The state, once a laggard, now leads the nation by many measures thanks to a back-to-basics approach.
Trust in public schools has cratered. A Gallup poll last year revealed that satisfaction with public education had reached a 24-year low, and people have good reason to be miffed.
A federal assessment of reading and math skills for fourth- and eighth-graders released last fall showed the lowest test scores in decades. On reading exams, a third of high-school seniors scored “below basic,” the bottom threshold, and nearly half lacked the ability to perform rudimentary math computations.
Progressive cultural fads concerning race and gender have dominated the education discussion, especially since the Covid lockdowns, which turned out to be unnecessary and harmful. These ideological crusades can distract from the reality that too many youngsters aren’t learning basic academic skills. The problem is pronounced for children from low-income families who rely on public schools for the educational and behavioral foundation that more-affluent families can provide at home.
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Jason L. Riley is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a columnist at The Wall Street Journal, and a Fox News commentator. Follow him on Twitter here.
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