Ups and downs. Steps forward and steps backward. Optimism and despair. Order and chaos. For anyone working in education policy and education reform, those words and the feelings they conjure are all too familiar. Specifically, for those with a stake in West Virginia’s game-changing Hope Scholarship program, presently embroiled in its own maelstrom of litigation, the…

The Inflation Reduction Act Creates Insulin Price Caps The “Inflation Reduction Act of 2022” is Washington’s latest attempt to fix problems it created. On Sunday, the Senate approved a package to combat climate change, lower healthcare costs, raise taxes, and, hopefully, reduce the federal deficit. The deal would provide for the most enormous burst of…

The Hope Scholarship Lawsuit So Far As families try to navigate their options, it is important that they understand the legal proceedings surrounding the Hope Scholarship. This post won’t go into great detail about the parties who brought the lawsuit. You can read more about them in my article “Who Is Really Behind the Hope…

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…