What Parents Want
The dust may be finally settling in public education, but not into a familiar pattern. EdChoice—a non-profit based in Indiana—has...
How Are We Recovering? (Part 1)
The economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic has been much more rapid and robust than people initially predicted. It’s possible...
We Have the Money. Let’s Expand Education Options for All Students
In the latest round of federal stimulus, Missouri will receive about $2 billion in funding for public education. Of this,...
Some St. Louis School Districts Are Responding to Parents
Apparently, parents like options, and school districts like keeping students. What a concept. This past year has forced public school...
Who Will Speak For the Family Businesses They Shut Down?
Late last night and into the wee hours of today, the Missouri Senate debated a bill that sought to rein...
TIF and the Pandemic, Part Two
In my previous post on the struggle of county health departments during the pandemic, I touched on funding levels for...
TIF and the Pandemic, Part 1
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported recently on the struggles of county health departments in Missouri during the Covid pandemic. We...
An Opportunity Taken or Missed?
I was speaking to a colleague in another state recently and he made an interesting observation about two trends that...
Do Boonville and Cooper County Need $40 Million?
Developers have asked the City of Boonville for a tax-increment financing (TIF) subsidy to “help” them build a new subdivision...
Who’s Driving the Bus on School Openings?
Students and families are nearing the one-year mark of schooling in COVID times. For many, traversing this ever-shifting education landscape...
Town Hall – Make it Permanent: COVID-responsive Reforms After the Pandemic
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Missouri took important steps in 2020 to increase the supply of health care across...
Local Government Is a Managerial Convenience to the State, Not a Blank Check
With the Missouri Legislature back in session, important proposals are already on the move in both chambers. Educational choice appears...
It Is Time to Change How We Collect Sales Taxes in Missouri
Comprehensive online sales tax collections in Missouri are likely inevitable. Because of the ongoing pandemic, they are also necessary. Covid...
In-Person Learning during the Pandemic (Part 2 of 2)
In my last post, I explained why school districts have had such a hard time making adjustments to accommodate in-person...
In-Person Learning during the Pandemic
I recently began listening to a new podcast called Cautionary Tales, in which Tim Harford, Financial Times columnist and BBC...
SMI Podcast: Charter Schools ARE Public Schools – Ron Rice
Dr. Susan Pendergrass is joined by Ron Rice,Senior Director at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, to discuss the...
An Ever-changing Landscape
This fall, Missouri public school districts scrambled to create plans to deliver education to families that needed virtual instruction and...
Special Session a Reminder of Budgetary Troubles
Missouri is still dealing with COVID-19, and the hole in the state’s budget is only getting deeper. Last week, the...
Parents Are Taking Control of Education
This has been an incredible school year by a number of measures. Most school districts have rebuilt their education delivery...
Fall 2020 Educational Resources for Missouri Parents
Read the latest from Susan Pendergrass Parents are angry and confused right now. Many are receiving mixed messages from school...
