Testimony in the video may be genuine — a few voices are not evidence of a trend.
“A fifth-grade student stated they do not know how to read and neither does anyone in their class.”
As of April 2026, a significant majority of fifth-grade students in the US could read, with national average scores indicating proficiency at or above grade level.
Data from the 2025-2026 school year shows that the national average for fifth-grade reading on the i-Ready assessment is 498 in the Fall, with a Spring target of 545, indicating that most students are on track or above grade level. Furthermore, national assessments like NAEP in 2024 indicated that while a significant portion of fourth graders (69%) were reading below proficiency levels, it is highly improbable that every student in an entire fifth-grade class would be unable to read.
Judged as of Apr 25, 2026— the video's publish date
Teachers are leaving American classrooms due to a combination of factors including student behavior, inadequate pay, and poor work-life balance, with many warning about these conditions.
Mid-year teacher resignations due to harassment, bullying, and lack of administrative support are occurring in 2026.
Reports from April and May 2026 describe teachers being physically assaulted by students, including incidents involving punches and kicks.
While specific state laws vary, by May 2026, many states had implemented or were considering restrictions on disciplinary methods, including the use of detention, often in favor of alternative measures, and some states specifically restricted or prohibited corporal punishment.
As of early 2026, a significant portion of elementary school students in the U.S. were struggling with reading, a trend described as a "reading recession" that predated the pandemic and affected students across various school types.