Kindling a Fire: Good News in Education

I often address weighty topics in this column – troubling statistics about learning outcomes, concerning trends in childhood development, and cultural issues in need of urgent collective attention. And for good reason; education faces many challenges these days, often downstream of larger societal concerns. But in the spirit of the holidays, I want to do something different with this month’s column. Today, I’m sharing three pieces of good news in education. After all, there are plenty of successes to celebrate, even amidst the many real ordeals. So here are three reasons for optimism:

1) The “Mississippi Miracle”
A little over a decade ago, Mississippi made a series of decisions about early literacy that seem obvious in retrospect but nevertheless remain controversial for some. They committed to what’s often called “structured literacy,” which implements strategies that have been well supported by cognitive science research for years. But it has proved harder than one might expect for schools to adapt to the basics of brain science rather than follow the latest trends from education conferences. In particular, Mississippi’s approach rejected the “whole language” theory of literacy that prevailed at many schools for decades. Instead, they sought out a more phonics-heavy “science of reading” curriculum.

The outcome of this change has been one of the most encouraging stories in American education. Mississippi’s fourth grade reading results have climbed from the bottom of national rankings to above the national average. No state has made more progress in basic educational outcomes than Mississippi, despite it being one of the poorest states in the union. In fact, fourth graders in Mississippi now materially outperform fourth graders in California, despite far fewer resources (California spends about $7,000 more per student than Mississippi). We can all hope that more states will learn from this remarkable turnaround, even if it is politically divisive.

2) Risky teen behaviors are down
Another data point that may be surprising to readers: Many risky teen behaviors have been trending downward for years. Fewer teens smoke (even marijuana and vaping trendlines point down). Fewer binge-drink. Fewer get behind the wheel of a car after drinking. Teen pregnancy rates are dramatically lower than a generation ago. While teenagers certainly have no shortage of challenges today, most of the life-altering concerns of a generation ago have declined substantially.

To be fair, two things can be true at the same time. First, this trend is good news. Second, the declines coexist with new challenges we worry about: loneliness, anxiety, and more time on screens and less in the real world. There is no doubt that some of the decline in risk-taking by teens is attributable to the decline in childhood independence caused by technology.

Still, credit is due for improved life outcomes. Schools have played a role through evidence-based health curricula, strong extracurriculars, partnerships in driver safety and public health, and counseling that is both accessible and normal – not a punishment or a stigma. Parents and society as a whole have also stepped up their work on these important issues. The result is not utopia, but it is a better baseline from which young people can make wise choices.

3) Bullying has declined, even with the rise of social media
Another durable improvement: Compared with the early 2010s, fewer students report being bullied at school. The line isn’t perfectly smooth – pandemic closures disrupted everything, and as campuses reopened, reports ticked up a bit – but the long arc points downward. Cyberbullying is unfortunately real and painful, but even it hasn’t erased the progress in day-to-day school climate.

There are many explanations for these trends. More teachers are better trained to spot patterns early. More students are given clearer pathways to report problems. School culture programs have shown real success. And violent crime in America has generally declined over the past three decades.

None of this prevents every unkind moment. Anyone with children today will vouch for the fact that bad behavior remains an unavoidable element of childhood, and that the digital world amplifies it. But it is fair to say that many schools are safer and kinder than they were twenty years ago.

As we head into the holidays, I’m grateful for the faculty, staff, coaches, administrators, and parents who make these quiet victories possible through their courage and commitment. These stories don’t often trend on social media or make splashy headlines. But they result in children learning to read better, teens making safer choices, and schools becoming kinder places to grow up. That’s worth celebrating. Happy holidays.

"Kindling a Fire" is a column submitted regularly to Indian Hill Living by Head of School Rob Zimmerman '98. This ran in the December 2025 edition of the publication.