Chris Cargill

Chris Cargill is the President & CEO of Mountain States Policy Center, an independent free-market research organization based in Idaho. Online at mountainstatespolicy.org.

The incredible savings private and home schooling families are offering taxpayers

One of the most common arguments made against offering more choice options for families is that it would be too expensive for state taxpayers.

What the election results mean for education choice

At the federal level, President-elect Donald Trump promised on the campaign trail to expand choice options nationally.

Lowering expectations sends the wrong message to children

Idaho spends more than half of its state budget on K-12.

New taxes, spending, recess time, and school board spouses

The ISBA uses the word “voucher” 16 times in one resolution

The legal cases that prove education choice is constitutional

The United States Supreme Court has issued several recent rulings that are instructive here.

You can’t claim to support education choice while limiting options

No two children learn the same way. Education must constantly reform.

The “Blaine Amendments” are bigoted relics

The bad news is three fold: many states have their own Blaine language, most citizens don’t know what a Blaine Amendment is, and even fewer know how policymakers are using its bigoted foundation as an excuse to block children who need more education options.

Families stymied as Idaho committee shuts down ed choice debate

House Bill 447 would have allowed parents to take a tax credit to help offset the cost of educational expenses outside the public school system.

One of these education programs is just like the other

When Launch was up for discussion last year, legislators were split.

Bringing transparency to the cost of college with a Career Transparency Act

Policymakers may not be able to control all college costs, but they can help inform better career and financial decisions by students considering higher ed.