Teachers Sound the Alarm: Firsthand Accounts of Falling Literacy Across K–12 Classrooms

Teachers from across the United States — representing elementary, middle and high school classrooms — submitted short, firsthand observations describing a perceived decline in student literacy. Below are the contributors as submitted and lightly edited for clarity.

Contributors

• Anonymous, 50 — North Carolina — High School teacher
• Muhr, 49 — Illinois — High School teacher
• Anonymous, 41 — Teaches Grades 7–12
• Randy — High School teacher
• Anne, 41 — Los Angeles, California — Teaches Grades K–5
• Anonymous, 63 — (no location or grade specified)
• LO — Florida — Grade 7 teacher
• Mrs. V, 34 — Virginia — Teaches Grades K–5
• Anonymous, 52 — Chicago — Grade 4 teacher
• Ella, 30 — Maryland — High School teacher
• Elaine, 60 — West Virginia — Teaches Grades 6–7
• L Cotton, 66 — California — Teaches Grades 9–10
• Anonymous, 60 — California — Teaches Grades 6–7
• C, 42 — Indiana — High School teacher

What teachers reported: Contributors across grade levels and regions described observing lower literacy skills in their classrooms. These entries are brief, anecdotal accounts from educators in multiple states — not results from formal studies or district-wide assessments.

Note: Submissions were edited for length and clarity before publication. The observations reflect teachers' classroom experiences and perceptions rather than standardized research.

Many of the reports emphasize a broad concern: students are struggling with reading, writing and comprehension compared with teachers' expectations. While the collection does not quantify the problem, it highlights a recurring theme among educators working with different age groups and in varied settings.

Why this matters

Literacy is foundational to learning across subjects. When teachers notice consistent declines, it can point to changing instructional needs, gaps in early literacy support, or broader social factors that merit further study by schools and education researchers.

If you are an educator or parent seeing similar trends, consider discussing observations with your school leadership and requesting access to assessment data or literacy supports. Policymakers and researchers may also use these anecdotal signals to guide more rigorous study.