12:00
Nearly all students around the country have experienced at least some level of home-based learning in the last year. As a result, many families are beginning to wonder if a blend of traditional brick-and-mortar schooling and at-home learning may be best for their children. Does this option even exist? If so, what is it? What does it look like when done well, and how can families take advantage of this option?
Join Michael Q. McShane, EdChoice’s Director of National Research on Tuesday, March 30, at 11:00 a.m. CT, as McShane breaks down these questions.
McShane will draw from his upcoming book, Hybrid Homeschooling: A Guide to the Future of Education, as we explore why hybrid homeschooling might be the future of education.
Register here to reserve your spot for this virtual event today
About the Book
Hybrid homeschoolers attend traditional classes in a brick-and-mortar school for some part of the week and homeschool for the rest of the week. Hybrid Homeschooling: A Guide to the Future of Education dives deep into the concept in theory and practice. In it, you’ll find information about the history of hybrid homeschooling, the different types, and the policies that can help or hurt it. At the heart of the book are the actual family stories that show how hybrid homeschooling can work in real life.

March 18: The Power of Storytelling: Connecting Policy with People
2021-03-18 12:00 - 13:00
Join us on Thursday, March 18 for a special virtual event with Lee Habeeb.
Lee Habeeb is CEO and founder of American Private Radio and host of Our American Stories.
Download the Our American Stories podcast on Itunes, Google Play, Spotfiy or wherever you find your podcasts and visit ouramericanstories.com to find an affiliate station near you.
Register Here
About the Speaker
Lee Habeeb got his start in radio co-creating The Laura Ingraham Show, which launched in 2001. By 2007, it was the #1 show in America in its time slot. He moved to Salem Media Group, where he serves as VP of Content, overseeing shows hosted by some of conservativism’s greats: Bill Bennett, Dennis Prager, Hugh Hewitt, Larry Elder, and Eric Metaxas. Habeeb also writes a weekly column at Newsweek. A University of Virginia Law School graduate, he lives in Oxford, MS with his wife Valerie and daughter Reagan.

Make it Permanent: COVID-responsive Reforms After the Pandemic
2021-02-25 11:00 - 12:00
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Missouri took important steps in 2020 to increase the supply of health care across the state. Reforms include removing licensing barriers that prevented out-of-state licensed professionals of all kinds, and health care professionals in particular, from readily providing services to Missourians and the relaxation of the state’s telemedicine and scope-of-practice regulations.
During this virtual town hall, you will hear from a panel of experts on why these supply-boosting measures should be made permanent in 2021, and how they could be the starting point for other necessary reforms. Join us on Thursday, February 25 at 11:00 AM CT.
Register Here
Panelists
Patrick Ishmael– Director of Government Accountability at the Show-Me Institute
Rea S. Hederman Jr. – Executive Director of the Economic Research Center and Vice President of Policy at The Buckeye Institute
Naomi Lopez – Director of Healthcare Policy for the Goldwater Institute
Josh Archambault – Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Government Accountability
Questions may be submitted prior to the event by emailing them to Zach.Lawhorn@ShowMeOpportunity.org and during the event via the Q&A feature on your Zoom screen.

Expert Panel on Education Choice in Missouri
2021-01-29 11:00 - 12:00
K-12 education in America looks radically different than it did a year ago—and many families didn’t get a say. Join us on Friday, January 29 at 11:00 AM for a virtual event featuring a panel of experts on Missouri education.

These presentations are designed to help policymakers better understand the school choice movement and make informed decisions about education at the state level.

Register Here
PROGRAM AGENDA
Program Open
Dr. Susan Pendergrass
Director of Research and Education Policy at the Show-Me Institute
The ABCs of school choice: What types of programs exist, how do they work and which states have them?
Dr. Michael Q. McShane
Director of National Research at EdChoice
School choice programs: How are they administered and held accountable?
Jason Bedrick
Director of Policy at EdChoice
What, if any, Constitutional concerns should be considered?
Rachelle Engen
Educational Choice Fellow at Institute for Justice
How could school choice programs be tailored for Missouri and what would it mean for existing school funding?
Dr. James Shuls
Associate Professor at the University of Missouri – St. Louis
Question & Answer Session
Moderated by Dr. Susan Pendergrass
Program Close

Questions may be submitted prior to the event by emailing them to Zach.Lawhorn@ShowMeOpportunity.org and during the event via the Q&A feature on your Zoom screen.

Virtual Town Hall: A Blueprint for Missouri
2020-12-08 11:00 - 12:00
Join us on Tuesday, December 8 at 11:00 AM as Show-Me Institute researchers unveil the 2021 Blueprint for Missouri during a live virtual town hall.

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October 22: Virtual Town Hall with Grover Norquist - Tax Reform and America's National Debt Crisis
2020-10-22 11:00 - 12:00
Join us on Thursday, October 22 for a special town hall with Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist. Mr. Norquist will discuss tax reform and the looming national debt crisis in America before taking questions submitted by the audience.
REGISTER HERE
Questions can be submitted prior to the event by emailing them to Zach.Lawhorn@ShowMeOpportunity.org

Speaker Bio:
Grover Norquist is president of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), a taxpayer advocacy group he founded in 1985 at President Reagan’s request. ATR works to limit the size and cost of government and opposes higher taxes at the federal, state, and local levels and supports tax reform that moves towards taxing consumed income one time at one rate.

Join Us for a Book Talk with Kevin D. Williamson
2020-09-24 11:00 - 12:00
Join us on Thursday, September 24 at 11:00 AM for a special virtual presentation by National Review’s Kevin D. Williamson.
Kevin will be discussing his forthcoming book, “Big White Ghetto,” a collection of long-form reporting and essays on poverty, addiction, despair, and their influence on American culture and American politics.

Register here

Kevin D. Williamson is National Review’s roving correspondent and director of the National Review Institute’s William F. Buckley Jr Fellowship Program in Political Journalism.
He is the author of The End Is Near and It’s Going To Be Awesome: How Going Broke Will Leave America Richer, Happier, and More Secure, The Dependency Agenda, and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Socialism. He contributed chapters to The New Leviathan: The State Vs. the Individual in the 21st Century and Future Tense: Lessons of Culture in an Age of Upheaval. When he is not sounding the alarm about Fiscal Armageddon, he is the theater critic at The New Criterion.

This event is sponsored by the Show-Me Institute and National Review Institute

Virtual Town Hall: The National Debt Crisis
2020-09-10 11:00 - 12:00
Join us on Thursday, September 10 for a discussion with Manhattan Institute’s Brian Riedl about the looming national debt crisis in America, fiscal responsibility and economic growth.
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Speaker Bio: Brian Riedl is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, focusing on budget, tax, and economic policy. Previously, he worked for six years as chief economist to Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) and as staff director of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth. He also served as a director of budget and spending policy for Marco Rubio’s presidential campaign and was the lead architect of the ten-year deficit-reduction plan for Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign. During 2001–11, Riedl served as the Heritage Foundation’s lead research fellow on federal budget and spending policy. In that position, he helped lay the groundwork for Congress to cap soaring federal spending, rein in farm subsidies, and ban pork-barrel earmarks. Riedl’s writing and research have been featured in, among others, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and National Review; he is a frequent guest on NBC, CBS, PBS, CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, and C-SPAN.
