1. Author is anti-conservative who cannot comprehend that restricting inappropriate books from children has no impact on lack of student comprehension. They are not removing Stunk & White's Elements of Style in libraries.
2. Author is a terrible writer. Not surprise student performance has declined during his 15 years at the college.
3. His conclusion is not clear. Why are children not reading? He bounces around a bunch of things like social media, conservatives, common core curriculum, standardized tests, the C19 pandemic, lack of phonics in education, etc. but lacks logic and structure in driving to conclusion.
The author is not alone in that and there are editors to blame as well.
I read printed works and have to stop because the author and the editor are rank amateurs at best. It's the Dunning-Kruger Effect applied to literature and it's repeated again and again.