OCTOBER 28, 2026 NEWSLETTER
Welcome to THINC Foundation’s newsletter! Published semi-monthly, it contains our views on issues relating to ideology, including liberated ethnic studies, in K-12 schools, as well as relevant news articles and timely calls to action.
Reading Has to Come First
By Mitch Siegler, Founder
On October 15, the California Department of Education released this year's statewide test results. Scores rose modestly in every subject, which is welcome news. But the numbers are still cause for alarm; according to the state's press release, just 49.3% of students tested at or above “proficient” in English language arts. Translation: less than half of California's students can read and write at grade level. Yikes!
That metric should concern everyone who cares about American education.
At THINC, we believe ethnic studies, taught properly, has a place in K-12 schools. Students benefit from understanding the histories, hardships, and achievements of the people who built our country. That is why we are developing a constructive and unifying ethnic studies curriculum which showcases all that diverse students have in common rather than emphasizing those things – like their skin color or ethnicity – which divides them.
But teaching any subject requires recognizing a basic, straightforward fact: reading comes first.
It’s not “just” about English; reading proficiency is the linchpin of education and a foundational skill for our modern world. A student who struggles to read cannot possibly succeed in history, science, math (think word problems), ethnic studies, or virtually any subject.
A worthwhile ethnic studies class asks students to work with primary sources: the speeches of Frederick Douglass, the writings of Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II, the words of farmworkers who organized in California's fields, and so on. It asks them to weigh competing accounts, separate evidence from assertion, and reach their own conclusions.
None of that is possible for a student who can’t get through a basic text. You can’t think critically if you can’t read critically.
The same goes for respectful dialogue, which sits at the heart of THINC's approach. Discussing hard topics respectfully means having thought carefully about a subject and understanding what another person has communicated. It means listening carefully and responding with evidence. It means having a reasoned point of view, not one spoon-fed to you from someone else or dictated by emotion or a visceral reaction. Those are important skills that are the first cousins of literacy. A student who reads closely is better equipped to deal with complex and nuanced issues and to develop skills like critical thinking and disagreeing in an agreeable manner.
When students consume a primary source, discuss it with classmates, and develop an argument supported by evidence, they are practicing the very skills that reading and writing standards call for. Meaningful content also gives students a reason to read, and many reading researchers point to background knowledge as a key ingredient in comprehension.
That is the approach we are taking with our own high school ethnic studies curriculum: lessons grounded in primary sources, historical documents, and evidence, designed to have students read closely, discuss important topics and themes respectfully, and write with care.
California has not yet funded its ethnic studies graduation requirement, which leaves districts to decide for themselves how to proceed. As they weigh those decisions, we offer a simple principle: protect the fundamentals first. Make sure students can read. Then choose an ethnic studies course that builds on those skills and strengthens them, rather than one that takes them for granted.
Parents can help by asking a few questions about any ethnic studies course their child takes:
- Do students read primary sources and full texts, not just summaries?
- Are students asked to develop arguments supported by evidence?
- Are students graded on the quality of their reasoning rather than on agreement with a particular view, even the teacher’s view?
- Is there appropriate support for students who are still building their reading skills?
For more, see our parent checklists.
Our children's minds are open. Teaching them to read well is the surest way to keep them that way.
Quotes on the Importance of Literacy
“Reading is the gateway skill that makes all other learning possible, from complex word problems and the meaning of our history to scientific discovery and technological proficiency. And by the way, it’s what’s required to make us true citizens. In a knowledge economy where this kind of knowledge is necessary for survival, how can we send our children out into the world if they’re only reading at a 4th-grade level?”
“Literacy is the key to everything. If a child can read, they can access knowledge. They start to enjoy school.”
– Laura Rodriguez, Principal of Tracy Elementary School in Baldwin Park, CA
“[Literacy is] critical to math, science and social emotional learning. Everything circles back to reading. Eventually, there’s a shift from learning to read, to reading to learn. Literacy is the master key that unlocks every other room in the building.”
– Thomas Biggins, Loudoun County, Principal of Pennsylvania Avenue School in Atlantic City, NJ
Support Our Work
Our continued work depends on the generosity of people like you! Please consider making a contribution to THINC to fund our continued work advocating for constructive education in K-12 schools.
THINC Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is qualified to receive tax-deductible donations.
