In Part Two of Sufficient Deception, we continue to conversation and dive deeper into the implications of Alabama’s shifting language around reading proficiency.

This episode unpacks how “sufficient progress" is strategically used to blur lines between growth and grade-level mastery. We reveal how these euphemisms, while politically convenient, have real-world consequences: they contribute to grade inflation, erode accountability, and keep struggling students locked in cycles of underperformance—all while making systems appear functional on paper.