No Child Left Behind is one of the worst things to ever be incentivized in schools. It was signed into law when I was 14. Reading Rainbow was my show as a kid. LeVar Burton played a big part in why I became an avid reader to date. The joy of it. It’s an adventure around the globe and through different time periods without stepping on a plane or time machine.
Children parrot behavior. In grade school, I always wanted to read the same amount of books as my teachers (50 books) and managed to double that each year. Before No Child Left Behind, book fairs and Scholastic catalogs were a serious matter like your grandma’s Fingerhut catalogs. Libraries were (and still are) a wonderland.
Reading comprehension and proficiency in schools has been declining for decades. A crisis. The joy of books isn’t pushed anymore and I’m always saddened by it. It’s one of the reasons why I post my book reviews and recommendations on here, as well as posts from others to encourage reading and (novel) writing. Kids will parrot your behavior while the education system sadly fails to return as that example.
It’s so infuriating to see that absolutely no one has learned anything from the Tory/ Megan incident. To see people still somehow running defense for Keke’s abuser is nothing short of disturbing. Even after we saw the stills of him attacking her. And I’m sure there are people who will try and defend Puff even though these stories have been out about him for years now. But this is the fucked up society we live in. And we wonder why terrible people keep getting away with shit. It’s because no one holds them accountable. Not the system, not their circle and not the public. I stand with Megan, Keke, Cassie and every woman who have been traumatized not only by their abusers but also by the culture that shame’s them for speaking truth to power.
