Show-me Institute Podcast

David Stokes, Elias Tsapelas, and Avery Frank join Zach Lawhorn to discuss changes to St. Louis water rates, a new standardized test coming to Missouri schools, the challenges of increasing transparency in hospital pricing, and more. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Trish Flanagan is the executive director of Building Futures: Design and Build Workshop. Founded in 2012, by Gay Lorberbaum, Paul Krautmann, and Frank Lorberbaum, Building Futures: Design and Build Workshop began as a year-round Saturday workshop focused on supplementing the education of the under-served young people in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Aaron Hedlund, David Stokes and Elias Tsapelas join Zach Lawhorn to discuss the most recent report on inflation in the U.S., the daunting task of updating Missouri's Medicaid enrollment data, and the intriguing idea of privatizing the water utility in the City of St. Louis following a string of over a dozen water main breaks over the weekend. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Matthew Ladner is executive editor of redefinED. He has written numerous studies on school choice, charter schools and special education reform, and his articles have appeared in Education Next; the Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice; and the British Journal of Political Science. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and received a master's degree and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Houston. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Mark A. Calabria about new mortgage regulations designed to increase equity in home ownership, if today's housing market has echoes of the pre-2008 market, what higher interest rates for longer could mean for first-time home buyers, and more. Mark A. Calabria is a senior advisor to the Cato Institute. He provides strategic input and direction on the federal economic policymaking process. He previously served as director of financial regulation at the Cato Institute, where he cofounded Cato’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives. Find Mark's latest book "Shelter from the Storm: How a COVID Mortgage Meltdown Was Averted" here: https://amzn.to/3ODhPVH Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

David Stokes, Patrick Ishmael, and Avery Frank join Zach Lawhorn to put a bow on the legislative session, discuss new restrictions on short-term rentals, and calls to increase security in downtown St. Louis following a rash of car break-ins around Busch Stadium. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Susan Pendergrass, Elias Tsapelas, and David Stokes join Zach Lawhorn to discuss the end of 2023 Missouri legislative session. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

On May 9, 2023, Jay Nordlinger delivered a talk titled “Adventures in Journalism” at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. During the talk, Nordlinger surveys today’s media landscape with what has become frequent dismay. “We’ve never had so much journalism and so many outlets, which is great,” the National Review senior editor says. “But politics and journalism have merged, and … I’ve seen a lot of journalists begin to act like politicians with political calculations. That’s crippling to a writer.” “You’ve got to be free at the keyboard,” he says, “to pursue the truth as you find it.” Nordlinger, who lives in New York, writes the column “Impromptus” for NationalReview.com and is a book fellow of the National Review Institute. He’s the author of two books: Peace, They Say: A History of the Nobel Peace Prize, the Most Famous and Controversial Prize in the World and Children of Monsters: An Inquiry into the Sons and Daughters of Dictators. Selections of his work have been republished in two antholog

Susan Pendergrass speaks with former superintendent John C. Carver. John writes about education policy at growthringsjcc.blogspot.com Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

On April 26, 2023, the Show-Me Institute, in partnership with EdChoice and Show-Me Opportunity, hosted a virtual event featuring EdChoice’s Marty Lueken, Director of Fiscal Research & Education Center, and Mike McShane, Director of National Research, join Show-Me Institute’s Director of Education Research, Susan Pendergrass. You can watch video of the event here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLHGAqIEuj0 Mike and Marty discussed their recently published report titled K-12 Without Borders: Public School Students, Families, and Teachers Shut in by Education Boundaries, which examines what a K-12 education system with fewer school district borders would mean for students, teachers, and taxpayers. Read the full report here: https://manhattan.institute/article/k-12-without-borders-public-school-students-families-and-teachers-shut-in-by-education-boundaries Show-Me Institute Policy Briefs on Open Enrollment in Missouri: https://showmeinstitute.org/publication/school-choice/open-enrollment-in-missouri/ ht

James Shuls, Elias Tsapelas, and David Stokes join Zach Lawhorn to discuss the latest on the Missouri budget process, get an update on education legislation, why some Missourians are going to be surprised by the increase in their property tax bills, and more. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Daniel DiSalvo about his new report Big City Pensions and the Urban Doom Loop. Daniel DiSalvo is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a professor of political science in the Colin Powell School at the City College of New York–CUNY. DiSalvo’s scholarship focuses on American political parties, elections, labor unions, state government, and public policy. He is the author of Engines of Change: Party Factions in American Politics, 1868–2010 (2012) and Government Against Itself: Public Union Power and Its Consequences (2014). DiSalvo writes frequently for scholarly and popular publications, including National Affairs, City Journal, American Interest, Commentary, The Weekly Standard, Los Angeles Times, New York Daily News, and New York Post. He is coeditor of The Forum: A Journal of Applied Research in Contemporary Politics. DiSalvo holds a Ph.D. in politics from the University of Virginia. Produced By Show-Me Opportunity

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Will Flanders about what Missouri can learn from Wisconsin's educational choice programs. Will Flanders is the Research Director at the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty. Together with the education policy team, Dr. Flanders conducts econometric research on the application of WILL’s principles of freedom and liberty to the educational system in Wisconsin. Since joining WILL, he has authored or co-authored reports on the return on investment from charter schools, the effects of Act 10 on the teaching workforce, and the economic benefits of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. Produced By Show-Me Opportunity

Ben DeGrow is the Policy Director of Education Choice for ExcelinEd. Ben worked nearly two decades in state-based public policy, providing expert analysis in school choice, school finance and more. In his time at Colorado’s Independence Institute and Michigan’s Mackinac Center for Public Policy, he led dozens of studies and research project initiatives while also managing or supporting various coalitions to advance student opportunity through greater parental choice. Ben’s classroom experiences include service as a university graduate assistant, high school history teacher and a substitute in Michigan public schools. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Hillsdale College, a Master of Arts degree from Penn State University and a Certificate in Education Finance from Georgetown University. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Patrick Ishmael, David Stokes, and Elias Tsapelas join Zach Lawhorn to discuss recent changes to language used in University of Missouri System job listings, the progress on the state budget process, the upcoming elections, and more. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

David Stokes, Elias Tsapelas, and Avery Frank join Zach Lawhorn to discuss the start of the second half of the legislative session, the tax cut bill moving through the House, upcoming ballot items and the status of the open enrollment bill. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

On March 21, 2023, the Show-Me Institute hosted a virtual event with Senator Jim Talent and Heritage Foundation’s James Jay Carafano. They discussed rising tensions between the United States and China, the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, the possibility of conflict over Taiwan, and more. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Adam Peshek is Senior Director and Senior Fellow at Stand Together Trust, where he focuses on education policy. Prior to joining STT, Peshek spent eight years in leadership positions with ExcelinEd, including managing policy director. In this role, Peshek provided strategic support to state leaders interested in developing and implementing policies that expanded educational options for children. He also served as vice president of advocacy, directing the organization’s advocacy efforts with governors, state legislatures and departments of education, and other stakeholders. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Susan Pendergrass speaks to Allison Schrager about inflation, the Federal Reserve's next move in light of panic in the banking sector, how supply-side reforms can boost the economy and more. Allison Schrager is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a City Journal contributing editor, where her research focuses on public finance, pensions, tax policy, labor markets, and monetary policy. She is also the author of An Economist Walks Into a Brothel and co-founder of LifeCycle Finance Partners, LLC, a risk advisory firm. Read Allison's report here: https://bit.ly/3JHQK0w Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Dr. Paul Hill about his career in education reform, the current state of school choice, and more. Paul T. Hill is the founder of the Center on Reinventing Public Education, and Emeritus Professor at the University of Washington Bothell. His current work focuses on re-missioning states and school districts to promote school performance; school choice and innovation; finance and productivity; and improving rural schools. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity