It’s quite the revelation: prioritize teaching children how to read instead of bombarding them with lessons on social justice and gender theory, and lo and behold, they actually learn to read. Who could have guessed?
Kelsey Piper articulates a thought-provoking argument in her piece for ‘The Argument’ on Substack:
Illiteracy is a policy choice
This month, the Department of Education unveiled the latest installment of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, commonly referred to as the Nation’s Report Card. The findings ignited a fire of frustration within me.
Take California, for example: a mere 30% of public school fourth graders are reading proficiently, leaving a staggering 41% unable to grasp even basic written material. As one might expect, the eighth graders are not faring much better…
However, it’s not a universal decline across the nation. Mississippi has witnessed a steady rise in reading scores year after year, clawing back from a temporary dip caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to achieve results that now eclipse their pre-pandemic levels. Remarkably, Mississippi’s fourth graders are performing better on average than those in California, despite our state boasting more wealth, higher education levels, and spending nearly 50% more per student.
The disparities grow even starker when evaluating disadvantaged demographics. In California, only 28% of Black fourth graders achieve reading proficiency, while Mississippi enjoys a commendable 52% in the same category. But it’s not solely about raising the lower bounds; Mississippi has also managed to boost its top achievers, recognizing it as one of the nation’s best performers among students who are not deemed “economically disadvantaged”…
And Mississippi is not alone—states like Louisiana, Alabama, and Tennessee have embraced similar strategies, effectively reversing trends seen elsewhere and celebrating significant advancements…
The most publicized aspect of this narrative? Teach phonics! Indeed, phonics should be a cornerstone of reading instruction. Yet, implementing this approach required more than just a gentle push; the Southern Surge states have introduced dedicated funding, guidance for districts, and, in some cases, mandatory regulations to ensure widespread adoption.
When educational institutions prioritize abstract themes like gender studies and social justice over fundamental skills such as literacy and numeracy, they do a disservice to students, leaving them ill-equipped for success in a demanding world.
A call to action is clear: all schools in America must refocus on the basics. It is nothing short of a tragedy for a young person to leave the educational system incapable of reading.
The Southern states provide a tangible roadmap for improvement, and it’s a model that works.
