From Bari Weiss' Common Sense:

Consider the shocking fact that 65 percent of American fourth-grade kids can barely read. American Public Media’s Emily Hanford uncovers this sad truth with her podcast, Sold a Story. She investigates the influential education authors who have promoted a bunk idea and a flawed method for teaching reading to American kids. She exposes how educators across the country came to believe in a system that didn’t work, and are now reckoning with the consequences: Children harmed. Tons of money wasted. An education system upended.

Ideology was allowed lead the way in the classroom. Teaching "experts" have been experimenting with our kids using the "whole language" approach, prohibiting the tried and true method of phonics, a method that teaches children how to sound out their words. Many teachers were forced to use this unproven method and this hurt millions of children. For the full story, listen to this podcast featuring the reporting of Emily Hanford.