Back To Basics: What Canadian Schools Can Learn From The “Mississippi Miracle"

We’re looking at what’s being called the “Mississippi Miracle,” where a struggling U.S. state boosted reading results by returning to traditional methods like explicit phonics instruction. It paired that with tougher accountability, including holding schools—and in some cases students—more responsible for meeting basic reading benchmarks. For this conversation, Evan is speaking with Michael Zwaagstra, vice-principal in southeastern Manitoba, deputy mayor of the City of Steinbach, and senior fellow with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.