January 29, 2025, Boston, MA—Keri Rodrigues, the president of the National Parents Union, released a statement on the 2024 NAEP Scores:
“This is a national disgrace.
Today’s NAEP scores confirm what parents have been sounding the alarm on for years—our education system is failing, and our leaders are letting it happen. Despite an unprecedented $190 billion in federal investment meant to accelerate learning recovery, too many states have nothing to show for it except worsening outcomes. Our children are falling further behind, and no one in power seems to care.
We are demanding action. It’s time to stop pretending that ‘business as usual’ is acceptable—because these results are a disaster. We need to follow the lead of states and districts that have done well and ensure that others emulate them. States have been handed billions, yet remain out of compliance with federally mandated improvement plans while student performance plummets. Congress must step up and fulfil its duty to provide oversight and launch a full investigation into how this money was spent.
The data is damning:
No More Excuses: This Decline Began Before the Pandemic
The pandemic didn’t cause this crisis—it only made it worse. There have been times in our nation’s history when states made steady progress on the NAEP, and gaps between disadvantaged children and their peers narrowed. These gains were the result of political courage and policies that disrupted the status quo.
We know that improvement is possible right now. States like Louisiana, Maryland, Indiana, Tennessee, Colorado, and Mississippi have shown that when leaders take action, kids can make progress. But too many other states have squandered resources, failed to implement real solutions, and left our children to sink.
We Demand Action Now
The lack of urgency among policymakers to address these glaring inequities is unacceptable. The failure to acknowledge, much less address, these dismal student outcomes is appalling.
States and school districts must prioritize proven strategies to accelerate student learning, including:
We will not stand by while another generation of children is left behind because our elected officials lack the backbone to act.
We demand the following, immediately:
We refuse to let politicians – and the system they are responsible for – continue to get away with failing our children. Parents will fight like hell to make sure our kids get the education they deserve. Washington has been consumed by divisive debates that do nothing to address the real crisis facing America’s children.
What’s Next
The Trump administration has a critical opportunity to lead—not by engaging in culture wars, but by focusing on the urgent need to get our students back on track. Instead of battles over books and conflicts with educators, we need a national strategy to ensure states are delivering on their responsibility to provide every child with a high-quality education. This is a moment for bold leadership—one that prioritizes student success over politics and puts real solutions on the table to accelerate learning recovery.
We are watching. And we will not stop until every child in America has access to the high-quality education they have been promised.”
ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARENTS UNION
With more than 1,800 affiliated parent organizations in all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, the National Parents Union is the united, independent voice of modern American families. We channel the power of parents into powerful policies that improve the lives of children, families and communities across the United States. https://nationalparentsunion.org/