My Child Can’t Read: A Heartland Crisis
My Child Can’t Read: A Heartland Crisis
Podcast Description
In classrooms across America — and especially here in Kansas — too many children are being left behind in reading. And too often, their parents and teachers are left wondering: What did I miss? Why didn’t anyone tell me?
Hosted by Jesica Glover — a National Board Certified teacher, reading specialist, and parent who couldn’t help her own daughter learn to read — this podcast explores the literacy crisis in Kansas and across the country. Through real stories and expert insight, we uncover how reading is actually learned, where schools are falling short, and what families and educators can do to change it. Each episode combines real stories, expert insight, and a look at the science of how reading works —
From early warning signs and misdiagnoses to bold reforms and grassroots change, My Child Can’t Read traces a powerful journey from heartbreak to hope.
Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or policymaker, this podcast helps you understand what went wrong — and what we can do to make it right, right here in the Heartland.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on the critical issues surrounding reading education, with specific episodes discussing topics like the inadequacy of balanced literacy programs, the realization of dyslexia among students, and the importance of structured literacy. For example, Episode 2 features Jeanine Phillips sharing her journey discovering her dyslexia and advocating for her son, illustrating the emotional impact of educational shortcomings.
In classrooms across America — and especially here in Kansas — too many children are being left behind in reading. And too often, their parents and teachers are left wondering: What did I miss? Why didn’t anyone tell me?
Hosted by Jesica Glover — a National Board Certified teacher, reading specialist, and parent who couldn’t help her own daughter learn to read — this podcast explores the literacy crisis in Kansas and across the country. Through real stories and expert insight, we uncover how reading is actually learned, where schools are falling short, and what families and educators can do to change it. Each episode combines real stories, expert insight, and a look at the science of how reading works —
From early warning signs and misdiagnoses to bold reforms and grassroots change, My Child Can’t Read traces a powerful journey from heartbreak to hope.
Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or policymaker, this podcast helps you understand what went wrong — and what we can do to make it right, right here in the Heartland.
What if the problem isn’t that we don’t know what works—but that everything around it is out of sync?
In this episode, we explore the growing gap between policy and practice, where teacher preparation, curriculum, and classroom expectations often operate in silos. We unpack what happens when reading struggles go unidentified—and how those challenges extend far beyond the classroom, shaping behavior, confidence, and long-term outcomes.
Featuring a closer look at the role of the Kansas State Board of Education, this conversation reveals the limits of policy alone—and why real change depends on alignment, not blame. Because when systems begin to work together, every child has a real chance to learn to read.
You’ll Hear:
- Reid Lyon — National Institutes of Health researcher on reading science
- Rob Eagan — Advocate and policy voice on dyslexia recognition and implementation in Kansas
- Tim Odegard — Why policy without systems, time, and tools fails to translate into classroom change
- Dana Hensley — The gap between understanding reading science and actually applying it in real classrooms
- Sheree Utash — What it means when 60% of students arrive needing remediation—and what that reveals about earlier instruction
- Savannah Ball — How reading struggles show up in the community through avoidance, confidence, and access
- Judge Richard Macias — The patterns he sees in juvenile court—and how reading difficulties connect to broader life outcomes
- Jeanine Phillips — Without structured literacy training instructors will never know how much impact they could have had.
- Betty Arnold — Why addressing literacy requires resources, awareness, and a system prepared to meet diverse student needs
🔗 Resources & References:
- Kansas State Board of Education
- Kansas Blueprint for Literacy
- Phillips Fundamental Learning Center (PFLC)
- Sold a Story podcast by Emily Hanford
- Science of Reading research (National Reading Panel and subsequent studies)
💬 Call to Action:
If this episode helped you better understand the system behind reading outcomes—
👉 Share it with a parent, educator, or policymaker
👉 Leave a review to help more people find this conversation
👉 And follow the podcast so you don’t miss what comes next
Because change doesn’t happen in isolation—
it happens when more people understand the system…
and choose to act.
🌱 What’s Next:
In Episode 5, we go deeper into the question this episode leaves behind:
👉 Who actually holds the power to change literacy outcomes in Kansas—
and what will it take to move from policy to real results?
PODCAST MUSIC – SOUNDSTRIPE.COM Cody Martin – Innovation, LNDO – Even So, Cody Martin – Keeper of Keys, Cody Martin – Living Tapestry, Michael Briguglio – Fallen, Cody Martin – Lutra, Cody Martin – Infinitive, Caleb Etheridge – Road to Nowhere
This podcast is produced by KB PODCASTS
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