Education Battles in the News Recently, West Virginia’s news headlines have been filled to the brim with stories related to education reform and the concomitant legal battles: “Case challenging public funding for private education goes to court,” “Lawsuit aims to repeal WV Hope Scholarship program,” and “W.Va. Supreme Court Issues Stay In Charter School Lawsuit.” …

School Choice Isn't New The idea and practice of school choice has been around for more than 150 years.    In fact, the Founding Fathers asserted that the success of American democracy would depend on the proficiency of our citizens. They also believed that preserving this nation, an unprecedented experiment, would require a well-educated population…

Misleading Messages in the Media Thousands of West Virginia families are eagerly preparing to attend one of the state’s four new charter schools or use the Hope Scholarship for their child. Despite the progress our state has made in education freedom, misinformation about school funding is running rampant. Over the past few weeks, The Intelligencer…

Prices Are Rising. Blame Inflation. With every trip to the store or browse through the fabled Amazon wish list, the higher prices remind us of the struggles that come with recent inflation.    But what is inflation? — Aside from a major pain in the wallet.    Definitions of Inflation Merriam Webster defines inflation as…

New Research Highlights Free Speech Violations on WV Campuses An analysis of speech restrictions at West Virginia’s four-year colleges and universities has shown widespread violations of free speech. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), where I worked for five years, found close to 100 policies restricting students’ fundamental rights.   Legal Requirements for…

All the Money in the World and No Place to Spend It? Between COVID relief funds and budget surpluses, West Virginia is flush with cash, perhaps to an extent unlike any time in its history. The prudent question must be how the state will spend – or, better yet, invest – heretofore unappropriated monies to…

Gas Prices Are Rising Across the Nation As of May 19th, all 50 states had a retail price for gas over $4 a gallon. According to AAA, Oklahoma provided the cheapest gas to Americans at $4.03 per gallon, while the most expensive gas, averaging $6.06 per gallon, was found in California. The rising cost of…

Hope Scholarship Rules Are a Good Start On April 18, 2022, the Hope Scholarship Board passed an amended version of the rules to govern the Hope Scholarship. These rules are governing the program as emergency rules, pending final approval by the state legislature. These rules are not perfect but they do provide an excellent foundation…

Election Season ‘Tis the season…    If you’re into politics, that is.   Doors are being knocked on. Stump speeches are ringing throughout communities. Ads are on TV, radio, and all over the Internet. Candidate mailers are hitting mailboxes. Citizens dutifully head to their local ballot boxes. “I Voted!” stickers are being proudly worn.   …

Imagination is a curious thing, something inborn, but sadly, for most adults, it fades over time. The ability for one to conceive of a different, better world becomes more difficult for adults as the reality of life, with all its setbacks and disappointments, settles in. This is especially true in geographic areas like my own…