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- [00:01]
Brett Cooper
Some things happen fast. Like a vacuum, finding your lost earring, a dog reacting to the word walk and settling up with friends. On the PayPal app. Send and receive money in seconds. Access your balance to send, shop, pay bills and more. Download the PayPal app to get started. An account with PayPal is required to send and receive money. A PayPal balance account is required to hold and use a balance. All right, guys, stop what you're doing. Pay attention. You need to watch this video because it is going viral for all of the right or wrong reasons, I guess because it is exposing that these American high schoolers do not know how to read. Just watch.
- [00:41]
Student
Read that index card for me. She wore a suit. Clothes that were. Who's this for? Extraordinary. But somewhat ger. Now explain what that means. I don't know. She were a sahet of clothes that were extraordinary. Whatever, bro. But somewhat. What does that mean? She wore a lot. Wait, she wore bro? I don't know, bro. Can you take the card back, please?
- [01:17]
Brett Cooper
All right, I don't know if we're going to be able to play the music that is actually playing behind this TikTok because of copyright issues, but if we can, you should know that it is like the most depressing piano music possible. And it just gets sadder and sadder as these kids, these high schoolers, most of them, I think, 11th and 12th graders, are unable to read one simple sentence. Well, I should say simple. It's a bit of an oddly constructed sentence. But the fact that most importantly, they don't even know the word extraordinary, probably the most common word in that entire sentence, is shocking. All right, so that video on TikTok has 17 million views on that platform alone. It has also gone viral over on X. It's gone viral on Instagram reels. And all of the comments across the board have unfortunately been like. People have come together to say, this is so wrong. We need to make a change. Somebody said, cancel that prom right now. Back to study hall. Another person said, wait, y', all, this ain't funny. No, it's not. It's dire. It is abysmal. These are upper level high school students who cannot read a single sentence. Not with sounding out words, not with context clues, nothing. Now, somebody else commented on TikTok and said, Gosh, I understand. And I get that that is a unique word. Silhouette gets a slight pass, but extraordinary. And then they put that meme, which is exactly how I felt watching that. Another person said, this is the result of AI online school and no Child Left Behind. And I would Also add that it is the result of overfunding and the politicization of our teachers unions and school districts around the country that care more about lining their own pockets and expanding their influence than actually helping students succeed. And not to black pill and fear monger like 90 seconds into this episode, but overarchingly, if you feel like you are safe, just, you know, blanket safety, sending your child to a charter school, a magnet school staff, think again. Because all of those students that you just watched in that video attend one that is a Philadelphia STEM charter school. So what I'm trying to say is that it really doesn't matter if your child attends a public school, a charter school, a private school, a magnet school, a STEM program, a private school. Across the board in this country, kids are still falling way behind. And what is so sinister is that the administrators who are in charge are covering it up with meaningless success statistics that are actually blaming the students. Let's talk about it. So allegedly, allegedly, after that video went mega viral again, 17 million views. The student who was recording the TikTok and posting it on his social media channels, he received pushback from the school. So last Friday he posted this on his personal Instagram story. He said, I would Post A Part 3, but the school board is trying to expel me, stop me from going to prom and stop me from walking at graduation. I don't know, chat. So rather than saying, ooh, this is really embarrassing that our students don't know how to read. No. They are now blaming the student for exposing it. The students allegations were further supported by this now viral Facebook post which brought attention to the school allegedly pursuing disciplinary action. And this person wrote that this black African American student is a senior that is foreign, with a strong academic record and a high gpa which reflects consistent dedication, responsibility and commitment to their education. To jeopardize their future at such a critical point over an activity that seems intended for a lighthearted engagement raises questions about fairness and proportionality in disciplinary action. The school is preparatory, charter school, high school, and the TikTok page is what the VEC. Please do something about this and if you have more information, please let me know. So all of this came to light Thursday and Friday of last week. I actually had no idea if this was a real story. I saw one X post about it. I saw the rumors about disciplinary action. I was like, this is crazy. There were no news articles written about it yet. So I shelved the story, hoping that more things would come out. And today they did. The school actually made a statement denying all of this saying that the student in question, the young man filming the videos, he is not facing expulsion. Now, they also did not share and said that they could not share if any other disciplinary actions are being taken. So they said, no, we're not trying to explain, but per federal law, we can't say what else we might be doing. Now, of course, that could mean that they aren't actually doing anything at all, or it could mean something different. So just take that as you will. Anyway, the student has not been deterred, and he has since posted two more similar videos. Take a look at these.
- [05:05]
Student
The behemoth eviscerated its victims in the depths of the labyrinth. What does that mean? What does what mean? The cart, it's giving the monster destroy the people. Well, the victims in the labyrinth, in the maze.
- [05:18]
Brett Cooper
Also, I'm just gonna pause here, because the TikTok language, the TikTok brain rot language is on full display. Rather than saying, this is what the sentence means, she said it's giving this. Now, the term, or I guess the phrase is it's giving, is supposed to be sort of about vibes. Like, oh, she's giving this, or it's giving X, Y and Z. You're using it to describe something. It shouldn't really be used when you were trying to rephrase what a sentence is saying. But also, it's TikTok brain rot. So just putting it out there.
- [05:42]
Student
Read the index card. The lethargic dog refused to relinquish his spot on the sofa. What does that mean? The energetic dog didn't want to get off the sofa. Anyone give up his spot? The latter lethargic dog refused. The lethargic dog refused to relinquish his spot on this. On a sofa. All right, what does that mean? I don't know, bro.
- [06:11]
Brett Cooper
My God. I mean, guys, it's so painful. It is so, so incredibly painful. Now, somebody commented on that last video and said, okay, well, this one wasn't as bad. All of them read it, and that's true. They got through the sentence. But reading and comprehending the sentence are not the same thing at all. And honestly, the comprehension side of it is far more important. Not being able to explain that the sleepy dog did not want to give up his spot on the sofa is insane. Like, and also lethargic. Being energetic, that's not comprehension. Not understanding. Relinquishing. This doesn't make sense, bro. This sentence doesn't even make any sense. That is what should terrify all of us. So needless to say, the student released those additional videos. They just continue to go more and more viral. Now there's all these articles being written about it. And in addition to denying the allegations of expulsion, the administration statement also said that these videos do not accurately reflect the school. Mm, sure, Jan, sure. So in the Philadelphia inquiry, they published this statement and the school said that the video footage does not accurately reflect our school community or the values we strive to uphold every day. While some students may have agreed to be filmed, the way the footage was presented lacks important context that has led to a portrayal that is misleading and unfair. The video titled can youn Read? Does not represent the character, effort or abilities of our students as a whole. So basically they are just trying to convince, confuse everyone and say these, these values do not represent us. It is misleading. He was trying to bait people into it. And that does not change the fact that they could not read. A simple sentence aside, it's saying that the lethargic dog did not want to relinquish his spot on the sofa. A 12th grader should absolutely be able to read and comprehend that there is no context needed. They are on camera and they could not do it. So actually, yes, I think on a whole, this does reflect the values of your school, the values that maybe are not at actually teaching your students. And guys, this is where it gets even crazier if this is possible for this story, because I went online and I pulled this school, which is called a charter prep school of Philadelphia. I pulled their Ready PA index, which is the way that the state reviews all of its schools, understands whether they're falling behind, proficiency rates, all of that sort of thing. And the report on this school was shocking. And remember, this is a charter college prep STEM high school that we are dealing with today. So all over their website, the charter website, everything about the school, they promote the fact that they have a high school, high level of high school graduates. They have 92.3%, which is higher than the state average of 88%. So they're like, woo, look at us. Everybody's going to college, everybody's graduating. And apparently 86% of those high school graduates will move on to some sort of higher education, that being either a two or four year education certificate program, whatever it is, they go on and they continue with their education. Now I feel like, and this is just my assumption, reading between the lines a little bit, I feel like the school highlights these numbers because they are the only positive numbers they have going for them. And I actually think that they have even that part of it wrong because in my personal opinion, it is more damning for a school if they are passing and graduating these high numbers of students, sending them off to university, a community college, whatever it is, when they are not proficient in English or math, which is exactly what is happening at this prep school. And so I'm sorry, prep charter of Philadelphia. It wasn't that your students were caught off guard, that they were a little nervous being on camera that the touch title of the TikTok was misleading. It's actually that they are not meeting the benchmarks, that you, because you are responsible for them in their education, that you are failing them, that you are failing them. Yet ironically, passing them and letting them graduate, sending them out into the real world with no proficient education. And in reviewing their ready PA index, this is exactly what I found. To look at these numbers. At this school, only 18.8% of their students are proficient in math compared to more than 40% statewide. And not that that is any number to write home about, obviously we should work on that as well. But 18.8% comp compared to 40% statewide, that is not good. Now moving on from algebra, their English language proficiency at the school is notably better than the 18.8%. It is sitting at 46.5% as you can see here. But it is still lower than again, the already sad 49.9 statewide proficiency. And then also this is where it just continues to get crazier and crazier. The English language growth at the school is abysmal. So these are students that are learning the English language. The state average for becoming proficient at your high school, learning the English language, being able to speak, speak it is 32%. They have a 2033 goal of being at a 70% proficiency. And this school only had 7% of their students progressing adequately. 7%. Now, I also looked at another document. This is their annual charter evaluation. This is what the state does every single year to keep giving the school funding to re up their certification as a charter school to allow them to stay in business. And honestly, I do not know how this charter prep school is operating because they were in the red on everything. They were under the state level, under the district level, under the similar schools level. They literally in the red on every single subject metric. But sure, but sure, no, it is the student's fault for making the TikTok and putting a misleading headline that goes against the values of the school. What values do you have? I mean, it seems like making TikToks might be the only value. Cause obviously there's no Learning happening just asking questions because I'm sorry but being camera shy does not explain excuse you from not knowing the word extraordinary. Now luckily hope is not all lost for our society because GCU exists now. Some say that higher education is outdated or irrelevant in 2026. Well in my opinion, not when it is purpose driven education like a Grand Canyon University. Because GCU does not settle for the status quo. Obviously status quo in education these days is not that great. And so they shatter it with academically rigorous industry driven programs that are built to move at the speed of relevance, with practical skills and career readiness and opportunity for every single student. Which is just crazy in this world. Like imagine practicality and programs actually tailored for the real world and not just made up degrees that leave you under a mountain of debt with no job. There is no lesbian dance theory at GCU is what I'm trying to say. And with some 380 pathways including 153 degree programs, 80 emphases and 56 degree programs, there is an option for every kind of student. Plus GCU's vibrant campus was ranked in the top 20 best college campuses in the country by Niche.com for 2026. Recognized for excellence in both academics and in campus life, they are grounded in Christian truth and GCU works to empower the next generation to lead with integrity, to serve with purpose and to help transform their communities and build a that truly matters. 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- [14:21]
Student
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- [14:48]
Brett Cooper
Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Now back to the story. I hate to break it to you guys and just continue spiraling in this fear mongering black pill episode, but this young man, this student, he did not just expose what is happening at his he also inadvertently exposed what is happening all across America. And you might Say, Brett, we don't need this to be exposed. We already know that the education system is just abysmal and terrible. That's why we need to destroy it and rebuild it. Well, a lot of people don't know that. They don't get it. And so this video has been very helpful in bringing people along on this journey. So take Philadelphia, for example. This is where the school is located, obviously. And in an article published actually today in the Philadelphia Citizen, they wrote this. This is how they started the article. A majority of the Philadelphia students receiving diplomas cannot read or do math at grade level. In 2025, barely one quarter of 11th graders are proficient in math and only about a third in reading. Yet thousands of students are told that they are ready for life beyond high school. And so then, obviously, we have to ask the question, what happens when these students graduate, when they are passed and shot out into the real world? Because illiteracy reduces workforce productivity, it restricts earning potential, it also increases welfare costs. So now it is becoming a greater burden on our society, on our country. And in fact, a 2020 Gallup study found that the United States could lose up to $2.2 trillion annually due to low adult literacy rates. So this impacts everything. It's not just about one individual's life, their future family. It impacts all of us, the taxpayer burden. It impacts the growth of our country, our ability to flourish and continue innovating and growing. All of that stems back to literacy and a proficient education. And now, I know that we have been talking about Philadelphia specifically, but we do need to expand this to the rest of the country because across the board, things are not looking greater, it is just grim. And across the board, senior reading and math scores have dropped to their lowest in two decades. This is in America, lowest proficiency rate in two decades. This headline from the Guardian reads, these results are sobering US High school seniors. Reading and math scores plummet. Now, what is interesting when I was looking at all of these new numbers and all these new articles about this fact, is that the experts do not immediately cite Covid as the start of this problem, which, honestly, Covid has been the rightful scapegoat for a lot of issues over the last five, six years or so, mental health, you know, education, socialization, all of that. And obviously, Covid, the lockdown specifically, let's be clear here, it was not the virus, the response to the virus. It was the lockdowns. They did have an extreme negative impact on all of our lives, the lives of young people. But these problems go way back Way beyond Covid and just blaming them on Covid and using that as a scapegoat is honestly dishonest. And most of the data here shows that scores have been on the decline since 2015. Some of it even shows a decline since the 90s in this country. And two interesting things happened in the last 20, 30 years or so. So by 2015, most teenagers had a smartphone that they were bringing into class with them. And starting in 2014, schools rapidly rolled out Screen based learning. Like this was so crazy to me. I did, you know, one year in public high school. I think that that was, gosh, 2015, 2016. I remember still filling out Scantrons for my standardized tests. I was writing essays by hand every single day, submitting them. I had one online class where I would type it in, but everything in person was handwritten. There was very minimal screen based learning today. I saw TikTok recently. Young people do not even know what a Scantron is. They have tablets, they have laptops, they are writing everything online. Obviously they are using AI, they have Grammarly to update their stuff, spelling and their grammar. Everything is happening digitally. There are so many different studies, reports that talk about how when you are cognitively trying to understand a subject, retain information. Writing by hand is so much more beneficial for actually retaining information versus just typing on a screen. So all of this is happening at once. On top of that, a recent study found that 9 to 13 year olds with rising levels of social media exposure performed poorer on reading, memory and vocabulary tests compared with their peers who used little to no social media. So if you need any more, any more encouragement to keep your children off of social media, to not give them devices, let it be this. It's not just mental health, it's not just socialization, it is also their academics. Shocking. I know that social media would have that impact. Where experts do think that Covid stepped in and played a role is in regards to how much time students are actually spending in the classroom these days. One article reads. Students are spending less time learning, says Thomas Kane, an education economist at Harvard. And when they are present, instruction is less efficient because teachers are constantly reteaching material. Another professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Education said that easy access to information online and the use of online assignments may also be leading some students to treat in person school attendance as optional. In their minds. They tell their parents, look, all my assignments are online. I can do them even if I am not at school. And I wonder if maybe some of this is happening at the Prep Charter school in Philadelphia because their attendance is also abysmal and under the average rate for the state. Just saying. So now let's just put all these pieces together. It gets worse here because now let's look at the response from these administrators, from the government and from the schools. Now, considering these absolutely abysmal proficiency rates across the board, you would think, or maybe just hope, if you are a positive, joyful person, you would hope that these school districts are actively trying to help the students learn. Maybe they are suggesting overhauling the system. They are going to broadly ban phones like so many schools are doing. What? They're going to try anything to help bring these students up to a proficiency level. But no, they are actually doing something that unfortunately has become very common in American culture and something that across the board, I think is really harming our extraordinary abilities, our innovation, our confidence, all of the things. They're lowering the standards to allow people to pass rather than encouraging people to rise to the standards. They're just saying, oh, we'll just make it easier on you instead. So listen to this from that same Philadelphia Citizen article. This is in regards to those thousands of students graduating being shot out into the workforce. So they're graduating not because academic achievement has improved. It's because the system has changed what it means to graduate. Instead of passing keystone exams measuring basic reading and math skills, students can graduate by submitting evidence from a state approved list. In practice, that often means completing short, low rigor online credential programs. One of the most popular, a two hour online video about ladder safety. So you don't know how to do algebra, you can't read a sentence about a lazy dog not wanting to get off the couch. But oh, you watched a two hour video like an OSHA inspired video about ladder safety and okay, Philadelphia is going to allow you to graduate. Goodbye. You did it. 92.3% graduation rate. Woo. This is retarded. Like objectively, that is retarded. Now they go on and they say this is intended to be an alternative for students who panic at taking tests or pursuing training or a career in the trades. This has become the default to cover over the district's horrific track record of underperformance and lack of accountability. This is what I mean where I think that this is harming American culture at large because we are catering to the lowest common denominator. If you are falling behind, if you can't read, if you cannot do math, if you panic at taking tests, we will bring everybody else down to cater to you. We will literally dump our society down to make sure that on paper you pass. And why do they want you to pass? So that they can keep making money. So that they can keep lining their pockets. That is the only thing they care about. And this is not just happening in high school proficiency. I mean, think about the American Academy of Pediatrics. I'm thinking about this a lot now that I have a child of my own. And I have a little app that sends me, you know, monthly developmental milestones that my son should be reaching, like he should be starting to crawl at this point, doing this with his hands, you know, his eyes are developing at this point. Point. Those developmental milestones have been slowly increasing over the last 20 years because for whatever reasons, there are a lot of speculations about what is causing this, but young babies are not reaching those milestones as quickly as they once did. So rather than thinking, why is this happening? What can we as doctors, as speech pathologists, whatever it is, how can we help these young children and these families? They're saying, oh, don't worry, we'll just move the milestones up. Don't feel bad about your child not crawling yet, being behind whatever it is. We don't want you to feel uncomfortable. We'll just move them ahead rather than, than actually helping. And it's the same thing that is happening with these high school students. And so back to this story. Obviously, I kind of hinted at this already when I was ranting, but after they pass all of these students, they allow them to do their two hour video on ladder safety. They have the gall to ask us for more money. So specifically in regards to Philadelphia, the Philadelphia school district's budget has increased 78% since 2016. They spend $9,000 more per student than the rest of the entire district, state. And the results are abysmal. I don't know why people have not realized that or why they are choosing to ignore it, but more money per student does not equal better outcomes. Now, student enrollment is also plummeting. It has decreased 12% over the last few years. And yet somehow the district has been able to hire more and more school administrators. It has actually increased 56%, while, interestingly, teacher employment has only increased 4%. The student enrollment is declining, proficiency is plummeting. Nobody is passing. I mean, they're passing them. And their response is not to hire more teachers, change the curricula, do something, it's to hire more administrators. Because they are truly going to fix the system. I mean, make it make sense. This is not a student based, student focused system. It is not about the students at all. Again, it is just about lining their pockets. And this system will continue to have a dire ripple effect on our society for decades and decades, even generations to come. Because students who cannot read and comprehend a simple sentence, who are graduating because they're watching two hour videos about ladders, they become illiterate, unproductive, unemployable adults. Adults who then become stuck in a cycle of poverty that then increases the welfare burden on the rest of the country. Then we have these job openings that need to be filled by intelligent adults. Now we're importing them from other countries. Now that our country becomes more and more foreign by the day, we have a lack of stable families which are often tied back to literacy rates. And again, the only people who benefit from this mess, honestly, mess is too light of a word from this this exploitative, chaotic cycle, are the school district employees who continue to rake in more and more money at the expense of our children, our society and our country. That is what this viral TikTok just exposed. Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money. 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