Mandating Direct Instruction Won't Fix Schools

Research shows direct instruction (explicit, scripted teaching with guided practice) produces large, sustained gains for low‑income students, but the article argues that the real problem is not lack of laws but entrenched institutional preferences, teacher preparation, and incentive structures that cause evidence to be ignored. Simply passing mandates or airing a persuasive podcast is unlikely to change classroom practice without attention to training, governance, and implementation supports. — Shifts the policy argument from what pedagogy is best to how systems actually adopt (or resist) evidence, implying reforms must focus on teacher training, accountability, and political incentives, not only on proclamations.