Last week, The Argument’s published a piece headlined ‘Illiteracy is a policy choice’ excoriating blue-state school systems that have let struggling students languish even as several red states have figured out how make dramatic improvements in teaching kids to read.
What makes this piece stand out is that, while The Argument is billed as a liberal outlet, it’s not hard to imagine the piece having been published The Free Press.
And, while acknowledging the media coverage that has been produced, it notes “saturation” coverage lavished on past pushes for education reform: “It still feels as if what’s taking place in the Deep South still has been grossly undersold,” writes journalist Kelsey Piper.
In this new interview, Piper describes her own experiences as a parent of a student enrolled in a local micro-school, explains how school reform might or might not fit in the “abundance” movement — and speculates why education journalists and traditional news outlets haven’t yet produced the saturation coverage that might be expected:
“I think a lot of people feel reluctant to write a story that makes the side they’re sympathetic to look bad,” says Piper, who adds that it takes a lot of proof for people to admit that Mississippi is relevant to what should be happening in other places. “They think of it as like somewhere else.”
Previously from The Grade
Who’s afraid of the Southern Surge?
How I missed the phonics story
What’s next for literacy coverage?
McLaren: Why reporting on literacy is so hard — and tips for making it easier
