Show-me Institute Podcast

Susan Pendergrass, David Stokes and Elias Tsapelas join Zach Lawhorn to discuss the newly added spending data at MoSchoolRankings.org, takeaways from the State of the State Address and a new court decision on applying the City of St. Louis earnings tax to remote work. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Brian Riedl. Brian Riedl is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, focusing on budget, tax, and economic policy. Previously, he worked for six years as chief economist to Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) and as staff director of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth. He also served as a director of budget and spending policy for Marco Rubio’s presidential campaign and was the lead architect of the ten-year deficit-reduction plan for Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

James Shuls, Aaron Hedlund and David Stokes join Zach Lawhorn to discuss teacher pay in Missouri, the case for and against reforming child care policies, and a new report on modernizing the state's unemployment insurance system. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

David Stokes, Elias Tsapelas, and Avery Frank join Zach Lawhorn to discuss the future of MIssouri's Medicaid rolls, who should pay for mandated electric car charging stations, should anyone be able to turn their property into a short-term rental, and more. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Ness Sandoval, Ph.D, is associate director of SLU’s Geospatial Institute (GeoSLU) and an associate professor of sociology. Dr. Sandoval’s research tells stories using maps and works with students to use data and maps to look into the future. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

James Shuls, David Stokes and Patrick Ishmael join Zach Lawhorn to discuss which pre filed bills they are tracking before the start of the 2023 legislative session, another school district's decision to move to a four day school week, and the massive TIF approved in Chesterfield. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Jude Schwalbach is a policy analyst at Reason Foundation. He previously worked at The Heritage Foundation’s Center for Education Policy where his research focused on expanding educational opportunities for K-12 students and reducing the federal footprint in education. Before joining Heritage Foundation, Schwalbach taught high school in Phoenix, Arizona. Schwalbach’s writings have appeared in The Hill, National Review, RealClear Education, Orange County Register, Washington Times, and redefinED.

Zach Lawhorn is joined by David Stokes, James Shuls, and Elias Tsapelas to discuss midterm election outcomes, the school choice wave, and how federal spending affects Missouri's budget. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Joshua Cowen is a Professor of Education Policy at Michigan State University. His current research focuses on teacher quality, student and teacher mobility, and evaluations of state and local education programs. His work has been published in multiple scholarly journals and policy briefs, has appeared in numerous national media outlets, and has been funded by a diverse array of philanthropies as well as state and federal grants. From 2015-2018, he served as co-editor of Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, the flagship peer-reviewed education policy journal in the United States. He was previously Associate Editor of Education Finance and Policy, and remains on the editorial boards of both journals. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Michael Hartney about his new book, How Policies Make Interest Groups. Order Michael's new book here: https://www.amazon.com/Books-Michael-Hartney/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AMichael+Hartney Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

David Stokes, Patrick Ishmael and Avery Frank join Zach Lawhorn to discuss the special session, a property tax scheme in KC, the latest on food truck restrictions in Ladue and a new TIF in Chesterfield. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

James V. Shuls is an assistant professor of educational leadership and policy studies at the University of Missouri St. Louis and Distinguished Fellow in Education Policy at the Show-Me Institute. His work has been featured in numerous media outlets, including Phi Delta Kappan, Social Science Quarterly, Education Week, The Rural Educator, Educational Policy, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He earned his Ph.D. in education policy from the University of Arkansas. He holds a bachelors degree from Missouri Southern State University and a masters degree from Missouri State University, both in elementary education. Prior to pursuing his doctorate, James taught first grade and fifth grade in southwest Missouri. Produced By Show-Me Opportunity

Dan Goldhaber is an AIR vice president and director of Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research at AIR. He is also an affiliate professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Washington, the director of the Center for Education Data & Research, and the co-editor of Education Finance and Policy. Dr. Goldhaber's work focuses on issues of educational productivity and reform at the K-12 level; the broad array of human capital policies that influence the composition, distribution, and quality of teachers in the workforce; and connections between students' K-12 experiences and postsecondary outcomes. Topics of published work in this area include studies of the stability of value-added measures of teachers, the effects of teacher qualifications and quality on student achievement, and the impact of teacher pay structure and licensure on the teacher labor market. Previous work has covered topics such as the relative efficiency of public and private schools, and the effects of accountability sy

David Stokes, Abigail Wagner and Quin Rizer Join Zach Lawhorn. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

David Stokes, Elias Taspelas, and SMI Intern Quin Rizer join Zach Lawhorn. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

David Stokes, Susan Pendergrass and Abigail Wagner join Zach Lawhorn. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Howard Wall, Ph.D., directs the Hammond Institute for Free Enterprise and is a Senior Research Fellow in the Center for Economics and the Environment. He is also a Professor of Economics in Plaster School of Business & Entrepreneurship at Lindenwood University. Prior to joining Lindenwood in 2011, Wall was a vice president and regional economics adviser at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Susan Pendergrass is joined by David Stokes and Patrick Tuohey Patrick Tuohey is co-founder and policy director of the Better Cities Project. He works with taxpayers, media, and policymakers to foster understanding of the consequences — sometimes unintended — of policies regarding economic development, taxation, education, and transportation. He previously served as the senior fellow of municipal policy at the Show-Me Institute. David Stokes is a St. Louis native and a graduate of Saint Louis University High School and Fairfield (Conn.) University. He spent six years as a political aide at the St. Louis County Council before joining the Show-Me Institute in 2007. Stokes was a policy analyst at the Show-Me Institute from 2007 to 2016. From 2016 through 2020 he was Executive Director of Great Rivers Habitat Alliance, where he led efforts to oppose harmful floodplain developments done with abusive tax subsidies. Stokes rejoined the Institute in early 2021 as the Director of Municipal Policy. Read Patrick's

Neal McCluskey is the director of Cato’s Center for Educational Freedom. He is the author of the book Feds in the Classroom: How Big Government Corrupts, Cripples, and Compromises American Education and is coeditor of several volumes, including School Choice Myths: Setting the Record Straight on Education Freedom and Unprofitable Schooling: Examining Causes of, and Fixes for, America’s Broken Ivory Tower. McCluskey also maintains Cato’s Public Schooling Battle Map, an interactive database of values and identity‐​based conflicts in public schools, and oversees Cato’s Private Schooling Status Tracker.

David Stokes, Patrick Ishmael, and Susan Pendergrass join Zach Lawhorn to recap the 2022 legislative session, a new bill in St. Louis, and the return of The Loop Trolley. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity