Show-Me Institute Podcast

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Aaron Smith about how other states fund open enrollment programs in their public school systems and what Missouri can learn from those models. Aaron Garth Smith is the director of education reform at Reason Foundation. Smith works extensively on education finance policy and his writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including National Review, The Hill, and Educatio...

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Chad Aldeman about school funding, teacher pay, pension systems and more. Chad Aldeman is the Policy Director of the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University. Prior to joining the Edunomics Lab, Chad worked at Bellwether Education Partners and the U.S. Department of Education. He has published reports on K-12 and higher education accountability systems; school choice; a...

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Jason Bedrick. Read Jason's full report here: https://herit.ag/3JMFLDA Jason Bedrick a research fellow in the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation, where he focuses on policies that promote education freedom and choice, religious liberty, classical education, and restoring the primary role of families in education. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Susan Pendergrass speaks with James Pethokoukis about why advancements in A.I. are cause for optimism, not hysteria. James Pethokoukis, a columnist and an economic policy analyst, is the Dewitt Wallace Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he writes and edits the AEIdeas blog and hosts a weekly podcast, “Political Economy with James Pethokoukis.” He is also a columnist for The Week an...

David Stokes, Elias Tsapelas, and Patrick Ishmael join Zach Lawhorn to discuss which bills are moving in Jefferson City, a recent court decision on the City of St. Louis' earnings tax, and the mayor of Cool Valley being impeached.

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Don Soifer. Don Soifer is Chief Executive Officer of the National Microschooling Center, America’s comprehensive resource center, movement-builder and authority for the most exciting new education movement in a generation. He co-created and co-directed the Southern Nevada Urban Micro Academy, the nation’s first public–private partnership microschool with the City of N...

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Krissia Campos Spivey. Krissia Campos Spivey is a rising national leader in ensuring equality of educational opportunity for Hispanic families. After raising the bar for parent-facing school choice resources in Spanish as a part of National School Choice Week, she’s expanding on that work as director of the newly launched Conoce tus Opciones Escolares (CTOE). In tande...

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Shelby Doyle about National School Choice Week 2023. As vice president of public awareness, Shelby serves as the lead strategist for media outreach, digital communications, and as a national spokesperson. In addition, she works with schools, organizations, and individuals across the country to help raise awareness about the tens of thousands of independently-planned e...

Susan Pendergrass, David Stokes and Elias Tsapelas join Zach Lawhorn to discuss the newly added spending data at MoSchoolRankings.org, takeaways from the State of the State Address and a new court decision on applying the City of St. Louis earnings tax to remote work. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Brian Riedl. Brian Riedl is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, focusing on budget, tax, and economic policy. Previously, he worked for six years as chief economist to Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) and as staff director of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth. He also served as a director of budget and spending policy for M...

James Shuls, Aaron Hedlund and David Stokes join Zach Lawhorn to discuss teacher pay in Missouri, the case for and against reforming child care policies, and a new report on modernizing the state's unemployment insurance system. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

David Stokes, Elias Tsapelas, and Avery Frank join Zach Lawhorn to discuss the future of MIssouri's Medicaid rolls, who should pay for mandated electric car charging stations, should anyone be able to turn their property into a short-term rental, and more. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Ness Sandoval, Ph. D, is associate director of SLU’s Geospatial Institute (GeoSLU) and an associate professor of sociology. Dr. Sandoval’s research tells stories using maps and works with students to use data and maps to look into the future. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

James Shuls, David Stokes and Patrick Ishmael join Zach Lawhorn to discuss which pre filed bills they are tracking before the start of the 2023 legislative session, another school district's decision to move to a four day school week, and the massive TIF approved in Chesterfield. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Jude Schwalbach is a policy analyst at Reason Foundation. He previously worked at The Heritage Foundation’s Center for Education Policy where his research focused on expanding educational opportunities for K-12 students and reducing the federal footprint in education. Before joining Heritage Foundation, Schwalbach taught high school in Phoenix, Arizona. Schwalbach’s writings have appeared in The H...

Zach Lawhorn is joined by David Stokes, James Shuls, and Elias Tsapelas to discuss midterm election outcomes, the school choice wave, and how federal spending affects Missouri's budget. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Joshua Cowen is a Professor of Education Policy at Michigan State University. His current research focuses on teacher quality, student and teacher mobility, and evaluations of state and local education programs. His work has been published in multiple scholarly journals and policy briefs, has appeared in numerous national media outlets, and has been funded by a diverse array of philanthropies as w...

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Michael Hartney about his new book, How Policies Make Interest Groups. Order Michael's new book here: https://www.amazon.com/Books-Michael-Hartney/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AMichael+Hartney Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

David Stokes, Patrick Ishmael and Avery Frank join Zach Lawhorn to discuss the special session, a property tax scheme in KC, the latest on food truck restrictions in Ladue and a new TIF in Chesterfield. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

James V. Shuls is an assistant professor of educational leadership and policy studies at the University of Missouri St. Louis and Distinguished Fellow in Education Policy at the Show-Me Institute. His work has been featured in numerous media outlets, including Phi Delta Kappan, Social Science Quarterly, Education Week, The Rural Educator, Educational Policy, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and the...

Dan Goldhaber is an AIR vice president and director of Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research at AIR. He is also an affiliate professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Washington, the director of the Center for Education Data & Research, and the co-editor of Education Finance and Policy. Dr. Goldhaber's work focuses on issues of educational productivity and reform at...

David Stokes, Abigail Wagner and Quin Rizer Join Zach Lawhorn. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

David Stokes, Elias Taspelas, and SMI Intern Quin Rizer join Zach Lawhorn. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

David Stokes, Susan Pendergrass and Abigail Wagner join Zach Lawhorn. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Howard Wall, Ph. D., directs the Hammond Institute for Free Enterprise and is a Senior Research Fellow in the Center for Economics and the Environment. He is also a Professor of Economics in Plaster School of Business & Entrepreneurship at Lindenwood University. Prior to joining Lindenwood in 2011, Wall was a vice president and regional economics adviser at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. P...