Schug, a giant of economics education, took lessons beyond classrooms to anyone willing to learn
Interestingly, I first met Mark in the offices of the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute (WPRI), the predecessor to the Badger Institute. At the time, I was an economics doctoral student, and Mark was a professor of education at UW-Milwaukee. That chance meeting changed both of our lives, but especially mine. Over the years, we went on to publish three books, more than 20 peer-reviewed journal articles, countless op-eds, a few economics curricular materials, and six Badger Institute reports (and Mark co-authored another five studies for the Institute as well). More importantly, I found a mentor and one of my closest friends.
Mark was an absolute giant in the field of economic education. He authored or co-authored much of the core curriculum developed by the Council for Economic Education that K-12 teachers continue to use today. His curriculum vitae was among the most impressive you will ever see, with more than 200 peer-reviewed publications.
Mark was also a unicorn — the rare professor in a major school of education who championed free markets and school choice. He advocated for phonics-based reading instruction, a reduced role for Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction in teacher licensing, market-oriented economic education for all Wisconsin students, and expanded educational choice.
