<\/p>\n
For more than fifty years, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has shown the same troubling pattern: fourth\u2011grade students across America consistently test as non\u2011proficient<\/em> in skills they should have mastered in third grade. Despite the dedication of teachers, children who cannot read continue to be passed into fourth grade unprepared, and the cycle repeats year after year.\n<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Much of this failure traces back to the late 1800s, when John Dewey\u2019s philosophy of \u201cmaking learning fun\u201d replaced phonics with whole\u2011word recognition and contextual guessing. These ideas eventually evolved into \u201cwhole language\u201d and \u201cbalanced literacy,\u201d methods that dominated American classrooms for nearly 130 years. Even as evidence mounted that these approaches were ineffective, powerful labor unions and entrenched education schools continued producing curricula rooted in Dewey\u2019s theories, leaving public schools with few alternatives.\n<\/p>\n This broken system might have continued indefinitely\u2014except<\/em> for a handful of courageous governors who refused to accept generational failure. These leaders not only promised reform; they funded it, enforced it, and stood firm against union pressure, resistant school districts, and educators who had never been trained in effective reading instruction. Their leadership sparked a reading revival.\n<\/p>\n The turning point came on September 7, 2001, when Governor Jeb Bush issued Executive Order 01\u2011206 and declared, \u201cJust Read, Florida!<\/em>\u201d He made phonemic awareness and structured literacy the foundation of Florida\u2019s reading instruction and vowed, \u201cFlorida will ensure every child will learn to read\u2014no exceptions!<\/em>\u201d\n<\/p>\n The Florida Legislature backed these reforms by supporting the Science of Reading, funding reading remediation, and implementing third\u2011grade retention for students not reading at grade level.\n<\/p>\n Before Bush\u2019s reforms, Florida\u2019s NAEP Grade 4 reading score was 208<\/strong> (1992), placing the state near the bottom nationally. Today, Florida ranks 10th<\/strong> in the nation with a score of 218<\/strong> (2024). The state saw long\u2011term gains, especially among low\u2011income students\u2014proof that structured literacy works.\n<\/p>\n In 2013, Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant signed the Literacy\u2011Based Promotion Act<\/strong>, making Mississippi one of the first states to legally require phonics\u2011based Science of Reading instruction statewide. Bryant made literacy a top priority, championing evidence\u2011based reading practices, implementing third\u2011grade retention, and allocating $15 million annually<\/strong> to train and deploy reading coaches across the state.\n<\/p>\n Under his leadership, Mississippi enforced Science\u2011of\u2011Reading standards with uncommon consistency. The results were historic: Mississippi rose from 50th<\/strong> in the nation in fourth\u2011grade reading to top\u2011ten<\/strong> status\u2014a transformation widely known as the \u201cMississippi Miracle.\u201d<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n In 2019, Texas Governor Greg Abbott oversaw the passage of House Bill 3<\/strong>, which required all K\u20133 teachers to complete Science\u2011of\u2011Reading training through the Texas Reading Academies. The state strengthened intervention systems for struggling readers and hired reading coaches to provide intensive support.\n<\/p>\n Unlike Mississippi and Florida, Texas did not pass a single sweeping literacy bill. Instead, Governor Abbott implemented a multi\u2011year, multi\u2011policy approach that steadily reshaped reading instruction statewide. The results are clear: Texas has seen measurable improvement in STAAR reading scores, including significant gains among English\u2011language learners. The Science of Reading is working.\n<\/p>\n Florida\u2019s retention policy was a major driver of its early literacy gains. Mississippi\u2019s retention law became the catalyst for its dramatic turnaround. Texas implemented similar policies and saw measurable improvement.\n<\/p>\n Across all three states, one theme stands out: strong governors and legislatures willing to stand firm<\/strong>. These leaders prioritized literacy even when unions resisted, and local districts pushed back. Legislatures funded teacher training, reading coaches, and remediation programs. Governors insisted on accountability and refused to compromise with ineffective methods.\n<\/p>\n The NEA and AFT have long opposed retention and favored balanced literacy over phonics. Yet Florida, Mississippi, and Texas pressed forward anyway\u2014choosing children\u2019s futures over institutional preferences.\n<\/p>\n The literacy gains in Florida, Mississippi, and Texas are not anomalies. They are evidence that the right policies, backed by courageous leadership, can reverse decades of decline. These reforms are not experimental or expensive. They are grounded in science, supported by data, and proven in practice.\n<\/p>\n Every state in America could adopt this model. Every child in America deserves the chance to read. And every leader in America should be willing to stand firm\u2014even when unions resist\u2014to protect the future of the next generation.\n<\/p>\n As believers, we know literacy is more than an academic skill. It is the doorway to Scripture, to truth, and to the ability to discern the world around us. A child who cannot read is vulnerable, academically and spiritually.\n<\/p>\n Pray for governors, legislators, and education leaders to champion reforms that work. Pray for courage to stand firm when unions oppose phonics\u2011based instruction or retention policies. Pray for teachers to be equipped and encouraged. And pray for children across America to receive the gift of literacy, the gift that opens every other door.\n<\/p>\n Florida, Mississippi, and Texas have shown us what is possible. Now it is time for the rest of the nation to follow their lead.\n<\/p>\n About the Author: Nancy Huff is an educator with a mission to equip believers to pray strategically for the Cultural Mountain of Education. She has authored Taking the Mountain of Education: A Strategic Prayer Guide to Transform America\u2019s Schools<\/strong>. She leads prayer groups to pray at key educational locations across the US. For additional information, go to: https:\/\/takingthemountainofeducation.com\/author\/nancyahuff\/. Photo Credit: Wavebreakmedia\/Getty Images Pro via Canva Business.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For more than fifty years, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has shown the same troubling pattern: fourth\u2011grade students across America consistently test as non\u2011proficient in skills they should have mastered in third grade. Despite the dedication of teachers, children who cannot read continue to be passed into fourth grade unprepared, and the cycle<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32152,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[236,1603,87,821,800],"class_list":["post-32151","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-prayer","tag-america","tag-learn","tag-reading","tag-revival","tag-states"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32151","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=32151"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32151\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/32152"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=32151"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=32151"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=32151"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Post a prayer for your state!<\/h4>\n
Florida Governor Jeb Bush Adopts the Science of Reading<\/h2>\n
Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant Adopts the Science of Reading<\/h2>\n
Texas Governor Greg Abbott Implements the Science of Reading<\/h2>\n
Retention: A Common Thread of Courage<\/h2>\n
The Role of Strong Political Leadership<\/h2>\n
Why This Matters for America<\/h2>\n
A Call to Prayer and Action<\/h2>\n
Share your prayers for children in schools across America below.<\/h4>\n