The pandemic taught some schools that their literacy programs weren’t good enough
Zachary Faria
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The pandemic was a disaster for children, with state and local governments setting their education back permanently with unscientific lockdowns. But there is one silver lining: Schools have begun fixing their literacy programs, and they are starting to see results.
The New York Times details how high schools in Memphis, Tennessee, have re-embraced phonics in an effort to improve their literacy curriculum. Tennessee is among the states that have made a renewed push to center literacy on phonics, mandating the training for elementary school teachers with optional training for teachers in higher grade levels.
Just 21% of students in the Memphis-Shelby County school district are meeting state English standards, but the district has “received the state’s highest rating for academic growth for the first time in seven years.” Progress is being made, and that progress has been needed because of the ineffective methods the district had been using prior to the pandemic. “Balanced literacy,” a technique that many schools use, “focuses on fostering a love of books and storytelling.” Phonics took a backseat, as did making sure that children were actually being taught how to read.
This is the same trend being replicated in Oakland, California, which had a “very structured, phonics-based curriculum” until teachers decided it was boring and wanted to change it. The city’s schools went from the fastest improvements in reading scores among urban California districts to tanking well below California’s already-low state average. Oakland has since reversed its decision, but students have already paid the price.
The focus of the debate around schools during the pandemic has been on teachers unions, for good reason. Teachers unions pushed school closures and destroyed children’s educations in the process. But most teachers who actually work in classrooms do care about helping children learn, and the pandemic has shown them that the status quo must change. In both Oakland and Memphis, the return to phonics will ultimately improve reading scores and put children on a better path forward.
It is not enough to reverse the permanent setbacks children had during the pandemic (or under the ineffective curriculums that were in place before it), but it is a start. If everyone is capable of reflecting on mistakes as Memphis and Oakland educators have, as well as Tennessee politicians, then at least one good thing can come from this pandemic for students.
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