40% of 4th graders cannot read in 2026

[Anonymous]

Now go figure out what states those kids are in. I bet you all of the majoritiy are in RED STATES. Because when you consistently defund education over decades in favor of fighting to ensure the 0.6 transgender kids in your state can't play soccer, you end up with 4th graders who can't read.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where? In a red state no doubt.

OP isn't very precise in their language about what they mean by "can not read". Roughly half of Maryland students don't meet state level proficiency standards for math and English. That doesn't mean they can't read at all though...just that they're not proficient at grade level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The majority of public school students in this country are living in poverty. That combined with excessive screen time and lack of parenting makes the perfect storm on barely making it. High rates of absenteeism and lack of consequences in school for poor behavior. All of it makes sense.

Mississippi would like a word:

Kids' reading scores have soared in Mississippi 'miracle'

Mississippi went from being ranked the second-worst state in 2013 for fourth-grade reading to 21st in 2022. Louisiana and Alabama, meanwhile, were among only three states to see modest gains in fourth-grade reading during the pandemic, which saw massive learning setbacks in most other states.

The turnaround in these three states has grabbed the attention of educators nationally, showing rapid progress is possible anywhere, even in areas that have struggled for decades with poverty and dismal literacy rates. The states have passed laws adopting similar reforms that emphasize phonics and early screenings for struggling kids.

"In this region, we have decided to go big," said Burk, now a senior policy fellow at ExcelinEd, a national advocacy group.

These Deep South states were not the first to pass major literacy laws; in fact, much of Mississippi's legislation was based on a 2002 law in Florida that saw the Sunshine State achieve some of the country's highest reading scores. The states also still have far to go to make sure every child can read.

But the country has taken notice of what some have called the Mississippi miracle. Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky and Virginia are among the states that have recently adopted some of the same policies. As Mississippi climbed the rankings, the Barksdale Institute, an influential organization in literacy policy in the state, got phone calls from about two dozen states.

The institute's CEO, Kelly Butler, said she tells them there's no secret to the strategy.

"We know how to teach reading," she said. "We just have to do it everywhere."

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/kids-reading-scores-have-soared-in-mississippi-miracle

They’ve taught their students how to decode. That’s the easy part. Now they need to be able to comprehend what they’re reading. It’s a whole other ballgame for kids in poverty with few life experiences.

Meaning what, exactly? Where’s the data for such a statement?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Now go figure out what states those kids are in. I bet you all of the majoritiy are in RED STATES. Because when you consistently defund education over decades in favor of fighting to ensure the 0.6 transgender kids in your state can't play soccer, you end up with 4th graders who can't read.

And you would lose that bet.

Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama are red states.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Math proficiency scores also dropped. The decline began with the widespread use of tech in schools, around 2012-2013. Of course scores dropped more sharply for reading and math because of Covid, but the decline began well before.

And by tech, I don't mean pencils, macbook computers, smart boards, or even Chromebook usage among 7th-12th graders. I'm talking about iPads in K-2, ubiquitous wireless internet in all classrooms and school spaces K-12, and "learning apps" aimed toward preK and elementary school learners.

If the students in the lower grades are only using Chrome books that would be a problem. A Chrome supplement in addition to math classes using paper and pencil are helpful.

https://www.commerce.senate.gov/services/files/A19DF2E8-3C69-4193-A676-430CF0C83DC2

There is a DIRECT relationship between increased tech use and decreases in cognition.
You need to know how the brain works to teach it properly. And tech is not it.

Tech is too distracting.

If you’re reading a book I understand how important it is to read it on paper. I can’t imagine too many schools not using real books. But supplementing by using Chromebooks for exercises to verify the student comprehended it is smart. The student submits her answers directly and easily.

[Anonymous]

If the schools don't want to have any rules or enforce the rules about cellphones then they should not have performance reviews for teachers anymore and the union officials need to start backing teachers and calling out corruption again bc NO ONE wants to teach anymore bc they know it's a shtshw. Lastly, put some gosh dang cameras in the classrooms to protect teachers. We do he said she said bs with juvenile delinquents like striving to get the admin to support the teachers instead of manipulative tech addicted doped up tweens tweaking on prescribed uppers and given free passes to disrupt every single class to hide the shame of illiteracy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the schools don't want to have any rules or enforce the rules about cellphones then they should not have performance reviews for teachers anymore and the union officials need to start backing teachers and calling out corruption again bc NO ONE wants to teach anymore bc they know it's a shtshw. Lastly, put some gosh dang cameras in the classrooms to protect teachers. We do he said she said bs with juvenile delinquents like striving to get the admin to support the teachers instead of manipulative tech addicted doped up tweens tweaking on prescribed uppers and given free passes to disrupt every single class to hide the shame of illiteracy.

Instead of cameras in classrooms, which can be intrusive and invasive of students’ privacy, why not address these situations (which are extremely rare) of outbursts by (as you call them - ‘juvenile delinquents’) with restorative justice and compassion?

Furthermore, you do realize these children (and they are still children!) come almost entirely from under-resourced communities, don’t you? Viewing the situation through that lens should make it obvious to anyone that cameras in classrooms are the wrong approach (especially from a civil liberties perspective).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Now go figure out what states those kids are in. I bet you all of the majoritiy are in RED STATES. Because when you consistently defund education over decades in favor of fighting to ensure the 0.6 transgender kids in your state can't play soccer, you end up with 4th graders who can't read.

LCPS is in a blue state. My students in 9 and 10 grades have OBNOXIOUS spelling errors. Their punctuation is nonexistent.

What’s the excuse?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sigh.

Do you always believe everything on the internet? No wonder there are so many extremist believers these days.

Tell us what other nonsense you've fallen for, OP.

I am guessing in some DMV schools it is > 40%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I bet they can name the 20+ genders out there though! We need to decide what matters in education.

Not having a MAGA agenda matters in education!

But then stupid deplorables are easy to control. There is no one stupider than a MAGAt!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now go figure out what states those kids are in. I bet you all of the majoritiy are in RED STATES. Because when you consistently defund education over decades in favor of fighting to ensure the 0.6 transgender kids in your state can't play soccer, you end up with 4th graders who can't read.

And you would lose that bet.

Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama are red states.

I wouldn’t say these kids can’t read they just haven’t mastered as well as they should have for their grade. Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama are nowhere near the top in test results.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now go figure out what states those kids are in. I bet you all of the majoritiy are in RED STATES. Because when you consistently defund education over decades in favor of fighting to ensure the 0.6 transgender kids in your state can't play soccer, you end up with 4th graders who can't read.

LCPS is in a blue state. My students in 9 and 10 grades have OBNOXIOUS spelling errors. Their punctuation is nonexistent.

What’s the excuse?

Are you talking about your students? It’s your job to continue with grammar, punctuation and spelling. Their spelling and grammar aren’t flawless just because they are in 9th grade.

[Anonymous]

lol at the OP or whomever who’s accusing another reader of being a bot, when she’s th E one who posted a YouTube video. Ok, strong reader. She also probably reads audiobooks. Maybe she should learn to read.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the schools don't want to have any rules or enforce the rules about cellphones then they should not have performance reviews for teachers anymore and the union officials need to start backing teachers and calling out corruption again bc NO ONE wants to teach anymore bc they know it's a shtshw. Lastly, put some gosh dang cameras in the classrooms to protect teachers. We do he said she said bs with juvenile delinquents like striving to get the admin to support the teachers instead of manipulative tech addicted doped up tweens tweaking on prescribed uppers and given free passes to disrupt every single class to hide the shame of illiteracy.

Instead of cameras in classrooms, which can be intrusive and invasive of students’ privacy, why not address these situations (which are extremely rare) of outbursts by (as you call them - ‘juvenile delinquents’) with restorative justice and compassion?

Furthermore, you do realize these children (and they are still children!) come almost entirely from under-resourced communities, don’t you? Viewing the situation through that lens should make it obvious to anyone that cameras in classrooms are the wrong approach (especially from a civil liberties perspective).

I've taught in elementary school and middle school and at least the buildings I've taught in, theses situations are not extremely rare. But you are right, addressing them is the problem. Cameras will do no good if the policies aren't changed to allow consequences for disruptive to learning situations. It's common now because if the class sees one student getting away with behaviors without consequence, they lose respect for the learning environment and join in off task/ disruptive behaviors. When a classroom teacher's only recourse is phone calls home, that doesn't matter when the parents are quick to excuse their kids behavior and not hold them accountable. They need admin support. And for repeat offenders, parents should have to come in to meet with admin, student, and teacher. Not all, but many parents need to be inconvenienced to care, it seems. And before you say that's wrong, consider that you're on an educational forum, you are already an outlier in parenting and more involved than most, so likely not who I am talking about.

The other issue is just disengagement and students allowed to just wander the halls with their group of friends without consequence. Every year, it starts with a few students who do this, but because they don't have consequences it quickly snowballs and others join them because these are kids whose frontal lobes are not developed, of course many will want to join the immediate fun in the hallway with no consequence vs sit in class and learn. That's a hard temptation to resist. I can fully admit that if I was a kid now, I'd have been in the hallway. The only thing that kept me out of the hall when I was younger was fear of getting in trouble. That fear has been removed now by policies that tie school's hands and limits recourse for skipping. They are told to go to class by administration and security (at the secondary level), but they just walk off to another hallway and continue filming their tik toks. How are we suppose to get them reading on grade level when they are not in class?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think we can blame parents. It’s not fair to expect parents to spend an hour a day tutoring what should be taught in the 7 hours they’re in school daily.

I blame edtech. Get rid of the laptops and force reading from paper books and textbooks. It’s not the same to read on a screen.

Parents who rely totally on the school to teach everything are definitely to blame. But yes, there should be a return to books and textbooks.