New York is facing a literacy crisis. Decades ago, the city embraced a failed way of teaching kids to read: “whole language.” Children were taught to guess words instead of sound them out.

The result: 72% of NYC fourth graders read below grade level, and one in five has dyslexia.

Despite some progress, too many classrooms are still stuck in the past. If we want to fix this, we need to ask the right questions — and demand real answers.

Here are 10 questions to guide the way ⬇️

1. Will our next Schools Chancellor be a literacy expert?
   👉 robertcarroll.nyc/literacy
   
   
2. What specific year-one reading targets will we hold the DOE to?
   
   
3. How should we build on or change the current NYC Reads plan?
   
   
4. Will early literacy be treated like a top-tier priority — on par with safety and housing?
   
   
5. How will schools be held accountable for reading results?
   
   
6. Will every child in grades K–2 get universal dyslexia screening?
   
   
7. Will every school have teachers trained in Orton-Gillingham methods?
   
   
8. How will students with disabilities get the services they need on time?
   
   
9. How can we make the special education process less adversarial for parents?
   
   
10. How will we invest in teacher training rooted in proven, evidence-based reading instruction?