The Left likes to pretend red states are backward, uneducated enclaves of MAGA-hat wearing Nazis. They'll tell you all day long how they are smarter, morally superior, and just plain better people than folks in flyover country.
Except we've seen what happens in blue cities and blue states, and it's not superior to anyone or anything.
So it's going to really tick off the Left when they see that Mississippi is leading the way when it comes to test scores:
Mississippi has the best demographic-adjusted NAEP (4th & 8th grade) scores now
— Arjun Panickssery (@panickssery) April 7, 2025
The "Mississippi Miracle" started in 2012 when the Republican governor/legislature introduced phonics-based instruction and began to hold back ~10% of 3rd graders per year who fail a reading test pic.twitter.com/BYtlXePzRd
And Oregon is dead last.
In contrast, Oregon, with the lowest demographic-adjusted scores, has a Board of Education that has indefinitely "paused" since 2020 the use of any standardized test as a graduation requirement
— Arjun Panickssery (@panickssery) April 7, 2025
Most of this stuff isn't rocket science
Oregon did away with testing and graduation requirements in the name of 'equity', which just means every kid who comes out of Oregon's public schools is equally illiterate.
Never thought I'd say this unironically, but Well Done Mississippi!
— GruntDoc (@gruntdoc) April 8, 2025
This is the way.
Of course the Left jumps right to 'racism' when they read 'adjusted for demographics.'
What kind of racism is “adjusted for demographics?”
— Steely Dan Maximalist (e/decel) (@SteelyDanMxmlst) April 8, 2025
But there's an answer:
adjusts for gender, age, race, ethnicity, free and reduced-price lunch status, special-education status, and English-language-learner status
— Arjun Panickssery (@panickssery) April 7, 2025
So, essentially, the demographics are now the same, thus verifying the results.
You can't teach reading in English without using phonics. I taught my profoundly autistic son how to read using phonics. It was madness when so many "educators" turned their backs on phonics.
— McClarey (@McClarey2) April 8, 2025
The goal of that was to undermine children's ability to read. The Left has claimed for a while now that reading is 'white supremacy', after all.
The Mississippi Miracle is a blazing triumph of conservative grit—phonics and tough standards catapulted them to top NAEP scores, shredding liberal education dogma. Since 2012, GOP leadership held back 10% of failing 3rd graders, proving discipline beats coddling. Nationally, 65%…
— Saggezza Eterna (@FinalTelegraph) April 8, 2025
All of this.
My West Virginia town had a state, teacher's college. We almost always had a student teacher in class. I think because of it we had phonics based reading & spelling taught. It's an automatic feature inside my head still.
— TugboatPhil - American (@TugboatPhil) April 8, 2025
Well, I also took the Evelyn Woodhead Sped Redding course. https://t.co/8wkbCUiyES
Phonics-based reading instruction is vital.
What a surprise! If a child can’t read by third grade, they’re doomed. Not holding kids back and not giving grades below a 50 are not helping students. https://t.co/mYBa6zXvqN
— She questions everything (@Reunioninfrance) April 8, 2025
Correct. 'Equitable' education that lowers standards help no one.
Mississippi and Louisiana students are outperforming peers with a lot more resources and money because the public schools reintroduced phonics and stopped allowing kids to fail forwards. https://t.co/17yAFuSMB4
— Ryan James Girdusky (@RyanGirdusky) April 8, 2025
This is so important.
This is pretty incredible. Smart education reform drastically improved Mississippi's schools. https://t.co/HkjQouo2S4
— JD Vance (@JDVance) April 8, 2025
It can be done.
Editor's Note: President Trump is fighting to dismantle the Department of Education and ensure America's kids get the education they deserve.
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