Middle school teacher shares what’s causing literacy crisis after high school teacher’s emotional video went viral: ‘We are crippling them’

The literacy crisis in our schools is far more severe than many realize, and it is hitting the classroom level in ways that are genuinely alarming. As reported by Daily Dot, a middle school teacher recently took to TikTok to share her experiences, confirming that the struggle with basic literacy skills is not just a high school issue but one that starts much earlier. Her video, which has already reached 173,000 views, serves as a sobering look at how administrative decisions are directly impacting a student’s ability to succeed.

This educator, known as @wickedwomenauthor, decided to speak out after seeing a high school teacher post a viral video about his own students struggling with basic reading and writing. She wanted to clarify that these claims are not exaggerated or unserious. In her own classroom, she is seeing 7th and 8th graders who lack a firm grasp on punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. She noted that these students also struggle to find synonyms or make their language interesting in their writing.

The situation took a turn for the worse when she ran into significant friction with her principal regarding her classroom library. The principal decided to ban the books, labeling the collection as inappropriate. When the teacher suggested using permission slips to allow students access to the materials, she was shut down immediately. She even asked the principal to review the library to identify which books might be considered appropriate, but the principal declined and told her to do it herself.

She spent an entire day off work printing reader sheets for every single novel to comply with the request

After all that effort, the outcome was still discouraging. The principal decided that neither upper-grade young adult books nor standard middle school books were allowed in the classroom. This creates a massive disconnect for the students. These children are expected to pass state tests based on 7th and 8th-grade literacy levels, yet they are restricted to reading materials at a 3rd or 4th-grade level.

The teacher pointed out the absurdity of this reality by saying, “We are setting them up for failure by only allowing them to read up to a third-grade level and then testing them on seventh and eighth-grade concepts.”

She went on to state, “We blame them for failing and falling behind even though we are crippling them by not letting them read for enjoyment.” She made it clear that the problem is not about parents trying to censor content, but rather a systemic restriction of information that these students desperately need to grow.

The frustration is palpable when teachers are held responsible for students falling behind while their hands are tied by these kinds of policies. Her story resonated with many, including @Outspoken_Sam, who shared the video on X to highlight the situation. One commenter captured the sentiment perfectly by noting, “Reading is the most critical thing a child can learn…It’s fundamental to growth and prosperity.”