Remembering 9/11 Seventh grade. Elkview Middle School. In the second-floor hallway waiting to go into English-Language Arts class with Mrs. Johnston. That’s where I was and what I was doing when I first learned about the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. If you’re around my age or older, I’m sure you remember yours, too.…

Teachers Are Struggling in West Virginia with Student Behavior Recent testimony from West Virginia teachers has shed light on a concerning, though not unexpected, reality: student behavior in classrooms is out of control, making effective teaching nearly impossible. However, this issue is not without its explanation — and, more importantly, its solution. Schools have strayed…

A new meta-analysis by Matthew D. Mitchell, Ph.D., a Senior Fellow at West Virginia University’s Knee Regulatory Research Center covers 128 academic papers, containing 450 tests, concerning Certificate of Need (CON) laws. Supporters of CON laws advocate for them based on various supposed benefits, including reduced healthcare spending, improved access to care, improved quality, better…

Tree Stands & Thanksgiving Tables I can attest to odors evoking vivid memories and emotions. While I may not fully understand the neuroscientific mechanisms behind this phenomenon, I find myself transported back to my childhood home in Grafton, WV, whenever I encounter the aroma of thyme, rosemary, and sage — the piney, earthy flavor notes…

35th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall Earlier this month, lovers of freedom throughout the world celebrated the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Not only did it mark the beginning of the end of the Cold War, for many, it also signified the philosophical triumphs of freedom and democracy…

The American Education Model Began On A Foundation Of Local Control In colonial America, education looked drastically different from the standardized, rigid system we have today. Parents, communities, and churches played the primary roles in educating children. There was no overarching system dictating what students learned or how they learned it. Each colony, each town,…

When I first saw the announcement of the Cardinal Institute’s 10 Year Anniversary Gala, I was ecstatic. Not only do I love any excuse to wear a tuxedo, but I would also finally get to meet many of the faces I have only known from the Cardinal Institute’s “Meet the Team” page. I also looked…

Good Governance & Finance Audits are not sexy. They are not even exciting, enticing, or exhilarating, however, what they are is . . . revealing. A common talking point amongst fiscal conservatives and general free-market types is the need to cut spending and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in the budget. The Cardinal Institute even…

The Challenges Of The Public Education System  It’s difficult to overstate the challenge of thinking critically about the public education system — mainly because we love teachers. And let’s be honest, cognitive dissonance plays a role too. After all, most of us went to and sent our children to public schools. Thinking critically would put most…

Spooky Policies to Beware of As Halloween creeps around the corner, let’s expose the ghosts of bad decisions past and unearth insidious policies lurking in the shadows of bloated bureaucracy. A few of these policies may appear innocuous on the surface. However, as many horror films demonstrate, sometimes the seemingly innocent ideas can harbor bone-chilling…