Can we learn Mississippi and Alabama?

[Anonymous]

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/opinion/red-states-good-schools.html

Hope this finds its way to the email inbox of every APS employee at Central, not to mention every principal. Very interesting read. I'm a liberal. But I hate how we think we're just smarter than everyone else. So, before someone comes in and points out flaws in these reports or exaggerations about the gains being made in these shockingly poor communities, how about we take a step back and applaud the work being done by the teachers and the communities at large down there. Shows what is possible, even on a low budget.

[Anonymous]

It’s behind a pay wall is this about the fourth grade reading scores going up?

Do you have a synopsis?

Can you gift the article?

Is this the “Mississippi miracle”?

[Anonymous]

I went to school through high school in Alabama where they still paddled you in a closet if you got in trouble. With a wooden paddle that had holes drill through it so it would move faster, the PE teachers would say. We had no sex education. It was abstinence education, and called: Respect yourself. No actual anatomy diagrams, everything was depicted of a cartoon duck. I wish I was joking.

[Anonymous]

Alabama and Mississippi have two of the worst ranked schools in the country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Alabama and Mississippi have two of the worst ranked schools in the country.

NP. But they have made great strides in reading using science of reading based instruction.

Your response is exactly what the OP asked people NOT to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to school through high school in Alabama where they still paddled you in a closet if you got in trouble. With a wooden paddle that had holes drill through it so it would move faster, the PE teachers would say. We had no sex education. It was abstinence education, and called: Respect yourself. No actual anatomy diagrams, everything was depicted of a cartoon duck. I wish I was joking.

Year of graduation? Otherwise this is meaningless. Could be '65, '85 or '15

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Alabama and Mississippi have two of the worst ranked schools in the country.

Outcomes for poor black kids in AL and MI outperform those of poor black kids anywhere else. It is easy for affluent districts to educate affluent students. But even the top education state (MA) does not educate poor kids as well.

[Anonymous]

I mean MS, not MI of course

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alabama and Mississippi have two of the worst ranked schools in the country.

NP. But they have made great strides in reading using science of reading based instruction.

Your response is exactly what the OP asked people NOT to do.

Well OP is a moron.

Alabama and Mississippi are poised to allow The Heritage Foundation curriculum to become state wide.

[Anonymous]

Sure let's learn from idiot land. Pedophile land and good old financial illiteracy land.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sure let's learn from idiot land. Pedophile land and good old financial illiteracy land.

No state is perfect, but Mississippi and Alabama managed to increase their reading scores while Virginia and Maryland declined. Perhaps you could learn from them if you would look past your prejudice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to school through high school in Alabama where they still paddled you in a closet if you got in trouble. With a wooden paddle that had holes drill through it so it would move faster, the PE teachers would say. We had no sex education. It was abstinence education, and called: Respect yourself. No actual anatomy diagrams, everything was depicted of a cartoon duck. I wish I was joking.

I have kids in APS. It was not that long ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sure let's learn from idiot land. Pedophile land and good old financial illiteracy land.

No state is perfect, but Mississippi and Alabama managed to increase their reading scores while Virginia and Maryland declined. Perhaps you could learn from them if you would look past your prejudice.

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Alabama and Mississippi have two of the worst ranked schools in the country.

Mississippi has moved up an lot since they made the drastic curriculum improvements - particularly for lower elementary literacy - a few years back. The NAEP results are clear.

[Anonymous]

Not closing schools for Covid anyone?