It's declined because a generation of students was not taught to read because teachers decided that phonics was a conservative dog whistle. To not be associated

It's declined because a generation of students was not taught to read because teachers decided that phonics was a conservative dog whistle. To not be associated with George w Bush, they failed our children. There's really not much else to it. Laura Bush's push for literacy was well intentioned but she did not anticipate the anti phonics backlash that would ensue due to her husband's politics. The is not some kook take, yet no one talks about it in general discourse, despite plenty of reporting on it. Teachers unions and public schools in general, which typically lean left, have been fighting a war on phonics for several decades. My mother, who was a teacher herself, noted this. She was not born in the US, so didn't understand why it was seen as political to teach children sounding out words. https://www.forbes.com/sites/nataliewexler/2022/04/12/lets-not-make-phonics-political-again/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/nataliewexler/2022/04/12/lets-n... We have this idea in America that conservatives are dumb and want lower standards for education. Of course, figures like Trump totally substantiate this idea, but in reality, both sides are invested in making America stupider. Yes, Democrats attract more educated voters, but often times these voters are exceptional and their kids wouldn't suffer the same fate as a typical child. Until at least one party takes education seriously, nothing will change