Here’s to the parents who made education choice possible before it really was there A little more than 18 years ago, I was wrapping up middle school and getting ready to start high school. At the time, I was supposed to go to Herbert Hoover High School near Clendenin. My mom didn’t think that Hoover…

Introduction In August of this year, I moved from Northern Virginia to Charleston. I had accepted the position of Education Outreach Coordinator with the Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy. My job is to promote the Hope Scholarship in West Virginia. During my two months on the job, I have had the privilege of connecting…

Improve Quality & Access - Not Insurance Coverage Rising health care costs, lack of access, and a pandemic have helped to solidify a belief that health care is, or should be, a right. But this monumental shift from seeing health care as a right rather than a good has failed to provide any favors for…

Private & Homeschool Families Ask About Sports My role as the Education Outreach Coordinator has taken me to many events to promote the Hope Scholarship. I have spoken with families, parents, and children about the program as well as other education related policy issues. During my first event, I spoke with a family who asked,…

Over the last 18+ months, we’ve all watched a vast number of changes unfold as it relates to education. Some of these have been troubling, like the widespread turn to remote or virtual schooling as a means of mitigating the spread of COVID. Others have been more hopeful, like the record number of freedom-friendly reforms…

The Cardinal Institute is about to embark on a multi-town, multi-month barnstorm across West Virginia to discuss healthcare reform. The reasons for the subject matter are obvious, and legion, as the statistics around West Virginia’s healthcare system are sobering. Yet, the options for reform are far less obvious. So, of course, a conversation is a…

The death of actor Michael K. Williams has brought discussion of the opioid crisis and overdose deaths back to the forefront of many people’s minds. The opioid crisis often fades into the background until a celebrity dies or overdoses. But, I think it’s fair to say that in West Virginia, most people know someone struggling…

Health & Health Care in West Virginia In 2018, West Virginia ranked highest in the nation for poor physical health, poor mental health, obesity, and heart attacks. Additionally, 10% of our adult residents are likely to be diagnosed with diabetes (the second-highest rate nationwide). 33% of residents have arthritis (the highest rate in the country).…

As lawmakers and health professionals’ assess how to handle the Delta variant, it is imperative that they forgo more lockdowns. From the onset of the pandemic, the lockdowns have been to help flatten the curve. However, data and lessons from 2020 demonstrate that the lockdowns’ negative impact outweigh their potential good. Lockdowns During the Pandemic…

In Ernest Hemingway’s novel, The Sun Also Rises, in one conversation an interlocuter questions another on how he went bankrupt, resulting in the now well-known response: “Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.” The witty reply is one that can be applied to many situations: falling asleep, financial crises, rogue waves, avalanches, and even death. However, it…