The 74: Perdue —NAEP Scores Show We Failed Our Kids Again. It’s Time We Stop Saying We Believe in Education and Start Proving That We Do.
The following is an excerpt from an analysis in The 74 by digiLEARN co-founder Gov. Bev Perdue. Click here for the full piece.
As a nation, we are failing our students when it comes to ensuring they have a fundamental cornerstone for success in school and in life: the ability to read coherently and proficiently.
The release last month of the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress painted a stark picture for reading achievement in our country. Thirty-one states saw scores drop for eighth-grade reading achievement, and only Mississippi and the District of Columbia showed reading score improvements.
I’m disappointed. I’m beyond frustrated — in fact, I’m downright angry. But as a former teacher, a longtime advocate for public education and NAEP board member, I’m not surprised.
We say as a nation that we enthusiastically support public education. However, over and over again, we fall short when it comes to investing in teachers, who are on the ground working with students every day. We also lag in support for parents, who are charged with reinforcing learning outside of school, to ensure they have the time and ability to work with their children at home.
