In Another Grinding Legislative Session, Missourians’ Priorities Getting Ignored Again
After countless hours of debate and filibuster, the Missouri Senate finally passed a version of a redistricted Congressional map—a regular...
School Choice Shines in Florida
The Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program is one of the oldest and largest private school choice programs in America. Started...
Hey Licensed Professionals: It’s Time to Move to Missouri
Missouri lawmakers made an uncharacteristically groundbreaking move in 2020 when they passed occupational licensing reciprocity. This means that occupational licensure...
That’s One Way to Do It—but It’s Certainly Not the Only Way
What is more likely to give families relief—administrative action or the court system? Missouri’s attorney general has opted for the...
Census Data Brings Bad News, Florida’s Plan For Schools, Saying No to $8 Million
David Stokes, Patrick Ishmael and Susan Pendergrass join Zach Lawhorn to discuss the recently released census data, Florida’s expansion of...
It’s Back to . . . Wait, What?
Mid-August is back to school time. Kids are getting new backpacks and school supplies. Teachers are decorating their rooms. A...
Even Disney Magic Is Swayed by Tax Incentives
Missouri’s own Walt Disney and his Walt Disney Company may create theme parks that are the most magical places on...
Missouri Can Take a Lesson From Florida’s Toll Roads
I recently spent time in Florida, which included driving from Miami down to the Florida Keys. Along the way, I...
Almost Heaven
West Virginia is a beautiful state with a reputation problem. Along with gorgeous mountains and phenomenal outdoor amenities like golf,...
SMI Podcast: A Road Map For Education Reform – Bill Mattox
On this episode of the podcast, Bill Mattox joins Susan Pendergrass to discuss what Missouri can learn from Florida’s fight...
Missouri Needs Education Leadership Now More Than Ever
The past spring, much of Missouri turned into an education desert of homework packets, learning “opportunities,” and optional enrichment suggestions...
Fingers Crossed
If a crisis doesn’t create a person’s character, but reveals it, then the same can be said of organizations. An...
Parental Support in a Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic is exposing the true condition of education across the United States. Many schools and districts have quickly...
What the Heck Is Happening Out There?
In the midst of a pandemic, it’s hard to say exactly what’s going on. But here is a bit of...
Another Way to Create Options
There’s a wide variety of ways to offer school choice to students. Unfortunately, Missouri only permits a narrow and limited...
It’s Listicle Time!
The end of the year is the time for top-ten lists, top-story lists, and best-moments-of-the-year lists, to name a few....
Stubbornness on School Choice Comes at a Price
Last week, Missouri got its latest grades on “The Nation’s Report Card,” (an assessment given to public-school 4th- and 8th-graders...
Stop Debating School Choice. Give Us Options Now!
At a recent legislative forum hosted in Boone County by the Missouri State Teachers Association, state lawmakers debated the merits...
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Charter Schools Can Fill the Void in Rural Areas
Finding options for your child’s education can be challenging to begin with, but living in a rural area can make...
Missouri’s School District Accreditation Doesn’t Help Students
When the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) says 99 percent of districts are fully accredited and doing just...
