Twice on Sunday for 16Feb25
Recapping the crazy new cycle shenanigans from politics to punditry with plenty of puns thrown in, Trump, Elon, Tulsi, Canada, Congress & my WV Watch education piece
My latest at West Virginia Watch I take a wide view of education as the WV legislature convenes talking about the same old problems with the same old rhetoric, and how that just isn’t going to be good enough:
As the yearly ritual of legislating once again commences, the catechism of elected officials talking about education are once again being recited.
We believe the children are our future.
We believe education is important.
We believe every child deserves a good education.
We believe teachers deserve more pay.
The same words and sentiments are chanted by the congregation of lawmakers every time they file into the legislative session. Meanwhile, outside the marbled halls of grand pronouncements and policy debates, funding woes grow worse, school closings in some areas loom, the expense of expanding schools in others grows, and a system dependent on money, teachers and students is lacking in all three.
The newest tenant of faith in education, school choice, has sharpened some of the doctrinal divides on how area youths get their learning. School choice is a fine thing in theory, and a fantastic opportunity for the students who get to participate in top notch private or charter schools.
But what about students in rural areas where an alternate school isn’t a possibility? Scholarship money designated by the Legislature for school choice funds the students over the system, the proper terminology laid down by the believers of redeeming tax payer money into policy, but money has to come from somewhere. Funding is mostly tied to student enrollment, so if the state is funding for less enrollment is that a fiscal benevolence or a policy sin of omission, or commission? Growing population centers that have options and funding cast stark contrast on declining populations that have no options at all and less funding for it.
Or, as House Speaker Roger Hanshaw put it, “The idea that we’re going to have widespread migration to other opportunities, I think it’s unrealistic.”
Thus is the intersection of faith and works in the world of education politics: The reality and the aspiration rarely line up under the same K-12 roof, nor on the same line item in the state budget. Folks righteously believe in funding students, and parents rights, and school choice as righteous causes. Those beliefs are unshakable to those adherents, who will not be swayed by argument. Applying those beliefs to real life, real students, the real education system as it exists in the Year of Our Lord 2025 takes more than reciting the right words, however.
Read the whole piece and share here:
Media Appearances:
Really happy to be working with the team at News Forum Daily up in Canada, and as the designated American explainer I’ve been pretty busy trying to explain all things US politics to our friends up north:
On Trump’s funding freezes and lawsuits thereof, and Vice President JD Vance’s comments on judges:
On Tusli Gabbard as the new DNI:
And on Trump releasing files on the JFK and MLK assassinations:
Enjoy my regular visits with Howard Monroe and the Watchdog Network in my beloved West Virginia. Howard is a WV Broadcast Hall of Famer and I’ve really come to look forward to our segments. This one we talk pennies, politics, and being the grown mature adults that we are squeeze every possible pun in as possible cause we are media professionals like that.
Going back a couple of weeks, but always love being on with Joe Cats down in Myrtle Beach as we talk football (this was pre-Super Bowl), no tax on tips proposals, hustle/gig economy, and the economics of tourist.
Latest Heard Tell Episodes:
Turning down the noise on Canada vs US in politics, policy, and punditry with Sabine El-Chirac
Inside Congress w/ The Independent’s Washington Bureau Chief Eric Garcia
Everything is a conspiracy theory if you don’t know how it works