Third-Grade Retention and Early Literacy Policies
Reading scores in Missouri continue to fall, relative to both past performance and other states. But this trend doesn’t have...
Missouri’s Stagnant Reading Scores
The COVID-19 pandemic began over five years ago. Students in 7th grade during the initial phase of remote learning are...
Understanding the Decline in Student Test Scores with Jim Wyckoff
Susan Pendergrass speaks with Dr. Jim Wyckoff about how national test scores, especially for the lowest-performing students, began falling well before the pandemic and what states can do to reverse the trend.
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 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...
A Milestone Reached
Nearly thirty years ago in Milwaukee, WI, a private school choice program was launched that gave vouchers to around 10,000...
Another Opportunity to Learn
Trying to lure Hollywood productions to Missouri with tax incentives was always a fool’s errand, but a new report from...
Let’s Sunset Occupational Licenses
As this Wall Street Journal article points out, the COVID-19 pandemic shines a new light on occupational licensing requirements At...
Here’s A Crazy Idea: Tax Yourself.
Versions of this commentary were published in the Springfield News-Leader and the Columbia Tribune. Longtime United States Senator and Chairman...
Debunking the Myth of a Costless Medicaid Expansion
As published in the Columbia Tribune On August 4, Missouri voters will decide whether the state should become the 38th...
Why is Missouri’s Medicaid Enrollment Falling?
Since the beginning of 2018, roughly 120,000 people have left Missouri’s Medicaid rolls. It now looks like many of them...
2018 Blueprint: Prevailing Wage
THE PROBLEM: Many government construction contracts dictate what potential contractors must pay workers to get the job. These restrictions are...
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...
Think Parents Won’t Get the Information They Need To Choose Between Schools? Think Again.
A common concern about school choice is that parents, especially low-income parents, will not have enough information to pick the...
Is Amazon Getting into the Pharmacy Business? Let’s Hope So
Competition and supply are good things, and as we’ve said before, health care needs more of both. Innovations along those...
The School Choice Segregation Myth
It’s time to put to bed a nasty myth about school choice (exemplified in this letter from American Federation of...
Almost 47th
Missouri’s economy has been in the slow lane for decades. Unfortunately, unless things change, Missourians will likely be left behind...
Different Paths to Course Access
Course Access is a hot topic in Missouri right now. Both the governor and legislature have made it a priority,...
Report: Saint Louis, Kansas City *Not* Among Most Cost-Friendly Cities for Business
Recently, the Post-Dispatch prominently published an article claiming that, “St. Louis is among the top 10 most cost-friendly cities to...
Debate Comment Sparks Discussion about Vocational Education
During last Tuesday’s Republican presidential debate, Marco Rubio joked, “For the life of me, I don’t know why we have...
