Reading opens worlds — and NYC schools are getting it right

New York City public schools are doing something rare and important: Sticking with a good idea long enough to make it work.

Two years ago, toward the end of the 2022-23 academic year, Mayor Adams launched “NYC Reads,” a long-overdue course correction mandating the use of evidence-based, phonics-driven reading programs in every public elementary school in the city.

On Monday, he expanded the initiative to middle schools.

It’s an unambiguous win for children and families, and one that deserves support, patience and — most of all — permanence.

Reading is the single most important thing New York City’s schools need to get right.

In an age of rampant screen time, when a disproportionate share of the city’s public-school students grow up in low-income homes or where English isn’t the primary language, the stakes are even higher.

There is simply no educational equity, no opportunity and no meaningful learning without skilled and proficient reading.

For decades, literacy instruction in New York City was dominated by the romantic and discredited ideas of Columbia Teachers College professor Lucy Calkins.

Her “balanced literacy” approach rested on the belief that children learn to read naturally, just by exposure to books that interest them, using cues like pictures or context to guess unfamiliar words. One wag aptly dubbed it “vibes-based literacy.”

But reading is not a natural act: Children don’t learn to decode print the way they learn to speak.

The “science of reading” — a body of research drawing on cognitive science and linguistics — shows that systematic phonics and structured literacy instruction are essential, especially early on. Anything less is educational malpractice.

That’s what makes NYC Reads so critical. The city now mandates schools use one of three approved, evidence-based programs paired with explicit phonics instruction in early grades.

The program has already touched more than 350,000 city elementary-school students. Expanding it to middle schools ensures continuity and reaches students who may have missed out.

To be sure, not everyone is a fan. Some teachers complain that the mandated curricula aren’t sufficiently “culturally responsive,” or that students are less engaged with assigned texts than when choosing their own books.

But literacy is the first and last word in equity. Without it, nothing else in a child’s education is possible.

The resistance merely underscores how deeply rooted the old ways are — and how hard it is to get educators to let go of beliefs they were trained to hold dear.

Critics will ask whether these reforms are working. True, test scores haven’t soared — but that’s not concerning. In fact, if they had done so after just one full year in classrooms, it would be grounds for skepticism.

Language proficiency is a slow-growing plant. Phonics is essential, but it takes years (particularly for disadvantaged students) to build the sophisticated vocabulary and background knowledge across subjects that drives mature reading comprehension. 

There are no shortcuts or quick fixes. What matters is sticking with what works long enough for it to bear fruit.

The real challenge isn’t curriculum adoption, but implementation. You cannot overstate how hard it is to change classroom practice.

For years, New York City teachers were steeped in the Calkins philosophy. They didn’t just use her materials; they believed in them.

Retraining tens of thousands of teachers means unlearning deeply held convictions, along with adopting new tools.

That’s why implementation matters as much as the policy itself. Department of Education staff have been aggressively monitoring classrooms to ensure the new curricula are being used and instructional shifts are happening.

These are the early signs that NYC Reads is taking root, even before test data catch up. Encouragingly, the United Federation of Teachers has played a constructive role, supporting teachers through the transition and in professional development.

But the biggest threat to these reforms isn’t instructional — it’s political.

Adams is up for re-election this year, and NYC Reads is strongly associated with his administration.

If he loses, there’s a real risk the effort will be scrapped or sidelined by his successor.

New Yorkers should demand every mayoral hopeful commit to continuing these essential classroom reforms.

If a candidate hedges, it’s a red flag. The literacy status quo is indefensible in a city where fewer than half of third-graders read proficiently.

NYC Reads is a long game. If we’re serious about raising literacy rates, we need to sustain this effort across years, mayors and chancellors.

New York has made a promising start.

The worst thing we could do now is hit the brakes — or veer off-track.

Robert Pondiscio is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a former New York City public school teacher.