The Argument America’s Reading Crisis: What Mississippi Got Right
4 snips
Dec 15, 2025 
Kelsey Piper, a staff writer focused on education, dives into America's literacy challenges, emphasizing Mississippi's successful reading reforms. She explains the detrimental shift from phonics to guessing-based reading strategies and highlights how Mississippi's phonics-heavy approach drastically improved student outcomes. Kelsey also discusses the politics surrounding these reforms and the resistance other states face in adopting similar methods. Their conversation touches on broader education issues, accountability, and the need for clear standards to elevate literacy and learning.
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How Guessing Replaced Decoding
- Many schools de-emphasized phonics and taught guessing strategies, which masked reading deficits until texts became harder.
- That shift likely produced large declines concentrated among the weakest students who lacked outside remediation.
Declines Hit The Weakest Students Hardest
- Recent declines in outcomes are concentrated among the weakest students, not average or top performers.
- Affluent families often bypass public failures with supplements, widening inequality.
Micro-School With Low Fees
- Kelsey runs a micro-school in the Bay Area and accepts families who can't pay full price.
- She aims to keep tuition around $15,000 and offers flexible admission to serve diverse needs.
