Why Johnny Can't Read: A Critical Look

The Crisis of Literacy in America

Reading and math scores across the United States are at an all-time low, with national testing results continuously highlighting a deepening crisis. Illiteracy rates are on the rise, with data from the National Center for Education Statistics showing that the number of 16- to 24-year-olds reading at the lowest literacy levels has increased from 16% in 2017 to 25% in 2023. This alarming trend is not just a numbers game—it reflects a growing disconnect between students and the foundational skills necessary for success in school and beyond.

In many inner-city schools, less than half of the students are performing at grade-level proficiency in reading or math. Some high school graduates are even unable to read their own diplomas, a sobering reminder of how far some students have fallen behind. As an economist, I believe this is our greatest crisis. It threatens the future of American prosperity and exacerbates existing income and wealth disparities. The learning gap is widening, and the consequences are felt across generations.

The "Make Everyone Below Average" Solution

The education establishment's response to this crisis has been controversial. Rather than challenging students to stretch their minds and work harder, many schools are choosing to dumb down the curriculum so that more students can pass. This approach, which I call the "make everyone below average" solution, is counterproductive and short-sighted.

Some schools are now no longer requiring students in English class to read full-length novels that have been part of the curriculum for decades. The reasoning? Perhaps students lack the attention spans, or their reading skills aren't up to par. Or maybe they're too busy texting or playing video games on their cellphones. But this shift raises serious questions about the quality of education being offered.

A Case Study: Alice Deal Middle School

Alice Deal Middle School in Washington, D.C., is one of the best public schools in the city, with reading proficiency rates at 80%, double the D.C. District's abysmal 38% average. Despite this, the school has decided to remove all full-length novels from its eighth-grade English curriculum. The educators behind this decision claim that moving from full-length books to section readings will better prepare students for high school.

This logic is baffling. How does it help students improve their reading proficiency or gain knowledge if they only read sections of "Huckleberry Finn" or "To Kill a Mockingbird" instead of the entire book? Would anyone watch only a few scenes of a movie and consider themselves fully informed? It's almost as if the school is instructing 13-year-olds to read the CliffsNotes version of "The Scarlet Letter" or "A Man for All Seasons." That used to be considered cheating, but now it's the schools that are cheating the kids.

The Consequences of Lowering Standards

If it is true that reading a full-length novel is now too difficult for a sixth, seventh, or eighth grader, then we have a serious problem. If the students in the top public schools can't be expected to read a full-length book, it's frightening to think about the reading levels in underfunded and struggling schools.

We solved the problem of illiteracy nearly 100 years ago, and yet here we are, facing the same issue again. This is another sad example of subjecting our children to the tyranny of low expectations. It symbolizes all that is wrong with government-run schools.

A Brighter Path Forward

Ironically, some poor states like Louisiana and Mississippi have returned to the basics—like good old-fashioned phonics—and have seen miraculous jumps in their reading scores. These states are now beating out higher-income blue states, proving that the right approach can make a difference.

Raising the bar, not lowering it, is the way forward. We can do this. We all remember with fondness reading our favorite books, like "The Outsiders." The joy of reading comes from reading a great book and learning its life message. Kids are now being robbed of that joy.

Washington, D.C., will reap the illiteracy it sows, and my only hope is that other schools don't participate in this dumbing down of America's children.

Stephen Moore is a former Trump senior economic adviser and the cofounder of Unleash Prosperity, which advocates for education freedom for all children.