‘We are Crippling Them’: Middle School Teacher Speaks Out After High School Teacher Broke Down Over Literacy Crisis—Her Students Can’t Read Either

A middle school teacher commented on the literacy crisis after a High School teacher recently broke down because his students couldn’t read or write basic spellings. It appears that her students are also in the same boat. 

@wickedwomenauthor responded to the high school teacher's viral video, which the Daily Dot previously reported.

She addressed claims of the alleged lack of literacy not considered “serious.” With tears in her eyes, she stated it was very real and very serious. The educator shared examples from her own experience to corroborate her claims. 

The content creator revealed she has 7th and 8th graders who struggle with spelling, punctuation, and using the right capitalization. Additionally, she noted their lack of knowledge in synonyms and said, “They don’t know how to make their language interesting and appealing. 

She also described a dispute with her principal that led to a ban on her classroom library, which the principal reportedly deemed 'inappropriate.' The educator suggested permission slips but was immediately shut down. 

Next, she asked her boss to look through the library to find something appropriate for the children. Instead of going through with it, the principal asked the teacher to do it instead. And so she spent her day off printing reader sheets for every single novel in the library. 

The Middle School Teacher Fumed…

Despite her efforts, the principal declared that not only are upper-grade YA books not allowed, but middle school books aren’t allowed either. The teacher highlighted that her students were being tested on 7th and 8th grade levels of literacy. 

But they were permitted to read only third- and fourth-grade books and sometimes lower. She said, “We are setting them up for failure by only allowing them to read up to a third-grade level and then testing them on seventh and eighth-grade concepts.” 

She added, “We blame them for failing and falling behind even though we are crippling them by not letting them read for enjoyment.” The woman mentioned that the issue isn’t with parental censorship, but rather a restriction of vital educational information. 

Lastly, she expressed her frustrations over being blamed as a teacher for a child falling behind or failing when she and others have been doing their best. Since sharing the story on TikTok, 173,000 people have viewed and reshared it on social media. 

@Outspoken_Sam is one such individual who shared it with followers on their X account. Her rant resonated with many fellow educators and commenters. One user noted, “Reading is the most critical thing a child can learn…It’s fundamental to growth and prosperity.”