Donald Nielsen

Though one could point to many areas in which Mississippi has struggled in the past, the state is clearly now on a roll. Washingtonians would be wise to compare what they are doing versus what our state is doing. Here are just a few immediately identifiable differences in trends between the two states in two essential categories, the economy and education. The Economy: By any of these measures, Mississippi seems to be getting it right — while Washington appears to be heading in the wrong direction. Donald Nielsen Education: By any of these measures, Mississippi seems to be getting it right — while Washington appears to be heading in the wrong direction. The time may have come when we would Read More ›

Last week, Wyoming enacted universal school choice, which brings the total to 15 states with universal school choice in America. These state leaders recognize that parents are the primary educators of their children and must be empowered to decide where and how their children are educated. Because of these recent legislative events, millions of parents have regained control of their children’s education. This is a giant step forward in forcing public schools to improve. Competition fuels innovation, and public education needs all the innovation it can get. Accountability is fostered by granting parents a portion of their child’s education funding to allocate toward the education avenue they select. When students are restricted to an assigned government school, on the other hand, Read More ›

Whether ecstatic or demoralized about the recent election, Americans should all welcome a fresh review of how the federal government carries out its work. For too long, the massive federal bureaucracy has been allowed to grow while becoming less and less efficient in how it spends tax dollars. In fact, it would be an exercise in futility to name any government program in anyone’s lifetime that achieved its intended goals in the time frame predicted and within the budget allocated. This reinforces the principle that the government should be the last option to fix a problem, not the first. Perhaps the most glaring example of government ineffectiveness is the Department of Education (ED). Established near the end of the Carter Read More ›