High School Seniors Are Struggling To Read — It’s Time To Overhaul Our Education System

As a kid, I was a bit rambunctious. I talked a lot in class, acted up some, and didn’t always pay attention to the lesson. Halfway through 8^th grade my English teacher, Mrs. Hunt, told me something profound.

“You know, your classmates really look up to you. They see you as a leader. I bet if you paid attention in class more, you could teach them a thing or two,” she said.

That conversation changed my life. After that, I took my education seriously and tried to be the leader Mrs. Hunt thought I could be. Years later, I completed my doctoral degree in higher education. That conversation with Mrs. Hunt was a defining moment that put me on the pathway to academic and financial success.

This is not a unique story in America. Right after college, I was a middle school math teacher in a low-income community. I learned firsthand what Mrs. Hunt and so many other great teachers already knew — any kid can learn, regardless of zip code, race, income, or background. They just need great teachers who care about their future and an education bureaucracy that gets out of the way.

But right now, bad education policy has put our education system in crisis.

The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) — known as The Nation’s Report Card — paints a grim portrait of K-12 achievement nationwide. These results, the first comprehensive post-pandemic snapshot, reveal American students testing at historic lows across math, reading, and science. In 8th-grade science, only 31% scored proficient, marking the first decline since 2009. For 12th graders, only 22% are proficient in math — the lowest average score since 2005. Nearly two-thirds lack proficiency in reading.

At this critical juncture, as graduates step toward the workforce, military, or college, nearly half of seniors languish below basic educational levels.

NAEP scores aren’t just abstract numbers; they’re a call to action. Despite billions in federal spending on education and an unending list of programs, the achievement gap is widening, not closing. Low-income and minority students are falling further behind. (RELATED: More Students Accepted To College Despite Declining Readiness In Math, Reading) 

Success, it turns out, isn’t about how much money is shoveled into the system, but who controls it and where it’s invested. Top-down mandates from Washington often miss the mark, treating individual classrooms as one-size-fits-all factories. Our current approach is failing. American kids deserve better.

I believe we can get there. Senator Tim Scott often says, “education is the closest thing to magic.” Right now, we’ve got a lot of parents in America desperately trying to pull a rabbit out of a hat while the federal education bureaucracy stymies their efforts.

But help is on the way.

Under President Trump’s leadership, with Education Secretary Linda McMahon at the helm, federal government overreach in education will finally be a thing of the past. I am thankful that President Trump and Secretary McMahon are empowering states, local communities, and parents to innovate and tailor education to students’ needs. Initiatives like expanded school choice, block grants to states, and accountability measures prioritize local innovation over bureaucratic bloat. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Government Overreach Is Fueling Education Crisis, Report Says) 

This isn’t just rhetoric; it’s a revolution returning power to those who know our kids best: loving parents, trusted teachers, and invested communities.

Today’s @NAEP_NCES 12th grade math and reading and 8th grade science scores confirm a devastating trend: American students are testing at historic lows.

Nearly HALF of America’s high school seniors are testing at below basic levels in math and reading. The status quo is… pic.twitter.com/FMxGX5cu66

— Secretary Linda McMahon (@EDSecMcMahon) September 9, 2025

Our state financial officers have been leading the charge in this fight, wielding their financial oversight roles like gardeners pruning dead plants to foster growth.

In Kentucky, Auditor Allison Ball’s comprehensive audit of the state Department of Education exposed inefficiencies, including wasteful spending on non-essential programs and millions of dollars of lapsed funding. Her work has paved the way for targeted reforms that could ensure every dollar serves students.

Oklahoma Auditor Cindy Byrd has fearlessly audited school districts like Tulsa Public Schools, uncovering embezzlement while advocating for changes to safeguard taxpayer funds and prevent future mismanagement.

Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee has spent a career championing educational freedom, including leading a task force that mandates high school courses on personal finance and promoting the AZ529 Education Savings Plan, empowering families to build wealth for college without debt traps.

In West Virginia, Treasurer Larry Pack has expanded school choice innovation, while prudently adjusting budgets to increase resources for families pursuing customized learning pathways.

I am personally committed to this fight because I have three kids five and under. How we solve the complex problems of educational freedom and opportunity will directly impact my own children and my community. But as Americans, we should all care deeply about this issue. As a nation, we should want the same things for everyone: strong families, good jobs, safe neighborhoods, and great schools. That is the best way to keep the American Dream within reach for everyone. As Mrs. Hunt would say, if we paid attention, we could teach a thing or two.

Dr. OJ Oleka is the CEO of the State Financial Officers Foundation and holds a doctorate in Leadership and Higher Education.