Kelsey Piper

Kelsey Piper, a journalist focused on education policy, Rose Horowitz from The Atlantic, who covers literacy declines, and Joshua Goodman, an economics professor, dive into America’s troubling math crisis. They discuss alarming trends in grade inflation and the stark reality of incoming college freshmen needing remedial math despite good grades. Cultural pressures around easier grading and the impact of technology on learning are explored, along with the implications of accountability policies and standardized testing on student performance.

Kelsey Piper, a journalist and co-founder of The Argument, engages in a captivating conversation about the challenges facing modern journalism and governance. They discuss the detrimental effects of social media on meaningful discourse and critique prestige media's constraints. Kelsey provides insights into PEPFAR, highlighting its critical impact and mismanagement during funding cuts. With proposals for reform, she emphasizes the importance of civic participation and engaging with practical realities to rebuild effective media and governance.

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.