So teachers don’t need to know how to read in New Jersey?” Elon Musk tweeted as several high-profile conservatives weighed in. Critics said their comments are misleading.

The New Jersey Law eliminates the need for prospective teachers to take the Praxis Core Test, a basic skills test for reading, writing and math.

Third grade was a long time ago, and many of us have forgotten even the most basic of principles. Fortunately, they’re pretty ...