Blue states, once education powerhouses, are crumbling under progressive policies. Oregon and Washington have seen sharper declines in reading and math scores for fourth- and eighth-graders from 2015 to 2024 than the national average, as City Journal reports. Meanwhile, red states like Mississippi and Alabama are rewriting the script with bold, results-driven reforms.
From 2015 to 2024, blue states tanked while red states soared in education outcomes. Democrat-led states like Oregon and California embraced "equity" over excellence, slashing standards and discipline, while Republican-led states doubled down on phonics, banned flawed teaching methods, and restored classroom order. The results speak louder than any progressive platitude.
Back in 2013, Mississippi was scraping the bottom in national reading scores. Under Republican leadership, the state mandated teacher training in evidence-based reading methods. By 2024, Mississippi had climbed to the top ranks when adjusted for demographics, proving that hard work trumps excuses.
Mississippi’s 2013 reforms sparked a phonics renaissance. The state gained five points in fourth-grade reading and math scores by 2024, while eighth-grade scores held steady against national declines. Blue states, stuck on the "whole language" bandwagon, watched their scores plummet.
In 2014, California banned suspensions for "willful defiance" in K-3 classrooms, citing racial disparities. The policy, expanded to middle and high schools by 2024, gutted discipline and left teachers powerless. Red states, by contrast, empowered educators to maintain order and focus on learning.
Oregon’s 2021 decision to eliminate high school graduation standards was a low point. Claiming standards harmed minorities, the state lowered the bar for everyone. This "equity" experiment coincided with Oregon’s math and reading scores dropping faster than the national average.
Progressive districts such as San Francisco attempted to adopt "equitable grading" policies. By deemphasizing tests and deadlines, they’ve created a system where effort is optional, and excellence is an afterthought. Red states, meanwhile, use test scores to identify and support struggling students, not to coddle them.
Arkansas took a stand in 2021, banning the ineffective "three-cueing system" for reading. Louisiana followed suit in 2022, aligning curricula with proven methods. These red-state reforms have stabilized scores while blue states chase ideological fads.
Alabama stands out as the only state to fully recover from pandemic-era math losses. By 2024, the state passed laws giving teachers the authority to remove disruptive students. This no-nonsense approach has restored focus and boosted achievement.
Red states have spent the past decade strengthening school safety and discipline. Republican-led reforms prioritize classrooms where learning, not chaos, reigns. Blue states, with their lax policies, have turned schools into battlegrounds for progressive experiments.
Louisiana defied national trends by maintaining steady scores from 2015 to 2024. By banning flawed teaching methods and sticking to evidence-based curricula, the state held its ground. Blue states, distracted by "equity" agendas, couldn’t keep up.
In California, the push for "equitable" policies has dismantled honors classes and lowered grading standards. These changes, meant to close gaps, have widened them instead. Students are left unprepared, and teachers are left frustrated.
Red states like Mississippi and Arkansas have returned to phonics-based reading instruction. The "whole language" approach, long championed by progressives, has been exposed as a failure. Scores don’t lie, even if blue-state leaders wish they did.
Alabama’s use of test scores to support struggling students is a model of accountability. Unlike blue states, which soften standards to mask failure, Alabama confronts challenges head-on. The result is a state leading the nation in math recovery.
The education gap between red and blue states is stark. Progressive policies have eroded discipline, standards, and achievement in Democrat-led states, while Republican-led states have embraced reforms that deliver results. The scoreboard shows who’s serious about education -- and who is just posturing.
