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Abu and Rajah.
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an Elementary School Literature Teacher
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I have High-Schoolers in Algebra 2 who cannot multiply and divide without a calculator making factoring polynomials very difficult.
I had 8th graders last year who had no idea what to do with simple addition, subtraction or multiplication problems. I could not give them simple word problems because none of them could read well enough to interpret the word problems. Administration did not want to hear about these deficiencies and told me to follow the Pace & Sequence which required quadratics equations, transformations on the coordinate grid, etc. I was reprimanded for teaching remedial math to these 8th graders (which they definitely needed) because I was told this would hurt the students’ feelings. And, students informed me early in the academic year that they really did not need to do any of the work because administrators would pass them anyway! And, they were correct - they were all advanced to high school! Students nowadays don’t fear failing, and they don’t fear summer school. It’s a sad, sad story.
It's wild to me how many parents aren't teaching their children how to read.
Hello, I wasn't aware that most parents have the best abilities to teach reading. Yes, if they read to their children and build their vocabulary, that's a great start. Please suggest strategies to parents, they have technology and going to the library.
I have noticed for my High School Social Studies that reading comprehension are a challenge.
Completely agree. And critical thinking. It's almost like nobody can read something and formulate their own opinion on it anymore.
Whenever I see a toddler, he/she's holding a smartphone or game device watching animated games. I never see a toddler with a little tiny book in his hands. I also see more toddlers wearing glasses.
Pro
That is so sad. What are parents thinking?!
Whoa. I assume parents were made aware of this before now. It can be tricky with Kinder, there's so many variables. If they get intervention during the summer, will this get them ready for 1st grade? Are you going to be their Kinder teacher 2026-2027 for the students who will not move to 1st grade?
I saw this firsthand. Years of strong evaluations and demonstrated effectiveness ultimately carried less weight than a brief, subjective decision-making process. When districts start disregarding their own data and professional evidence, it’s no longer about student success—it’s about maintaining control.
And that has real consequences.