Loosening the Federal Straightjacket

Bring Home the Mississippi Miracle: A Texas Triumph in Early Literacy

Bring Home the Mississippi Miracle: A Texas Triumph in Early Literacy Texas lacks a coherent third-grade literacy standard and statewide implementation system. Restoring a mastery-based promotion gate and aligning coaching, screening, and funding can reverse stagnating reading outcomes. Key points: Texas removed its third-grade promotion requirement, weakening the connection between reading mastery and grade advancement....

Don’t Fence Me In: Challenges for Health Care in Rural Texas

LLANO, TEXAS—Dr. Jack Franklin often stops for coffee on his way to his modest office in this Texas Hill Country town. With a population of about 3,300, Llano is small enough that he’s bound to bump into a patient or two from time to time. At the Fuel Coffee House, he’s even served his daily...

Signing Blank Checks with EpiPens

I prescribed EpiPens yesterday, knowing they are overpriced. But I was shocked by how much. This EpiPen I prescribed is for a mother who watched her 11-year-old son break out in hives from an insect bite on his arm. The hives then spread over his body. This time, fortunately, the hives did not spread to...