Something weird is happening. Students aren't being taught spelling. It's totally strange. I'm not sure who the dummy is who said kids don't need to learn to spell, but they're wrong. Allow me to explain what I live with.
I'm a high school teacher. I have students who can't spell to save their life. My highest honor students come to me with all their spelling questions because I actually can spell. I know how to spell because I know phonics. You see, the English language, while tricky, does have rules. Certain letters and certain letter combinations, make certain sounds. That sound may change based on the order of the letters (this is called emphasis), but even that has rules. So the students who come to me and say they actually spelled something right, I have a very hard time explaining to them that NO, that is not correct because that letter placed after that letter makes that letter sound likes this and not that. They don't know it because they've never been taught it. Here's what it looks like in a high school student- I can't read what the student wrote since it's all spelled wrong and the student can't read aloud something I wrote because they don't know what sounds are supposed to be made. THIS IS WHY YOU TEACH SPELLING!!
So what does this look like in a grown-up? Simply put, extremely annoying conversation where there's always at least one word mispronounced. I have a particular person that I correct on a regular basis. I don't say outright "you're pronouncing that wrong." I act confused and say "do you mean _____?" They usually catch on. So one time this person tried to argue with me. The argument? Well everyone talks different, you can really say it however you want.
Um, actually you can't. That's the point of having a language. If you could just make whatever sounds you wanted to make and assume people will know what you're saying, then we've got the Tower of Babel all over again. Which means God is punishing us because we got all presumptuous again. Thinking we can just say things however we want. Serious business people, so please, make sure you teach your kids what letters make what sounds (PHONICS) and what letters go in what words to make those sounds (SPELLING) and save us all the major set-back of confounded language.
Boy can I commiserate - current high school spelling is ATROCIOUS! So often I have no idea what students are trying to convey through their writing, even the conscientious students! This was one of the many, many, many reasons I decided to go back to school for a reading specialist degree a few years ago. While that hasn't helped my deciphering abilities, at least now I have a better understanding of how it came to this (thank you, "whole language only" movement). The good news is that phonics have made a comeback, so in a few years we should see an upswing in spelling abilities. For our current students, however... I'm afraid that unless they independently begin studying spelling, they are pretty much doomed to a lifetime of subpar communication skills.
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