Mark Slavik - Author

09/18/2026

Why should Ohioans care who Michigan sends to the U.S. Senate?

Because elections don’t stop at the state line. The senators Michigan sends to Washington will vote on laws, judges, spending, and national policies that affect all of us.

And as Christians, we’re called to form our consciences, seek the truth, and engage public life with both charity and conviction.

That’s why I’m taking a closer look at Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.

I have serious concerns in three areas: his political network and associations, his social policies, and his economic agenda.

Over the next three posts, I’m going to examine each one—looking at the evidence, the candidate’s own positions, and what they could mean for the country.

09/18/2026

Truth matters.

But so does the person standing in front of you.

As Christians, we're called to speak the truth, defend what is right, and participate faithfully in public life. We're also called to remember that those who disagree with us are not our enemies. They are souls loved by God and redeemed by Christ.

Conviction without contempt. Truth spoken with love.

Read the reflection for September 16 at https://markslavik.com/conviction-without-contempt/

1 Corinthians 12:31–13:13 • Psalm 33 • Luke 7:31–35

09/16/2026

They called Jesus a drunkard.

John fasted, and they criticized him. Jesus ate with sinners, and they criticized Him.

Jesus listened to the Father—not the crowd.

There’s a lesson in that for every Christian: Love people deeply, listen humbly, but never confuse approval with faithfulness.

Am I trying harder to please the crowd, or to be faithful to the Father?

That was my challenge from today's Gospel reading, Luke 7:31-35.

You can read the reflection at https://markslavik.com/they-called-him-a-drunkard/

09/16/2026

Ohio doesn't need another decade of education reform.

It needs a decade of disciplined ex*****on.

Get kids to school.

Teach them well.

Measure the results.

That's the short version of my latest analysis on Ohio's education challenges and what comes next.

https://markslavik.com/ohios-education-problem-is-about-ex*****on/

09/16/2026

I don’t have an endgame. I have a mission.

To know Christ. To live His truth.

To share the beauty of the Catholic faith.

To challenge myself and others to live it, even when it's difficult.

Our faith should shape every part of our lives, including how we vote.

Vote principles, not personalities.

09/15/2026

Ohio's Education Problem Isn't Politics or Money. It's Ex*****on.

I went looking for a simple explanation for why Ohio lost ground in student achievement.

The data didn't give me one.

It doesn't fit neatly into Republicans vs. Democrats. And it can't be explained simply by saying we didn't spend enough money.

What I found instead was years of changing standards, tests, accountability systems, reading programs, funding approaches and other reforms—followed by a serious absenteeism problem and then COVID.

Activity was never in short supply. Results became the question.

Ohio doesn't need another decade of reform for the sake of reform.

It needs a decade of disciplined ex*****on:
• Get children into school.
• Make literacy foundational.
• Measure whether students are actually learning.
• Invest in what works.
• Stop what doesn't.
• And give successful approaches enough stability to succeed.

My full analysis looks at what happened—and seven things I believe Ohio should do differently. https://markslavik.com/ohios-education-problem-is-about-ex*****on/

The next chapter in Ohio education shouldn't be about changing the system again. It should be about proving the system works.

The Lesson The evidence does not clearly favor Republicans or Democrats. And it does not point toward spending levels alone. That does not mean money doesn’t matter. Ohio’s reliance on local property taxes raises legitimate questions about fairness and the distribution of educational opportunity...

09/04/2026

Ohio changed almost everything about education over the last 15 years. There's just one problem: our students aren't performing better because of it.

Ohio's decline in student achievement is real. After examining the data, I don't believe the evidence fully supports two of the most common explanations.

"It's the fault of one political party."

The timeline doesn't fit. Ohio's rise, peak, and decline in academic performance occurred across both Republican and Democratic administrations.

"We simply didn't spend enough money."

Ohio is not a low-spending state. While our property-tax-based funding system raises legitimate concerns about equity and fairness, spending levels alone do not explain the decline in student achievement.

So what happened?

Between 2010 and 2019, Ohio repeatedly changed academic standards, testing systems, teacher evaluations, accountability measures, reading initiatives, graduation requirements, school-choice policies, and funding formulas.

That's a lot of change. But it did not produce sustained improvement in student outcomes.

At the same time, chronic absenteeism was already becoming a significant challenge.

Then COVID hit.

The result was a perfect storm:
• Constant policy churn
• Persistent literacy challenges
• Too many students missing school
• Historic pandemic disruption

Ohio still performs above the national average on several important measures.

But we are not performing at the level Ohio achieved roughly a decade ago.

Perhaps the next education debate shouldn't begin with Republicans versus Democrats.

Perhaps it shouldn't begin solely with how much money we spend.
Instead, it should begin with a simple question:

Are Ohio's children learning more?

Because the true product of an education system is not another program, mandate, assessment, or funding formula.

It's a child who can read, write, think critically, and succeed in life.

Keep an open mind. Improving our children's education should be one of the few goals that brings us together rather than divides us.

In my next post, I'll examine the major factors that appear to have contributed to Ohio's loss of ground in student achievement, and what we can do to reverse the trend.

Sources: https://markslavik.com/ohio-education-discussion/

09/04/2026

What if the problem isn't Christ's teaching, but the w**eskin I'm trying to pour it into?

Jesus tells us: "New w**e must be poured into fresh w**eskins." (Luke 5:38)

Bishop Robert Barron offers a challenging way to understand that teaching. The new w**e is the Gospel itself, the astonishing reality of God entering our world in Christ and reconciling humanity to Himself. But receiving that new w**e requires metanoia: a transformation of mind and heart.

You cannot truly encounter Jesus Christ and expect everything to remain the same.

Pay attention to the teachings of Jesus that make you uncomfortable. They make me uncomfortable.

They may reveal the very places where your w**eskin needs renewal.

Love your neighbor? Absolutely.
But love your enemy?
Forgive seventy times seven?
Take up your cross?
Lose your life to save it?

Suddenly, the w**eskin begins to stretch.

It's easy to follow Christ when His teaching aligns with our preferences. Discipleship becomes more difficult when Christ challenges something we don't want to surrender: our pride, resentment, habits, assumptions, or desire for control.

So perhaps today's question isn't simply: "Which teachings of Jesus do I believe?"

Perhaps it's: "Which teachings of Jesus am I still resisting?"

The Gospel was never meant to conform to us.

We are meant to be transformed by the Gospel.

Read the full reflection: https://markslavik.com/new-w**e-must-be-poured-into-fresh-w**eskins/

09/03/2026

The Leaders Who Didn't Want the Job

What Saint Gregory the Great and George Washington teach us about ambition, duty, and servant leadership

Today, September 3, the Catholic Church celebrates Saint Gregory the Great, a man who did not want to become pope.

Nearly 1,200 years later, George Washington faced a remarkably similar dilemma. He wanted to return to Mount Vernon, not assume another great office.

Both men remind us of something today's leaders often forget: Great leadership is not always about wanting the job. Sometimes it is about accepting responsibility.

Gregory wanted the monastery.
Washington wanted Mount Vernon.

Neither sought the immense responsibility eventually placed upon him. Yet when circumstances demanded their leadership, both stepped away from the lives they preferred and accepted the burden of service.

The best leader is not necessarily the person who wants the corner office most.

Sometimes it is the person who fully understands what leadership will cost and accepts the responsibility anyway.

Read the full article at https://markslavik.com/the-reluctant-leaders/

09/03/2026

You've failed before. Peter had too.

The difference between an empty net and a miraculous catch wasn't Peter's skill. It was his willingness to trust Christ when trusting made no sense.

Where is Jesus asking you to "put out into the deep"?

Duc in Altum!

Read today's reflection: https://markslavik.com/put-out-into-the-deep/

My Daily Reflection: Luke 5:1–11