re: Teacher breaks down because students can't read or write.

Dude don't worry, they can always learn to code.

I’m sure it’s my fault somehow

I’d say it’s probably 20% your fault, and the remaining 130% is Trump’s fault.

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By your logic, paying teachers pennies on the dollar would really attract the best and brightest to a job no one wants.

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I don't think you understand his logic if that's your conclusion.

What he's saying is that you could pay teachers $8 million dollars a year and get all distinguished multiple PhDs, and it wouldn't make any difference.

And he's right.

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Would guess that 1/3 of the US population is functionally illiterate.

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Pretty much.

32% of American adults scored at or below Level 1 (low literacy) in literacy and an almost identical number scored at or below Level 1 in numeracy in 2023.

Here's a much more concerning statistic, though. In the same year, only 13% of American adults scored "proficient" in literacy.

So there's about a third who at best can only read at a low level and there's 13% who can read fluently, and the remaining 55% of American adults are somewhere between.

It's the fact that only 13% are proficient that stuns me.

Especially because at this point almost 36% of the adult population (over 25) have college degrees.

There is a substantial number of people walking around with college degrees who are not proficient in literacy.