I’m so frustrated with the apathy!

I started Literature Circles this week with my 8th graders and the pushback about having to read every night is absolutely fucking ridiculous. Mind you, they are separated by reading level (via iReady data) and given a book that they can access. I got so fed up with the whining and just brazen rudeness (the AUDACITY I have as their English teacher to - GASP - make them read!!!) that I spiraled into a full-blown lecture about the 2024 results of the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) and how 8th graders are reading at the lowest levels in 30 years. Most of them actually seemed shocked/surprised - I had a couple kids in that class that had been randomly selected to take the NAEP so it definitely “hit home”. The kids that found this funny and decided to crack jokes (my lowest 3rd grade readers - surprised?) just added fuel to the fire. I told the class “unfortunately, a handful of you might not graduate high school and you can’t get a job without a GED or high school diploma” (this was probably mean but I was so pissed off at this point, I didn’t care)

Student 1: “There’s always adult school” Me: “Great idea, MORE school! Because you’re already doing so well” (heavy sarcasm)

Student 2: “I’ll just work at Dollar Tree” Me: “You need a diploma, sorry”

Student 3: “I’ll just join the fucking Air Force” Me: “Still need a diploma, sorry”

My husband says I care too much, but I think it’s more of a general discontent with the pervasive apathy in our society and the lack of priority in American education. Teachers are constantly attending professional development and trainings to improve our skills for the benefit of our learners. Meanwhile, our students get more and more apathetic. Then we’re sent to even MORE professional development about how to “engage” students and it’s this continuous cycle of doing the most while they do the least. And ultimately, they get passed along through the system even though they’re not anywhere close to meeting standards.

How can we change the culture?! It feels like Americans are just getting dumber and dumber and there’s no way to reverse the course.