Posts tagged ExcelinEd
Op-ed: The case against teachers’ unions, and for school choice
September 23, 2026 // The latest evidence came last week from, ironically, the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI), a center-left think tank. Their study found that Democrat-run states with school systems represented by strong teachers’ unions have lower student literacy levels. Conversely, Republican-majority states with weak teacher union representation, were among the states with the highest literacy rates. They include Mississippi, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina and Indiana. The study was conducted by Rachel Canter, PPI's Director of Education Policy, who spent nearly two decades in Mississippi, whose students historically scored among America's lowest literacy rates.
Blue states with strong teachers’ unions have lower student literacy levels: study shows
September 17, 2026 // And Canter’s study found one overwhelming and shocking throughline — the stronger the state’s teachers’ union the worse its student literacy scores were, results which did not exclusively follow party lines but strongly trended that way and often to the detriment of Democrats. “Democrats, however, don’t often ask me how to replicate Mississippi’s success,” Canter said. “They ask if it’s possible at all, given the power of teachers’ unions in their home states.” One reason for the disparity, Canter argued, is that states where teacher unions have a strong grip are slower to enact better programs.