Every year, a handful of essays rise above the digital noise, sparking conversations and challenging readers to think more deeply about the world around them. In 2025, two influential publications—The 74 and Zócalo Public Square—curated collections of their most powerful and talked-about essays, offering a window into the issues that defined the year for educators, students, and communities nationwide.
On December 22, 2025, The 74 released its list of the 13 most read, discussed, and impactful education essays of the year. Literacy, unsurprisingly, dominated the conversation. According to The 74, the debate over the science of reading versus balanced literacy, as well as practical classroom approaches to teaching reading, drew significant attention. Columnists Chad Aldeman and Eamonn Fitzmaurice undertook a sweeping analysis, examining data from 10,000 districts, 42,000 schools, and 3 million children to identify those schools that are beating the odds in reading proficiency. Their findings, plotted on an interactive map, highlighted exceptional schools where early reading success—an indicator closely tied to later life outcomes—defied expectations, especially in high-poverty areas.
But reading wasn’t the sole focus. Essays explored the enduring value of handwriting in an era dominated by screens. As The 74 reported, educators Elizabeth DeWitt, Cheryl Lundy Swift, and Christina Bretz pointed to research confirming that handwriting is far more than neat penmanship. It’s a crucial part of a child’s cognitive and literacy development, particularly in the formative years from pre-K through fifth grade.
Historical perspective also played a role. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans provided fertile ground for reflection. Ravi Gupta, creator of the "Where the Schools Went" podcast, argued in The 74 that the post-Katrina education experiment in New Orleans—born out of tragedy—yielded remarkable results. He described how former adversaries became collaborators, setting aside ideology in favor of evidence and pragmatic progress. Yet, Gupta lamented that these achievements have been met with "curious indifference," revealing a disconnect in American media and politics.
Innovation in teaching methods surfaced as another theme. At Ellis Elementary in Rockford, Illinois, students were grouped by reading ability to tailor instruction more effectively. Jessica Berg, the school’s instructional coach, wrote in The 74 that this approach led to an 18 percentage-point gain in reading proficiency since 2021 and a 25-point reduction in students identified as at-risk. The impact extended beyond test scores, suggesting that targeted support can make a meaningful difference even in the wake of pandemic-related setbacks.
Gifted education posed its own set of challenges. In New York City, demand for gifted-and-talented (G&T) programs far outstripped supply, leaving thousands of high-achieving students underserved. As The 74 noted, some states, like Kansas, include giftedness under special education, providing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for all qualifying students. The shortage in New York led to urgent questions from parents and educators about equity and opportunity.
The teaching profession itself came under scrutiny. Gen Z teachers—born between the late 1990s and early 2010s—are now entering the workforce in greater numbers. Anajah Philogene, executive director of Teach For America Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana, told The 74 that these digital natives bring fresh energy, a collaborative spirit, and a keen sense of student needs. Yet, schools must adapt to retain this new generation of educators, who are eager to leverage technology and personalize learning.
Not all stories were about triumph. Robert Pondiscio, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, urged the education sector to learn from teachers who quit, rather than only celebrating those who beat the odds. "Other fields learn from failure," he wrote, suggesting that education should do the same to foster improvement.
School choice remained a hot-button issue, with debates centering on whether it promotes equity or exacerbates inequality. Meagan Booth, an education consultant, emphasized in The 74 that the success of school choice depends on robust infrastructure—fair funding, transportation, and accountability. "Choice without infrastructure only stands to reinforce privilege rather than broaden opportunity," she wrote.
Meanwhile, the conversation about student achievement took a sobering turn. After decades of progress from the mid-1990s to mid-2010s, test scores began to decline around 2013, particularly among lower-performing students, widening achievement gaps. Michael J. Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, pointed out that these recent declines overshadow two decades of remarkable gains, urging a return to the reform-minded progress of earlier years.
Freedom of speech and academic freedom also entered the spotlight. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s threatened prosecution of "hate speech" after Charlie Kirk’s assassination sparked debate about what educators can—and should—say in the classroom. James V. Shuls of Florida State University argued that academic freedom is a trust, essential for forming minds and shaping citizens. When educators embrace it, he wrote, "education flourishes. When they abandon it, students and society suffer."
Parental choice was another recurring motif. Kerry McDonald, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education, reflected on her own daughter’s request to attend public high school. Initially hesitant, McDonald ultimately decided that honoring her child’s unique educational needs was the truest expression of educational freedom.
The U.S. Citizenship Test, required for high school graduation in some states, was scrutinized by Robert Pondiscio, who argued that waiting until students are 17 to cram facts misses the point. He advocated for starting civics education in elementary school, aligning with a civics-rich curriculum from pre-K onward.
While The 74 focused on education, Zócalo Public Square highlighted broader cultural and societal themes in its staff-voted favorite essays of 2025, also published on December 22. The publication took aim at "slop," Merriam-Webster’s word of the year, which describes the proliferation of low-value, often AI-generated content online. Zócalo’s editors positioned their essays as antidotes, designed to foster creativity and meaningful dialogue.
Among the standout essays, political scientist Alfred Moore explored the erosion of trust in experts and offered ways to rebuild it. Joe Mathews reported on the reality behind escalating ICE raids in California, finding peaceful community events rather than the riots claimed by federal officials. Nijah Narcisse, who survived Hurricane Katrina as a child, shared their story with Los Angeles children affected by the 2025 Eaton and Palisades fires, drawing connections between past and present resilience.
Other essays delved into the creative life of Los Angeles, the significance of state flags, and the legacy of Stockton’s hip-hop community as a space of resistance. Historian Jennifer Mercieca encouraged students to switch from "doomscrolling" to "hopescrolling," seeking positive, solutions-oriented media. Cell biologist Megan Chong reflected on the politicization of science in the U.S., likening it to the repression of scientific inquiry in the Soviet Union.
Both The 74 and Zócalo Public Square offered a counterweight to the year’s digital "slop," providing essays that challenge, inform, and inspire. In a media landscape often overwhelmed by noise, these collections stand as reminders of the power of thoughtful, well-crafted writing to shape public discourse and illuminate the issues that matter most.
