Have You Heard #197 Taking America Back (to a Less Educated Past)
Apr 24, 2025
Michael Hicks, Director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University, dives deep into Indiana's troubling educational landscape. He critiques disastrous policy choices over the past decade, including cuts to K-12 education and the inequities of the school voucher program. Hicks argues that these moves have widened the gap in educational attainment and economic prosperity. The conversation highlights the nostalgic pull towards a less educated past and warns of the long-term repercussions of neglecting investment in education.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Indiana's Educational Decline
- Indiana is 20 years behind states like California and New York in worker productivity despite its manufacturing focus.
- Kentucky and Tennessee now outperform Indiana in education and productivity, marking a steep relative decline.
Education Funding Slashed in Indiana
- Indiana cut education spending as Medicaid costs rose, reducing K-12 funding share of GDP by 20%.
- Public university funding falls, making college less affordable and reducing scholarships, affecting student access.
Indiana's Workforce Forecast Error
- Indiana's workforce development forecast overestimated demand for high school-only graduates by a factor of 10.
- This misguided policy de-skills the state, reducing economic opportunity and hurting the labor market.