Pointing out that America is "struggling right now with the lowest reading scores since the 1980s," Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich says, "We really need to put the focus back on the basics and work with students to help them unleash their full potential."
To address low scores and other problems in education, some people and politicians push for more funding. In fact, $800 billion is spent on public education annually, but only 19 out of every 100 low-income fourth-grade students are reading at grade level.
Ryan Walters, state superintendent of public instruction in Oklahoma, has stated that he is "proud to work with Moms for Liberty" in observing Teach Kids to Read Week, which runs October 1-7 this year.
"My Back to Basics initiative directs key resources to early literacy, focusing on student outcomes," Walters posted Monday on X.
In a related Facebook post, Moms for Liberty calls literacy "the great equalizer." Descovich encourages people to share the graphics and statistics about "all types of things that are happening in public education … and use the hashtag #TeachKidsToRead."
Also this week, Moms for Liberty filed a federal lawsuit to find out if federal agencies are working with the Southern Poverty Law Center – the self-appointed authority on "hate" – to target and discredit the group for rallying parents who are concerned about what their kids are being taught in public schools in place of the basics.
