>>> NOW TO ANOTHER SOCIAL ILL, WHICH IS CHILD ILLITERACY, AND A GLIMMER OF HOPE FROM ONE OF AMERICA'S POOREST STATES.

MISSISSIPPI HAS A LONG TRACK RECORD OF EDUCATIONAL FAILURE, BUT AFTER A MAJOR REFORM INITIATIVE, KIDS THERE ARE SHOWING SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN SCHOOL, WHICH NEW YORK TIMES COLUMNIST NICHOLAS KRISTOF HIGHLIGHTS IN AN ARTICLE CALLED MISSISSIPPI IS OFFERING LESSONS FOR AMERICA ON EDUCATION.

KIANA BURKE HELPED IMPLEMENT TEACHING AND LEARNING IN JACKSON, AND THEY BOTH SPOKE WITH MICHELLE MARTIN ABOUT HOW MISSISSIPPI'S APPROACH CAN WORK FOR CHILDREN.

>> ALL OVER THE WORLD.

>> THANKS, CHRISTIANE.

NICHOLAS KRISTOF, KENYATTA BURKE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

NICK KRISTOF, I'M GOING TO START WITH YOU.

YOU'VE BEEN REPORTING A SERIES CALLED HOW AMERICA HEALS, IN WHICH YOU'VE BEEN DIGGING INTO SOME OF THE MORE CHALLENGING ISSUES THAT AMERICA FACES, AND THAT REPORTING TOOK YOU TO MISSISSIPPI, WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN EXAMINING GAINS THAT THEY MADE IN LITERACY, ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS IN THE THIRD GRADE.

SO WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO MISSISSIPPI AND WHAT DID YOU FIND THERE?

>> I GUESS I SEE SO MANY PROBLEMS AROUND THE U.S. THAT HAVE TO DO WITH EDUCATION, AND I THINK THE BEST METRIC WHERE SOCIETY WILL BE IN 25 YEARS IS THE STATE OF K-12 EDUCATION TODAY, IN THE U.S. AS A WHOLE THAT IS DEEPLY PROBLEMATIC.

PEOPLE KEPT TELLING ME THAT I SHOULD GO TO MISSISSIPPI, AND FRANKLY, I DIDN'T ENTIRELY BELIEVE IT.

YOU DON'T NORMALLY THINK THAT YOU'RE GOING TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN MISSISSIPPI, OF ALL PLACES, BUT I WENT AND I WAS TRULY KIND OF BLOWN AWAY BY WHAT I FOUND.

AND I DO THINK THAT THERE ARE LESSONS IN MISSISSIPPI FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTRY, HAVING TO DO WITH THE WAY OF MAKING SURE KIDS LEARN HOW TO READ, LEARN HOW TO DO MATH, RAISE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES, AND REALLY FOCUS ON IMPROVING EDUCATION.

>> YOU START YOUR PIECE BY SAYING, THE REFRAIN ACROSS MUCH OF THE DEEP SOUTH FOR DECADES WAS THANK GOD FOR MISSISSIPPI, THAT'S BECAUSE HOWEVER ABYSMALLY ARKANSAS OR ALABAMA MIGHT PERFORM IN NATIONAL COMPARISONS, THEY COULD STILL BET THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE THE WORST IN AMERICA BECAUSE THAT SPOT WAS OFTEN RESERVED FOR MISSISSIPPI.

SO JUST TO SORT OF GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT ABOUT WHY PEOPLE SAY THAT, WHAT DID YOU FIND IN MISSISSIPPI THAT WAS SO REMARKABLE?

>> MISSISSIPPI HAS DRAMATICALLY IMPROVED FOURTH GRADE READING AND MATH RESULTS IN PARTICULAR, AND THAT IS TRUE DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT HAS INSTALLED SOLVED RACISM.

SO IT'S GONE FROM JUST ABOUT THE BOTTOM TO ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY IN FOURTH GRADE SCORES, AND IF YOU LOOK AT CHILDREN AND POVERTY, WHICH IS AN AREA THE U.S.

DOES PARTICULARLY POORLY, MISSISSIPPI HAS DONE REMARKABLY AMONG LOW INCOME CHILDREN, FOURTH GRADE MISSISSIPPI KIDS NOW RANK TIED FOR BEST IN THE COUNTRY IN READING AND SECOND IN MATH.

AND I GUESS WHAT STRIKES ME IS THAT LOOK, MISSISSIPPI HASN'T SOLVED THESE BROADER SOCIAL PROBLEMS, STILL WORST IN THE COUNTRY IN CHILD POVERTY BUT IT HAS FIGURED OUT HOW TO GET KIDS TO READ AND THE REST OF THE COUNTRY HAS TO LEARN WHAT WE CAN FROM WHAT MISSISSIPPI IS DOING.

>> LET ME TURN TO YOU.

YOU WERE BORN AND RAISED IN MISSISSIPPI.

WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP, DID YOU HAVE A SENSE OF THE THING WE WERE TALKING ABOUT AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR CONVERSATION, THAT MISSISSIPPI WASN'T PEOPLE EXCEL ACADEMICALLY, ESPECIALLY BLACK KIDS?

>> OF COURSE, AND I MYSELF, I GREW UP IN A LOW INCOME AREA.

AND YOU KNOW, A PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT THROUGHOUT.

SO YES, I WAS VERY WELL AWARE, AS MANY OF US WERE, IN THE COUNTRY, THAT WE WERE LAST AND THAT AS LONG AS THERE HAD BEEN A RANKING, MISSISSIPPI WAS LAST.

AND I THINK THAT WHAT IS SO REMARKABLE ABOUT WHERE WE ARE NOW IS THAT I ALWAYS SAY IT HAD BECOME OKAY FOR MISSISSIPPI TO BE LAST, AND IT HAD BECOME OKAY IN A SENSE TO MISSISSIPPIANS.

>> WHAT MADE IT STOP BEING OKAY?

WHAT MADE IT STOP BEING OKAY AND FOR PEOPLE TO MISSISSIPPI TO SAY THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH ANYMORE?

>> IN 2013 OUR FORMER GOVERNOR PHIL BRYANT, WHO IS DYSLEXIC, DECIDED TO HAVE THIS HUGE EDUCATION REFORM PACKAGE, WHICH NOT ONLY INCLUDED LITERACY, IT ALSO INCLUDED EARLY LEARNING COLLABORATIVES, WHICH WOULD BE THE STATE'S FIRST INVESTMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, IN FOUR-YEAR-OLD EDUCATION FROM THE STATE.

BUT THEN ALSO WE HAD AN ACCOUNTABILITY MODEL, SO WE HAD SEVERAL THINGS GOING ON WITH EDUCATION REFORM, AND I WOULD SAY WE WERE AT THE POINT WHERE I FEEL IT WAS WE'VE GOT TO GO BIG OR GO HOME, AND THIS WAS OUR FIRST STATE LED EFFORT ON JUST A MAJOR SCALE TO REFORM EDUCATION AND TO START WITH THE MOST BASIC OF THINGS, WHICH IS LITERACY AND BEING ABLE TO READ.

>> NICK, I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO YOU ON THIS.

WHAT WAS THE THING THAT WAS THE DRIVER HERE?

>> I'D SAY THE STAGE WAS MAYBE SET IN THE EARLY 2000'S, IN 2013 AS KIANA SAID THERE WAS THIS MAJOR LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE THAT SET THE GROUNDWORK FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS, WHICH MISSISSIPPI HISTORICALLY HAD BEEN AWFUL AT, PRE-K AND GETTING KIDS, ESPECIALLY REAL NEEDY KIDS, ACCESS TO PRE-K.

COMPONENT, I THINK, WAS A REAL MAJOR EFFORT TO GET EVERY KID READING BY THE END OF THIRD GRADE, AND AS PART OF THAT, THERE WAS A THIRD GRADE GAIT SET UP SO THAT KIDS HAD TO PASS A READING TEST AT THE END OF THIRD GRADE WHERE THEY WOULD BE HELD BACK, AND THERE WERE A LOT OF REASONS TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT, AND WHETHER THAT WOULD HURT MORALE OF KIDS, WHETHER THAT WOULD DISPROPORTIONATELY HURT LOW INCOME KIDS OR KIDS OF COLOR.

IN FACT, I THINK IT CREATED ACCOUNTABILITY AND MADE TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS, FAMILIES AND KIDS THEMSELVES CARE VERY DEEPLY ABOUT MAKING SURE THEY LEARNED TO READ BY THE END OF THIRD GRADE.

AND THEN, TEST RESULTS BEGAN TO IMPROVE.

I THINK THAT MADE THE LEGISLATURE MORE INCLINED TO INCREASE EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS, LAST YEAR TO PAY IT CREATED A VIRTUOUS CYCLE OF INVESTMENT.

BUT LOOK, A LOT OF STATES TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING KIDS TO READ.

WHAT I SAW IN MISSISSIPPI WAS JUST REAL DETERMINATION TO USE TUTORING, TO USE SORT OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT OF FACULTY AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT OF FACULTY, TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE TEACHING A CURRICULUM THAT REALLY WOULD WORK AND WOULD GET KIDS TO READ, AND ALL COUPLED WITH I THINK AN ADMINISTRATION AT THE STATE LEVEL THAT MADE SURE THESE GOALS WERE BEING IMPLEMENTED IN EVERY DISTRICT IN THE STATE.

>> KIANA, YOU BECAME MISSISSIPPI'S LITERACY DIRECTOR BEGINNING IN 2013 AND YOU TALK ABOUT THE LITERACY-BASED PROMOTION ACT, WHICH IS THE GATE, RIGHT?

I KNOW IT'S CONTROVERSIAL BECAUSE IT'S BEEN CONTROVERSIAL EVERYWHERE THAT THIS HAS SORT OF COME UP FOR DISCUSSION.

I'M JUST CURIOUS, AS A PERSON TEACHER YOUR SELF, CAN YOU IDENTIFY WHY YOU THINK THAT IS SO IMPORTANT?

>> IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

ANY OF THE RESEARCH THAT YOU READ AROUND THAT TRANSITION FROM LEARNING TO READ TO READING TO LEARN SHOWS THAT TRANSITION FROM THIRD GRADE TO FOURTH GRADE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

THERE IS SO MUCH SCAFFOLDING THAT'S DONE BETWEEN KINDERGARTEN AND THIRD GRADE, WHERE STUDENTS ARE LEARNING TO READ.

THEY'RE LEARNING ALL THE FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS.

ONCE THEY ENTER FOURTH GRADE, WHEN THEY ENTER FOURTH GRADE THE TEXT BECOMES A LOT MORE COMPLEX, AND FOR THOSE STUDENTS WHO DO NOT HAVE REALLY A STRONGHOLD OF THOSE FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS, IT BECOMES EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO TRANSITION INTO BEING SUCCESSFUL IN THOSE UPPER GRADES.

SO IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE JUST HISTORICALLY OR ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THERE REALLY HASN'T BEEN ANY ACCOUNTABILITY IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH SECOND GRADE.

OUR STATE ASSESSMENTS BEGIN IN THIRD GRADE, RIGHT?

SO EVEN THOUGH WE CALL THIS A THIRD GRADE GAIT OR READ BY THREE POLICIES OR ANY OF THE OTHER TERMS YOU MAY HEAR, THIS IS NOT JUST A THIRD GRADE TEACHER'S RESPONSIBILITY, AND I THINK THAT'S THE IMPORTANT LESSON HERE, THAT WHEN STUDENTS ENTER KINDERGARTEN, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE IDENTIFYING THOSE EARLY WHO MAY HAVE READING DIFFICULTIES, AND PROVIDE THEM WITH ALL THE SUPPORTS.

SO WITH OUR LAW, IT ALLOWS FOR THAT.

IT ALLOWS FOR NOT JUST SCREENING STUDENTS BUT PROVIDING INTERVENTIONS.

IT ALLOWS FOR TEACHERS TO BE TRAINED IN THE SCIENCE OF READING, SO THEY'LL KNOW HOW TO RESPOND TO STUDENTS WHO HAVE READING DIFFICULTIES.

SO THERE ARE ALL THESE SUPPORTS, SO WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT IT AS THIRD GRADE RETENTION AS AN INTERVENTION TOOL.

BUT MOSTLY THAT ENTIRE TIME FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH THIRD GRADE IS SPENT ON VERY INTENTIONALLY ON PREVENTION, PREVENTION OF READING DIFFICULTY.

>> CAN YOU HOME IN ON THE SCIENCE OF READING PART OF IT?

ONE OF THE POINTS THAT YOU ALSO MADE IS THAT EVERYBODY DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO TEACH READING, SO HOW DID YOU PERSUADE PEOPLE RESEARCH-BASED METHODS WAS THE WAY TO GO?

>> I THINK THE FIRST THING WAS THAT WE HAD TO CREATE THIS COMMON LANGUAGE FOR WHAT IT MEANT TO TEACH READING.

THAT'S WHY IT WAS SO IMPORTANT.

BUT AS A STATE AGENCY AND AS A STATE LED INITIATIVE, WE HAD TO REALLY PROVE OURSELVES.

THE STATE AGENCY HAD ALWAYS BEEN SEEN AS THIS AUDITING ARM.

LIKE IF THE STATE DEPARTMENT COMES YOUR BUILDING, TO YOUR CLASSROOM, TEAR SCHOOL, THEN YOU'VE DONE SOMETHING WRONG.

WE HAD TO TAKE THE APPROACH THAT WE WANT KIDS READING BY THE END OF THIRD GRADE, BUT WE WANT TO HELP YOU GET THERE.

A LOT OF WHAT WE DID TO GET BY IT IS WE PUT BOOTS ON THE GROUND IN THE ROLE OF LITERACY COACHES.

WE SAID WE ARE HERE WITH YOU, WE ARE GOING TO HELP IN YOUR SCHOOLS, TO SUPPORT YOU IN THOSE EFFORTS.

YOUR PIECE WERE QUITE ROBUST.

OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE REALLY INTERESTED IN THIS SUBJECT, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE REALLY SKEPTICAL.

THEY SAID THE STATE BENEFITED BY AN ENORMOUS FINANCIAL COMMITMENT BY A PARTICULARLY COMMITTED PHILANTHROPIST IN JIM BARKSDALE AND HIS FAMILY, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE LIKE, SHOOT, YOU GIVE ME $100 MILLION, YOU KNOW WE'LL GET SOME RESULTS, TOO.

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT?

>> OVERALL, JIM BARKSDALE, FOUNDER OF NETSCAPE, PUT IN $100 MILLION IN THE YEAR 2000.

IF YOU LOOK AT HOW MUCH STATES SPEND ON EDUCATION OVER THE LAST 20-PLUS YEARS, THAT $100 MILLION DID NOT COUNT FOR ALL THAT MUCH.

IN MISSISSIPPI GENERALLY DOES NOT SPEND THAT MUCH ON PER- PUPIL EDUCATION.

I DO THINK THAT WHAT OXTAIL BROUGHT WAS A REAL EMPHASIS ON ACCOUNTABILITY, ON ASSESSMENT, ON RIGOR, ON EVIDENCE, AND HE HAD INFLUENCE IN THE STATE.

I THINK IT WAS AS MUCH THAT EMPHASIS ON RIGOR AND EVIDENCE THAT HELPED BRING ABOUT THE CHANGES.

BUT ALSO IT WASN'T JUST OXTAIL.

ESSENTIALLY A STATE WAS WILLING TO RETHINK HOW IT DID WAS -- TO BE HONEST, YOU WILL SPEAK TO THIS BETTER BUT I THINK THERE WAS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF EMBARRASSMENT IN MISSISSIPPI, AND WILLINGNESS AS A RESULT TO TRY NEW THINGS AND THEN TO DO WHAT'S BEST, TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE NEW APPROACHES WORKED.

>> THE QUESTION I THINK SOME PEOPLE WOULD HAVE IS IT'S GREAT THAT MISSISSIPPI FINALLY WOKE UP AND TOOK SERIOUSLY ITS COMMITMENT TO EDUCATE EVERY CHILD, AS OPPOSED TO THE LONG HISTORY OF ALLOWING PEOPLE TO OPT OUT OF THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO INTEGRATE, OR NOT GIVING THE SAME KINDS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD SUPPORTS THAT OTHER STATES HAVE LONG SINCE EMBRACED, LIKE UNIVERSAL PRE-K, FOR EXAMPLE.

AND I THINK WHAT SOME PEOPLE WILL LOOK AT THIS, THEY THINK YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT ABOUT CHILD POVERTY, WHAT ABOUT THE MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE, WHAT ABOUT CLEAN WATER IN JACKSON, FOR EXAMPLE?

DO YOU HAVE THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT?

>> THOSE PROBLEMS ARE REAL.

MISSISSIPPI, THE HIGHEST CHILD POVERTY RATE IN THE COUNTRY.

THAT IS A DISGRACE.

MISSISSIPPI FAILS ITS CHILDREN WITH A POVERTY RATE LIKE THAT, AND ABSOLUTELY, WE SHOULD NOT GIVE THE CITY A PASS, OR MISSISSIPPI REPUBLICANS A PASS FOR ALLOWING THOSE RATES OF CHILD POVERTY, FOR THE RACISM THAT CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM AROUND THE STATE, FOR THE DEGREE OF SEGREGATION IN EDUCATION THERE.

ON THE OTHER HAND, AROUND THE COUNTRY, WE HAVE AN AWFUL LOT OF SCHOOL SYSTEMS THAT FAIL KIDS AND WE TEND TO SAY, WELL, TOO BAD WE CAN'T REALLY ADDRESS THESE PROBLEMS, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY KIDS LIVING IN POVERTY AND YOU CAN'T REALLY DO MUCH ABOUT EDUCATION FOR KIDS WHO ARE LIVING IN POVERTY.

AND MISSISSIPPI IS THE REBUTTAL FOR THAT ARGUMENT, BECAUSE MISSISSIPPI HAS SHOWN THAT EVEN IF YOU DON'T SOLVE CHILD POVERTY AND YOU DON'T SOLVE RACISM, THEN YOU CAN STILL GET KIDS READING BY THE END OF SO I THINK IT TAKES AWAY THE EXCUSE FOR ALL THE REST OF US, FOR OUR FAILURES TO TEACH KIDS TO READ.

>> CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT HOW OR WHETHER YOU THINK THESE KINDS OF INITIATIVES ARE TRANSFERABLE, AND SCALABLE?

>> YEAH, OF COURSE.

I THINK IT'S TRANSFERABLE, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY STATES NOW THAT ARE ADOPTING THESE POLICIES.

BUT I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR THAT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT A CHECKLIST.

IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT OUR CHECKLIST OF THINGS.

I THINK THE ONE THING THAT WAS REALLY ADVANTAGEOUS TO US IS THAT THERE IS A HUB AT OUR DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

THERE IS A LITERACY DIVISION THAT IS DEVOTED TO OVERSEEING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS LAW, THAT'S DEVOTED TO THE GUIDANCE THAT WE GIVE TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS ABOUT HOW TO IMPLEMENT THAT.

YOU ALSO HAVE TO MAKE THAT INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE, IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

THIS IS NOT A ONE-WOMAN OR ONE- MAN JOB.

THERE HAS TO BE A TEAM THAT IS DEDICATED TO THAT.

AND ANOTHER ROUND OF FUNDING FOR IT, THERE'S NOTHING WORSE THAN AN UNFUNDED MANDATE.

SO A ROUND OF FUNDING FOR IT.

THIS IS NOT OUR FUNDING THAT'S APPROPRIATED PER-PUPIL.

THIS IS FUNDING THAT IS TARGETED AND SPECIFICALLY USED FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LITERACY-BASED PROMOTION ACT.

IT'S $50 MILLION PER YEAR.

THERE ARE SOME STATES THAT ARE GIVING $50 MILLION, AND THOSE TYPES OF NUMBERS.

BUT FOR US, WITH OUR $15 MILLION, IT'S TARGETED TO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

IT'S NOT LEFT UP TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO DECIDE.

OUR ASSESSMENT SYSTEM, OUR COACHES, OTHER SUPPORTS FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS.

SO THIS MONEY IS SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT AND FOR STATES THAT ARE SAYING THAT WE WANT TO ADOPT THESE SEPALS, THEY HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE ALSO ADOPTING THE FUNDING, MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S A BUDGET FOR IT.

SO IT'S DEFINITELY DOABLE.

THERE ARE OTHER STATES THAT ARE DOING IT, LIKE NORTH CAROLINA, COLORADO, TENNESSEE, OTHER STATES WHO HAVE ADOPTED POLICIES AND ARE DOING IT AS WELL.

>> YOU CAN'T HELP BUT NOTICE THAT MISSISSIPPI IS A VERY CONSERVATIVE STATE, A SO-CALLED RED STATE.

IT SEEMS THAT THE MAJORITY OF STATES THAT HAVE PASSED THESE KIND OF READING ACCOUNTABILITY LAWS OR READING LAWS ARE REPUBLICAN OR RED STATES.

DO YOU HAVE A THEORY ABOUT WHY THAT IS?

>> AS SOMEBODY WHO IS A LITTLE MORE ON THE LEFT, I FRANKLY THINK THAT SOMEHOW MY SIDE OF THE LEDGER MADE A HISTORIC MISTAKE AND SOMEHOW WE BECAME SUSPICIOUS OF PHONICS.

AND I THINK THAT WAS PARTLY BECAUSE WE WERE TRYING DESPERATELY TO BE VERY INCLUSIVE AND TO TRY NEWER APPROACHES AND NEW THINGS, AND I THINK THEN WE BECAME A LITTLE CEMENTED IN PLACE, AND WE WERE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THAT ONE, AND A LITTLE SLOW TO WAKE UP TO NEW EVIDENCE ABOUT THE SCIENCE IMPROVE OUTCOMES.

>> KIANA, BEFORE WE LET YOU GO, WHAT ARE YOU PROUDEST OF?

>> WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR COMMUNITIES AND HOW BUSINESSES HAVE STEPPED IN, THERE ARE COMMUNITIES IN MISSISSIPPI THAT HAD NEVER SEEN SUCCESS BEFORE.

AND EVEN WHEN I SAY SUCCESS, WE KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT WHERE WE NEED TO BE FOR ALL KIDS.

WE KNOW THAT THERE IS STILL A LOT OF ROOM TO GROW.

BUT WHEN I SAY DISTRICTS, OUR SCHOOLS THAT HAD SOME OF THE LOWEST NUMBERS EVER, LIKE STUDENT PROFICIENCY, WHO ARE NOW SEEING ALMOST 100% OF THEIR KIDS READY AND PASSING OUR THIRD-GRADE GAIT.

YOU CAN'T UN-SEE THAT.

NOW THAT YOU KNOW IT'S POSSIBLE, AS WE SAID IN THE BEGINNING, THERE IS JUST NO EXCUSE.

SO I THINK IT MAKES ME MOST PROUD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO IT IN MISSISSIPPI, AND I DO THINK THAT IT HAD TO BE MISSISSIPPI.

IT HAD TO BE THE STATE, THE BLACKEST, THE POOREST STATE IN THE NATION, TO SHOW THE WORLD THAT IF YOU INVEST IN PEOPLE, THEIR KNOWLEDGE, AND SUPPORT THEM, THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER THE INCOME OF THE FAMILY.

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER THEY'RE BLACK OR BROWN.

YOU CAN TEACH CHILDREN HOW TO READ.

AND AS IT RELATES TO THE OTHER ILLS IN THE STATE, I THINK LITERACY IS GOING TO BE OUR FIRST STEP IN ERADICATING THOSE THINGS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO BE PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF OUR SOCIETY, BEING ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS AND ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE OUR STATE BETTER.

AND I THINK THIS IS JUST THE FLOOR, AND I THINK THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING.

>> NICHOLAS KRISTOF, KIANA BURKE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TALKING WITH US.