Why children know their pronouns but not their multiplication tables.
Once upon a time—before hashtags, “healing circles,” and therapy dogs in classrooms—education had one job: educate. Teachers taught facts, students learned skills, and diplomas meant you were ready to function in society. Fast-forward to today, and school has become part group therapy session, part identity boot camp, and part daycare for over-parented teenagers.
Let’s compare where we were pre-2000 vs. now—and ask the obvious: if we’ve spent more money, added more programs, and hired more staff, why are kids learning less?
1. Academic Performance: Dumber Tests, Lower Standards, Weaker Minds
SAT Scores
In the 1990s, the SAT was a serious college entrance exam. In 1999, the average combined SAT score was 1016. By 2024? About 1028—but don’t get excited. The College Board has “recentered” the scoring multiple times and, in 2024, made the test shorter, digital, and less rigorous.
Why? Because average performance kept dropping—and rather than improve student preparation, we just lowered the bar.
In other words: If students can’t reach the standard, just erase the standard.
NAEP Results: The Nation’s Report Card tells the real story:
* Only 33% of 4th graders are proficient in reading
* Only 26% of 8th graders are proficient in math
These numbers are even worse for public school students in major cities.
But rest assured: everyone knows how to “feel seen.”
2. Teacher Quality: From Educators to Activists
In the 1980s and 1990s, teachers entered the field with strong subject knowledge. A math teacher usually majored in math. A history teacher could name more than three presidents.
Today, many new teachers enter through alternative certification programs or education degrees focused on “restorative justice,” “equity frameworks,” and “decolonizing pedagogy.” Teaching content is secondary—what matters is “cultural responsiveness” and “student voice.”
So why did teachers become activists?
Because the education system became more about shaping worldviews than shaping minds. When ideology replaces inquiry, teachers stop being instructors and become preachers. And students? They become confused, emotionally drained, and functionally illiterate—with impeccable protest signs.
3. Why Teachers Oppose Performance-Based Evaluations
The logic goes like this: “It’s not fair to judge teachers based on test scores. What about poverty, trauma, racism, etc.?”
Sure. But no one suggests firing teachers based solely on scores. The idea is to reward excellence, identify struggling teachers, and support improvement. But the unions say no.
Accountability, after all, is violence.
Meanwhile, in Singapore, Finland, and South Korea—where teachers are held to high standards—students outperform Americans by double-digit margins in international tests.
So we keep asking less of our teachers and wondering why students learn less.
4. Charter vs Public Schools: The Evidence Is In
According to a massive 2023 Stanford CREDO study:
* Charter school students gain an additional 16 days of learning in reading and 6 days in math annually
* Black and Hispanic students in urban charter schools gain the equivalent of 35 to 40 more school days per year compared to public peers
Translation: Charter schools outperform public schools—especially for low-income and minority students. So what’s being done about it?
Nothing. Because improving education is hard. And unions don’t like charters. And hard choices are unpopular.
5. Are Kids Today Happier, Smarter, or More Independent?
Let’s break it down:
* Happier?
No. Teen depression has doubled since 2010. In 2023, 42% of high schoolers reported persistent sadness.
* Smarter?
No. Reading and math scores have dropped across the board. Many graduates can't write a coherent paragraph, or balance a checkbook.
* More Independent?
No. A growing number of college students can’t do laundry or schedule appointments. Campus counselors report skyrocketing anxiety over basic tasks.
* More Resilient?
Absolutely not. In fact, many schools now cancel exams or change grades if students feel stressed. One university recently offered puppy rooms and coloring books during finals week.
So what are they more of?
* More sensitive
* More confused
* More ideologically rigid
* More likely to know what “heteronormativity” is than what the Constitution says
6. Why Nothing Is Being Done
The system resists change. Teachers' unions block reform. Politicians are afraid of backlash. Bureaucracies are bloated and slow. And the education-industrial complex keeps pumping out consultants, training sessions, and task forces—while kids leave high school unable to write a proper email.
The tragedy? Education is the single greatest tool for upward mobility.
A good school can change the trajectory of a child’s life. A bad school traps them in generational failure. Liberals claim to care about inequality—yet they defend the same failing systems that guarantee it.
Final Bell: What Happened to Schools?
Before 2000, school was a place to learn. Now, it’s a place to feel.
We traded knowledge for narrative. Standards for sensitivity. Teachers for therapists.
And who pays the price?
* The kids who can’t read or write
* The parents who are powerless
* The country that’s falling behind
We didn’t win WWII or land on the moon with participation trophies and identity seminars. We did it with discipline, excellence, and effort.
Real progress doesn’t come from protesting. It comes from building.