I found this podcast from this reddit-logo post:

I subbed today for a 7th and 8th grade teacher. I’m not exaggerating when I say at least 50% of the students were at a 2nd grade reading level. The students were to spend the class time filling out an “all about me” worksheet, what’s your name, favorite color, favorite food etc. I was asked 20 times today “what is this word?”. Movie. Excited. Trait. “How do I spell race car driver?”

I’ve only listened to one episode so far, but it’s really well produced, seems well-researched and very well put together.

From what I gather so far, the ways that the American public school system “teaches” kids how to read is not only completely wrong, but actually saddles them bad habits which fundamentally hinder their reading comprehension.

A huge swath of American adults are functionally illiterate, and I think I’m starting to understand why.

  • Fishroot [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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    1 year ago

    I remember there was a opinion piece saying that Education in the Eastern Bloc and China is a tool for the government to control people.

    I guess not able to read is a way to not turn red

    • Egon [they/them]@hexbear.net
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      1 year ago

      Something something Parenti talk Literacy being abhorred by the right because it leads them to read which leads them to the left

    • silent_water [she/her]@hexbear.net
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      1 year ago

      it’s even more nonsensical than that. governments have been trying and failing to stamp this out for 20 years. the people behind it built a cult following in elementary education circles and rebranded their curriculum so they could keep peddling their nonsense, changing the description to avoid falling afoul of the law but without changing the content. it’s literally that the publishing company had a much larger marketing budget than any of the researchers saying “no, stop”. so until public media started running the story, there was no meaningful education for teachers telling them " this theory of reading education is wrong".

      it’s capitalism eating itself.

      • Fishroot [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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        1 year ago

        You’ll think that people look at public services like education as a product are stupid but we all know deep inside that the commodification of education has the end goal of making more divisive with premium private education for the elite and the bare minimal for the ‘‘public’’ education (which can be run by religious institution just like the good olde days).

        Ultimately this is just a way to stratify society with more defined castes

    • stigsbandit34z [they/them]@hexbear.net
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      1 year ago

      That rhetoric perfectly tracks with the charter school push to turn education into job training programs for K-8 students

      History will be provided by a for-profit coloration, so no need to worry about that bit. If you go into school knowing how to read, then great. We’ll group you in with the kids who will be of use to any of the Fortune 500 companies. Otherwise, we’ll group you with the “other” low-skilled kids. The only critical thinking skills that will be used will be the ones that teach you how to solve business problems agony-shivering

      • Fishroot [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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        1 year ago

        Charter schools are stupid because it’s never about education. We all know what they do with ‘‘problematic’’ students.

        This is just a last filter before dumping the leftover into military school in this shitty Folgers coffee called the privatized education system