XPost: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, alt.computer.workshop   
   From: tg@hmn.com   
      
   Promises Promises wrote:   
      
   >"These Three Red States Are the Best Hope in Schooling"   
   >   
      
   They raise them illiterate and ignorant in the US 'red states' where the   
   average education is grade 6 elementary.   
      
      
      
   Blue States vs. Red States and The Real Story Behind America's Education   
   Divide   
      
   by Jeremy Calder | Jun 13, 2025 | Education   
   Blue States vs. Red States and The Real Story Behind America's Education   
   Divide   
      
   When a Republican criticizes the state of American education by pointing to   
   poor literacy, math skills, and "fake histories", the conversation often   
   ignores a critical truth: the United States does not have a single, unified   
   education system. Instead, we have 50 different ones, each largely shaped   
   by state governments.   
      
   When we examine the data, a clear pattern emerges. Blue states,   
   particularly those with strong Democratic leadership and robust teacher   
   unions, consistently outperform their red-state counterparts in educational   
   outcomes. The national averages are low not because of the blue states, but   
   in spite of them.   
      
   Five key points from the article:   
      
   Educational outcomes in America vary significantly by state, with blue   
   states like Massachusetts consistently ranking among the best in the   
   country and the world, while red states often underperform in reading,   
   math, and graduation rates.   
      
   The national average in education is dragged down by red states, which   
   typically spend less per student, offer lower teacher pay, have weaker   
   support systems, and offer fewer early childhood education programs.   
      
   Republican-led states have actively undermined public education by slashing   
   budgets, promoting privatization through charter schools and vouchers, and   
   attacking teachers' unions, which lowers educational outcomes rather than   
   improving them.   
      
   There is a strong link between teacher treatment and student performance:   
   blue states tend to pay teachers better, offer stronger union protections,   
   and retain more experienced educators, which contributes to higher academic   
   achievement.   
      
   When blue states are compared to global standards, they perform well, often   
   matching or exceeding countries like Japan, Canada, and the Netherlands,   
   while red states' poor performance is the primary reason the U. S. lags in   
   international education rankings.   
      
   The Misunderstood Role of Democrats and Teachers   
      
   It's often pointed out, correctly, that most teachers vote Democrat and   
   that teachers' unions overwhelmingly support Democratic candidates.   
   Republicans use this as a rhetorical weapon: if Democrats love education so   
   much, why is the country failing at it?   
      
   But this line of attack deliberately overlooks the fact that education is   
   primarily a state responsibility. When we separate the data by state   
   governance, red vs. blue, the picture becomes clearer: states with   
   Democratic leadership tend to have better-funded schools, higher teacher   
   pay, more robust support services, and better educational outcomes across   
   the board.   
   The Data Speaks: Blue States Outperform   
      
   Let's start with the numbers. The National Assessment of Educational   
   Progress (NAEP), often referred to as the "Nation's Report Card, "   
   consistently shows states like Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut,   
   Vermont, and Minnesota, all blue states, ranking at or near the top in   
   reading, math, and science.   
      
   Eighth-grade math scores in Massachusetts, for example, regularly rival   
   those of high-performing countries like Japan and South Korea. In fact, if   
   Massachusetts were its own country, it would be one of the best-educated   
   nations in the world. The same is true for reading and science in states   
   like New Jersey and Connecticut.   
      
   In contrast, many red states fall near the bottom of these rankings. States   
   like Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, West Virginia, and Oklahoma   
   frequently underperform in every major academic category, with lower   
   proficiency rates in reading and math and higher high school dropout rates.   
   These states also spend significantly less per pupil, have weaker early   
   childhood education programs, and provide less access to qualified   
   teachers.   
   Ideology, Underfunding, and the Red State Drag   
      
   One of the reasons red states underperform is that many have pursued   
   policies that actively undermine public education. Several Republican-led   
   states have cut education funding drastically over the past two decades.   
   According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, at least 25 states   
   spent less on education in 2022 than they did before the 2008 recession,   
   after adjusting for inflation, and most of those are GOP-controlled.   
      
   Furthermore, red states have pushed for privatization through charter   
   schools and voucher programs, often diverting public funds from already   
   under-resourced public schools. While these programs are touted as giving   
   parents "choice, " they have not been shown to produce better academic   
   outcomes and often leave behind the students who need the most help.   
      
   Add to this the frequent attacks on teachers' unions and the rewriting of   
   history curriculums to avoid uncomfortable truths about race, slavery, and   
   social justice, and it becomes clear that many red states are prioritizing   
   ideology over evidence-based education.   
   Teacher Pay and Student Outcomes   
      
   There is also a strong correlation between how states treat their teachers   
   and how well their students perform. According to data from the National   
   Education Association, blue states tend to offer higher teacher salaries,   
   better benefits, and stronger union protections. These states also have   
   lower teacher turnover and more experienced educators in the classroom.   
      
   Red states, by contrast, often pay teachers poorly and restrict union   
   activities. This leads to higher attrition rates, more reliance on   
   underqualified teachers, and worse outcomes for students. If you want   
   quality education, you need quality teachers, and quality teachers are more   
   likely to stay in systems that value and compensate them.   
   The Global Comparison   
      
   It's also telling that when you compare individual blue states with global   
   benchmarks, they stack up remarkably well. Massachusetts, for example,   
   scored above the international average in reading and math on the Program   
   for International Student Assessment (PISA), which evaluates education   
   systems worldwide. New Jersey, Connecticut, and Vermont also hold their own   
   against countries like Canada, the Netherlands, and Singapore.   
      
   But when the performance of low-ranking red states is included in the   
   national average, the United States as a whole drops in global rankings.   
   The reality is that our international underperformance isn't because of the   
      
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