An insider tells their truth about the Vicksburg Warren School District

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — The Vicksburg Daily News received this from a person who works in the District. We normally do not publish anonymous letters to the editor, but are making an exception with this one. Their name is known to the publisher of the Vicksburg Daily News, David Day.

Introduction

I wanted to address an issue. I am sending this anonymously because I work in the district. This issue has been heavy on my heart for a few years. In light of the recent issues: school choice and the dismantling of the department of education (state taking control) I feel I need to speak out. I am torn when it comes to the issue of school choice. I see both sides POV. Lawmakers are creating laws and policies based on what they are presented and told. Think about who is presenting information…. Teachers can’t freely talk about what is actually happening in schools and what reality looks like when policies and laws are implemented in our classrooms.

I have written something I feel every parent should know. It isn’t just about low-performing students. This issue impacts all students. Talk to college professors. They will tell you that students are entering college less prepared. College professors are being told the same thing. Give them grades to pass, lower the standards. Anyways here is my letter:

The Public Has No Idea How Many Students Are Passed Without Learning

The American public would be shocked if they truly understood what is happening inside today’s public-school classrooms—particularly in Mississippi. I am a VWSD teacher with two decades of experience. What I see daily inside classrooms is not what parents, taxpayers, or policymakers believe is happening.

Recently released data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has been widely reported to show that Mississippi ranks 16th in the nation. This headline has been celebrated and used as evidence that Mississippi schools are improving.

That is not what the data actually means. The NAEP does not assess all students. It tests a small, selected sample of students from each state. As a result, the ranking does not reflect how all Mississippi students are performing. Instead, it reflects how the highest-performing and most test-ready students in the sample performed when compared to similar students in other states.

In other words, Mississippi students as a whole are not ranked 16th in the nation. Mississippi’s highest-performing sampled students are ranked 16th. This distinction is rarely explained to the public.

The NAEP results do not capture the full student population—particularly students who are far below grade level, struggling readers, English Language Learners, or students with long-standing academic gaps. While NAEP serves an important purpose for national comparison, it does not reflect what teachers see every day in real classrooms.

Across Mississippi—and especially in communities like Vicksburg—there are students who sit in classrooms, breathing and present, yet not learning. They receive passing grades, move on to the next grade, and eventually graduate with a diploma despite being far below grade level in reading, writing, and math. The public has no idea how widespread this is.

Many students cannot read on grade level or read at all. Some cannot write a complete sentence or spell basic first-grade words. Others lack basic comprehension skills, yet are promoted year after year because failing students is discouraged or outright prohibited. Teachers are pressured—directly or indirectly—to pass students regardless of mastery.

Grades no longer reflect learning. They reflect compliance with policy. This is not education. It is social promotion disguised as progress.

Recently, a student who moved from another country was placed in my classroom. She does not speak, read, or understand English. I have zero training in her language, no English Language Learner (ELL) support, or instructional resources. Yet I am required to give her passing grades, even though she cannot meaningfully access the curriculum or understand instructional lessons that are taught.

This situation is not unique, nor is it limited to non-English-speaking students. It exposes a much larger truth: our education system prioritizes promotion over proficiency and graduation rates over readiness. Diplomas are losing their meaning. Employers assume graduates meet academic standards. Parents assume their children are prepared. Taxpayers assume accountability exists. In many cases, none of that is true. Public education cannot survive on denial.

Pushing students forward without ensuring they can read, write, or reason is not compassion—it is neglect. Celebrating selective data while ignoring daily classroom reality only deepens the problem. The public deserves honesty. Teachers deserve support. Students deserve real education—not automatic promotion.

Until accountability is restored, we are not educating students. We are passing them through a system that quietly fails them.