Before diving into this topic, allow me to share my background, which informs my perspective on educational matters. For over two decades, I served as an educator in public elementary, middle, and high schools, holding certifications in Elementary Education (Grades 1-6), Middle Grades Integrated (5-9), English (6-12), Reading (K-12), Exceptional Student Education (ESE), and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). In my final years in public schools, I specialized in supporting students who struggled to meet standardized test benchmarks, working tirelessly to help them bridge academic gaps. With this experience in mind, I believe Mississippi’s recent strides in education are not only inspiring but also worthy of greater national praise.
Wow. pic.twitter.com/8fbaZHQF9I
— David Bernstein (@ProfDBernstein) May 7, 2025
— David Bernstein (@ProfDBernstein) May 7, 2025
Painting the Deep South as an embarrassing cultural backwater is one of the last socially acceptable forms of prejudice among elites. It’s not just tolerated - it’s venerated.
Mississippi is probably the top target. I don’t have to tell you why. You know about the poor health outcomes. The poverty. The corruption. The obesity. The confederacy stuff.
Wikipedia has an entry dedicated to the phrase “Thank God for Mississippi” because its horrible performance on so many metrics saves other states the embarrassment of finishing last. The term has been used since at least 1945.
Which has made it awkward in recent years as Mississippi has become the fastest improving school system in the country.
You read that right. Mississippi is taking names.
In 2003, only the District of Columbia had more fourth graders in the lowest achievement level on our national reading test (NAEP) than Mississippi.1 By 2024, only four states had fewer.
When the Urban Institute adjusted national test results2 for student demographics, this is where Mississippi ranked:
Fourth grade math: 1st
Fourth grade reading: 1st
Eighth grade math: 1st
Eighth grade reading: 4th
How about Black students? The root of Mississippi’s bad reputation is its historically awful record on civil rights - including its refusal to integrate schools.
That was then.
Now, it has a different story to tell. Black students in Mississippi posted the third highest fourth grade reading scores in the nation. They walloped their counterparts in better-funded states. The average Black student in Mississippi performed about 1.5 grade levels ahead of the average Black student in Wisconsin. Just think about that for a moment. Wisconsin spends about 35 percent more per pupil to achieve worse results.
Mississippi’s schools achieved remarkable success by returning to the basics: teaching reading with a phonics foundation and using skill-and-drill methods for math. Students mastered their math facts—a simple yet powerful outcome. While school districts spend hundreds of thousands of dollars annually on consultants, Mississippi proves this straightforward approach ensures graduates are literate.
If a friend asks how to help their child become a strong reader, my advice is clear: talk to your children constantly from infancy, read books to them daily, and use the A Beka phonics program, starting at age 3 or 4. For second or third graders struggling with reading, begin the A Beka program from the start to reteach foundational skills. As Mississippi demonstrates, effective education is not rocket science—it’s about embracing proven methods.
I think I'm beating a dead horse, but this is still new info to a lot of people:
— PoIiMath (@politicalmath) May 7, 2025
Mississippi's educational improvements are replicable! They shifted to a science-based reading curriculum and it's working!
Your state could do this too!https://t.co/OlbSs2whAQ
Mississippi’s evidence-based approach to education—rooted in phonics and skill-and-drill math—is highly replicable and cost-effective for any state. It’s frustrating that some states, particularly those with progressive policies, hesitate to adopt these proven pedagogical practices despite their demonstrated success.
Tony Evers and Jill Underlying are failing Wisconsin students. Great to see the academic successes coming out of Mississippi but the supposed "Education Party" is continuing to deliver disastrous results for parents and children. https://t.co/9hjYUF0okQ
— Charlie Hoffmann (@choffmann10) May 7, 2025
The primary beneficiaries of the "Education Party’s" practices are consultants and teachers’ unions, often at the expense of students and effective pedagogy.
