What the Government Shutdown Was Really About with Elias Tsapelas
Susan Pendergrass is joined by Elias Tsapelas, director of state budget and fiscal policy at the Show-Me Institute, to explain...
The Long Fight for Educational Freedom with Neal McCluskey and James Shuls
Learn more about the book here: www.cato.org/books/fighting-freedom-learn Susan Pendergrass speaks with James Shuls, fellow at the Show-Me Institute and head of...
From Milton Friedman to Modern School Choice with Robert Enlow
Susan Pendergrass speaks with Robert C. Enlow, president and CEO of EdChoice, about the expansion of school choice and the...
The Free-City Project for Missouri
A version of the following commentary appeared in the Columbia Missourian. In 2001, a group of very libertarian-minded activists launched...
What the Media Gets Wrong About School Choice with Matthew Ladner
Susan Pendergrass talks with Matthew Ladner, senior advisor for education policy implementation at the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Education Policy,...
Why Missouri Needs Universal Open Enrollment
Missouri parents deserve real choices when it comes to their children’s education. Open enrollment—the ability for students to attend a...
Information Overload and Missouri School Report Cards
Have you ever started reading the warning label on an over-the-counter drug like aspirin or ibuprofen? Ever finished one? Probably...
The Salad Days in Sugar Creek
The Kansas City suburb of Sugar Creek is considering selling off its water system to Missouri American Water. The proposal...
The Super Bowl Is a Bad Bet for New Orleans
The Wall Street Journal reports that New Orleans is betting big on the Super Bowl, hoping the game will spark...
Celebrate Educational Freedom: A Lesson from Florida
I recently learned that Florida was ranked first on the 2025 ALEC Index of State Education Freedom. That ranking did...
Pruning Missouri’s Bureaucracy: Lessons from FGA’s Report
A new report from the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA), Reducing Government Headcount: Proven Strategies for Reducing Bureaucracy While Improving...
Eternal Vigilance in the Fight for Educational Freedom
It has been said that the price of liberty is eternal vigilance. I was reminded of this as I watched...
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...
Missouri is Shrinking
In each decade of the past 50 years, Missouri’s population growth has failed to keep pace with the nation. From...
Should Missouri Consider a 3rd-Grade Retention Policy?
Do you think students should get promoted to the next grade if they do not understand grade-level material? There are...
New School Options in the Heartland: Hybrid and Micro Schools
School-choice policies open the door for a variety of schooling options to take root. During the COVID-19 pandemic many families...
Bullying and Public School Funding
I recently came upon a news story that claimed, “Education researchers say Missouri could do more to prevent bullying.” The...
Slashing the Income Tax to Zero
As a former Tennessee resident, I think I am still mentally recovering from paying a state income tax. It’s not...
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...
Missouri Public Education in Four Graphs
I had a professor in college who was very good at getting his points across by waving his hands in...
