# Strong teachers' unions linked to lower reading scores

> A new study finds Democratic states with powerful unions lag behind Republican states in student literacy.
- Title: Strong teachers' unions linked to lower reading scores
- Summary: A new study finds Democratic states with powerful unions lag behind Republican states in student literacy. States with weaker teachers' unions have adopted…
- Keywords: teachers' unions, student literacy, reading scores, progressive policy institute, rachel canter, mississippi, new york, education reform, democratic states, republican states, excelined, thomas b. fordham institute
- Source: New York Post — https://nypost.com/2026/09/15/us-news/blue-states-with-strong-teachers-unions-have-lower-student-literacy-levels-study-shows
- Published: 2026-09-15T23:12:07+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: teachers' unions, student literacy, reading scores, progressive policy institute, rachel canter, mississippi, new york, education reform, democratic states, republican states, excelined, thomas b. fordham institute
## Union power tracks with literacy gaps
Eight of the ten worst-performing states for student literacy were Democratic strongholds with powerful teachers' unions. Top performers were mostly Republican states with weaker unions.
## New York among the worst
More than half of New York's third- to fifth-graders failed reading proficiency exams this year. The state also has some of the nation's strongest teachers' unions.
## Republicans dominate top performers
Of the 23 top-performing states, 13 were Republican and just 4 were Democratic. Even stretching to the top 32, only 7 were Democratic states.

> Democrats, however, don't often ask me how to replicate Mississippi's success.
## Union states slower on reforms
Democratic states adopted an average of 9 recommended literacy policies, while Republican and swing states implemented 13.5 on average.

> States dominated by Democrats have been slower to embrace similar reforms.
## Mississippi's dramatic turnaround
Mississippi went from worst to seventh in literacy by 2024. The state required struggling third-graders to repeat the year and mandated teacher training at low-performing schools.
## The correlation is strong
The study found a clear negative relationship between union power and literacy policy adoption. More powerful unions meant fewer reforms implemented.

> The more powerful the unions, the fewer literacy policy principles the state had adopted.
## Key takeaway

States with weaker teachers' unions have adopted more literacy reforms and see better student reading scores.