The Recorder’s Nov. 27 headline, “Plan falls short of goals,” is such an understatement concerning the state’s Student Opportunity Act, passed in 2019.

As a 77-year-old white woman living in the poorest and whitest county in Massachusetts, I’d suggest the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has a long way to go in its retrospection. That Black poor performance is even mentioned shows the political bias or political silliness, as if Franklin County did not exist. And it gets worse.

Why have we not listened to our best and brightest teachers these last 30 years about phonics? As someone who has been mocked since 1995, I can write as a grandmother who observes (and loves) children. A child who is not reading by third grade with his peers starts to feel stupid. And worse then, in fourth grade is ashamed, embarrassed and hurt and then must endure remedial work.

The child does not need remediation, but our system does. For example, does a preschooler or even an incoming kindergarten student know their full name, address, telephone number, is able to hop on one foot, know colors, how/where parents work, how to count to 10? All these or similarly posed questions give a good indication of a child’s readiness to learn. Waiting until third grade is too late.

Our whole system needs clear, fresh eyes. That is apparent by the statement in the news story, “after years of excellence, issues began to arise.”

“Issues began to arise.” Passive language, guarantees no responsibility.

My age contemporaries were behind the 1993 Education Reform Act. How many are still there who have now discovered “accountability?”

As a 1978 UMass graduate, I learned that any new program has three parts: development, implementation and evaluation. I brought that knowledge to Mohawk as a School Committee member when we were informed at a September School Committee meeting that our elementary schools were implementing a new math program. I asked all the elementary principals to report back to us in January if they thought it was working as expected (by them), as a halfway measure was reasonable. At the next January meeting I did ask and every principal responded, “Fine.” Trust me, that arrogance is still there.

Our experts get it wrong frequently on so many issues, but a year wasted at the elementary level is disastrous.

Not only do experts get it wrong, we are now seeing old, failed ideas repackaged. However, our educational leaders have been silent on most of the social and emotional problems they encounter every day. Anything they say now sounds like excuses.

Our educational system has become institutionalized and all that implies. Without good questioning and listening to your critics, we end up with dying systems that no amount of money can fix. I wonder if there were an ongoing dialogue, much of this would not surprise the voters. Perhaps a superintendent’s report to a school committee with data on:

■Number of new students exposed to drugs in utero?

■How many preschoolers with limited vocabulary but able to drop the f-bomb?

■How many physical attacks by students on other students or teachers?

■How much money was spent on consultants?

Please note I did not say names. Our public has no real idea of what is happening in our schools. Regular accountability prevents surprises.

But back to education. Our overall society does not read much and that includes newspapers. Emojis express our feelings. Also, will a third grade reading level become the new minimum? Will books only be auditory? If not, why not? If upon listening a student can discern a story, why not?

Will all the classics be graphic novels (or comic books, depending upon your age)? Will voting require an artificial intelligence chip? What about hands-on learning, perhaps in farming? What questions do you have? When we collectively fail, flounder, or flop, it is our children who suffer.

I attended 12 years of all-girl classes where it never occurred to me not to question. For me that is the difference between assertive and aggressive! What do you think?

Be assertive for your children and grandchildren.

Marguerite Willis lives in Charlemont.