Children Have a Right to a Safe Place to Learn
The U.S. Department of Education recently reminded states that under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), students must be given...
Missouri Must Do Better at Controlling Spending
A version of the following commentary appeared in the Springfield News-Leader. Elections and inaugurations are a time for reflection and...
Who’s in Charge Here?
In the last several years, 10 states have passed universal school choice programs that allow all families to take their...
This Is a Compromise?
A year ago, the Arkansas Legislature passed, and the governor signed, the Arkansas LEARNS Act. This comprehensive act addressed a...
State of the State: Leading with Intentionality for School Choice
In his final State of the State Address, Governor Parson highlighted a key part of government policy. He said: A...
And Then There Were Ten
Prior to two years ago, no state offered its families the benefit of choosing their children’s school—either public or private—using...
Missouri Becomes an Education Island
A version of this commentary appeared in the Columbia Missourian. How would your family feel if your entire neighborhood had 5G...
This Is Not a Spectator Sport
It was a banner year for families and education reform—outside of Missouri. Iowa parents got a big win. Once its...
Back to the Future on Licensing in Missouri
Many are familiar with the plot of the classic movie Back to the Future. While I am probably thinking of...
Should We Be Surprised about Missouri’s Lack of Education Legislation in 2023?
Missouri officials failed to deliver on promises made to expand school choice in the 2023 legislative session. Failure came both...
ROFR Makes Me ROFL
To paraphrase General Douglas MacArthur, bad public policy ideas never die, they just get reintroduced in the next legislative session....
A Crisis of Trust
A version of this commentary was published in the Jefferson City News-Tribune. What a difference a year makes. A year...
Great News for Students and Parents . . . in Tennessee and Florida
Legislative sessions are wrapping up, and students and parents in some states have scored major wins. Lawmakers have seen beyond...
2,532nd Best
Two college towns, about 300 miles apart. Both are proud to have their state’s flagship university. In addition to their...
Great News for Students and Parents . . . in Tennessee and Florida
Legislative sessions are wrapping up, and students and parents in some states have scored major wins. Lawmakers have seen beyond...
A Moonshot of Mistakes: Missouri’s Missing Million
When the United States put a man on the moon in 1969, the state of Missouri was the 13th largest...
Are We Getting Schooled by Fish?
Behavioral economists study humans to figure out how we react to things like prices, supply and demand, and signaling, to...
2018 Blueprint: Right to Work
THE PROBLEM: Until recently, many workers in Missouri could be forced to join unions. That was unfair not only to...
2018 Blueprint: Prevailing Wage
THE PROBLEM: Many government construction contracts dictate what potential contractors must pay workers to get the job. These restrictions are...
In Arkansas, 80,000 Ineligible Medicaid Recipients Removed from Rolls
Since as far back as 2015, we have talked about the idea of performing regular audits of the state’s Medicaid...
