Spelling

The first story on the news (Fox) I saw after I woke up, and actually got one eye open, was an interview with a woman who wants to simplify spelling. I can't remember her name because, as I said, I had just woke up. Her argument that there are millions of adults in this country who can't read because of the way words are spelled, just doesn't ring true, at least not to me. Words like great (huge, numerous, eminent, generalized term of approval) for example, she wants to change to "grate", but didn't explain how these same people who are unable to read would be able to distinguish between the other grate (irritate). I learned to spell in public school. True sometimes I do misspell words, thank goodness for spell checkers, but I'm not the only person of my generation who was able to learn to spell correctly. We had spelling tests every Friday, and the majority of the kids were capable of passing said tests. Obviously, no one like them, but we learned to spell. My oldest granddaughter had very few spelling tests in her early years of elementary school, but she's able to spell because it's one of those things my daughter and I insist on, even though she griped that her teachers said the spelling of words wasn't important. It was the implied content. Say what? Implied content? How would you know what the "implied content" is at 8 years old if the words are misspelled? Luckily, we've resolved that problem, at least with #1 granddaughter. My question: If there are such a "great" number of adults unable to read because of the spelling of words, then why not re-enforce correct spelling in schools? That really "grates" my nerves.