America's Reading Collapse: Stop the Excuses

40% of fourth graders can't read at grade level. 35% of seniors are proficient. Thirty years of progress erased. Politicians like Manny Guzman talk opportunity but deliver no measurable plan. Election season brings photo ops — not accountability. Where’s the plan?

America’s Reading Collapse: Stop the Excuses The numbers are not “concerning.” THEY ARE DEVASTATING. In 2024 and early 2025, roughly 40% of fourth graders and 33% of eighth graders are reading below basic levels. That is the worst in decades. Only 35% of high school seniors are proficient readers. Nearly half are below basic. We are graduating students unprepared for adulthood. This is not a dip. This is system failure. THE SYSTEM IS FAILING Reading scores have dropped to levels not seen since the early 1990s. Thirty years of progress — erased. The gap is widening. Strong students are steady. Struggling students are falling further behind — especially in working-class and low-income communities. That is not equity. THAT IS ABANDONMENT. WHY IT’S HAPPENING BAD INSTRUCTION Schools moved away from proven phonics-based reading instruction and embraced theories that did not build decoding skills. You cannot understand what you cannot read. You cannot read well without phonics. Adults made those decisions. Children are paying the price. DIGITAL DISTRACTION Phones replaced books. Social media replaced focus. Teen reading for pleasure is collapsing. SCROLLING IS NOT LITERACY. ABSENTEEISM Nearly one-third of seniors miss significant school time. You cannot teach students who are not there. LEADERSHIP FAILURE In Reading, politicians like Manny Guzman speak about opportunity and funding. He represents Reading. That is his district. But surrounding communities don’t even feel represented. When election season comes, the photo ops increase. The messaging increases. The political branding increases. But representation is more than appearances. It’s results. It’s presence. It’s accountability to everyone in the district — not just a political base. Democrats in surrounding areas operate as a coordinated machine. They organize tightly. They protect incumbents. They mobilize during elections. But political organization does not equal effective representation. AND IT DOES NOT MEAN VOTERS ARE SATISFIED. If he is elected, he should represent all communities in the district — urban, suburban, and working-class neighborhoods alike. Right now, many don’t feel that he does. THE DIRECT QUESTION So here’s the question voters deserve answered: WHAT IS HIS ACTUAL PLAN TO IMPROVE STUDENT OUTCOMES? What measurable literacy targets will you demand? What curriculum reforms will you support? What accountability measures will you enforce? What timeline will you commit to? Not slogans. Not press events. Not campaign mailers. A real plan with real numbers. EDUCATION — NOT POLITICAL THEATER We need leaders focused on education — not activism replacing instruction. Schools exist to teach reading, writing, math, and critical thinking. Not to serve as political stages. Free speech matters. But literacy matters more when 40% of fourth graders cannot read at grade level. CHILDREN DESERVE SKILLS, NOT SLOGANS. IT’S ELECTION SEASON It’s election season again. We’re told we have choices. But too often it feels like the same machine, the same messaging, the same excuses. We don’t need leaders who defend decline. We need leaders who challenge it. Leaders who question broken systems. Leaders who demand measurable results. Leaders who represent every part of their district. No more excuses. No more photo ops. No more political theater. ANSWER THE QUESTION. SHOW THE PLAN. DELIVER RESULTS.