America’s students struggled during the pandemic, as shown by school test scores dropping to record lows nationwide. However, U.S. schools had been struggling even before school closures. For example, in 2013, Mississippi was ranked as the second-worst state for low-income student reading scores. Educators in the state decided to take matters into their own hands, and by 2022, Mississippi saw its rank rise to #2. Teacher and president of the Mississippi Association of Educators, Erica Jones, joins the Rundown to discuss how she and teachers in her state used phonics to revolutionize the old ways schools taught reading, how improved reading skills among students have led to better performances in all subjects, and how other educators and teachers can apply the strategies they're using in Mississippi to see similar positive results. The United States military is facing a major recruitment issue. As multiple reports have surfaced showing enlistment numbers growing stagnant, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth says it is unlikely that they will meet this year's projection of 65,000 new recruits. In an effort to offset this trend, both the Air Force and the Army are marketing the armed forces to legal immigrants, advertising it as a way to fast-track their citizenship. Retired Army Lieutenant General and Director of the Center for National Defense, Tom Spoehr, joins the podcast to talk about why nearly 70 percent of Americans are ineligible to serve, how the military is pursuing new recruiting tactics, and the correlation between the declining service numbers and the dwindling veteran population. Plus, commentary from host of OutKick’s Tomi Lahren is Fearless, Tomi Lahren. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices