Basic education in the United States has been faltering for decades now. Standardized testing scores have dropped, and literacy rates have gone down with it. Thanks to school districts deciding to focus on DEI instead of education basics, we now have a new generation of young kids who do not know the difference between 'breath' and 'breathe,' and cannot construct a complete sentence.

One state, Louisiana, has started taking education back into their own hands. The state for years has ranked at, or near the bottom, in terms of education. But they have returned to teaching the basics, and it has helped tremendously. Among their action was an act from 2021, which mandates all early-grade teachers from kindergarten to third grade complete a course on the 'science of reading.'

According to the 2024 scores, Louisiana went from ranked 49th in education all the way up to 32nd. They were also the only state to recover its pre-pandemic scores in reading, improving 6 points above its 2019 results. So, can we do that here in Texas?

The Lone Star State comes in as the 38th state in terms of education. But Sherry Sylvester of the Texas Public Policy Foundation says we are taking steps in the right direction.

"The Texas Education Agency (TEA) last year began a process to integrate the entire curriculum to that reading is integrated into every academic course," she says.

Other lawmakers in Texas have taken further steps to address education. Houston area State Senator Paul Bettencourt recently unveiled a 'Sensible 4' act, which would address truancy issues, and help get the state's education system moving further in the right direction.

Of course, Texas has far more people to educate than Louisiana, so the road is much longer in turning things. But our size is actually what helps us to an extent.

"Texas has over five million kids in school, and we have lots of different strategies for getting kids educated, like charter schools," she says. "Making sure kids are getting the basic skills they need to succeed and move forward to acquire more skills."

Houston ISD has already seen some improvements after the state took over running the district about two years ago.

Sylvester adds that all of this is leading Texas to brighter days ahead.

"Texas is not only on the right track, but we are ahead of the game," she says.

Getting back to the basics is becoming the new trend, and it is a trend that cannot come soon enough.

The Joe Pags Show