Re: developmentalism

KEN GOODMAN (kgoodman who-is-at CCIT.ARIZONA.EDU)
Sun, 05 May 1996 22:48:37 -0700 (MST)

Dewey:

Your citation about the sequence in Germany is on a lot of our minds now.
I've organized a preconference for July 31 in St Paul Minn preceding the
Whole Language Umbrella called "What's Behind the Attacks on Whole Language."
We'll focus on 4 major "fronts": the press, experimental psychologists, the
Mass. "gang of 40" linguists, and the religious right. As many people are
coming to realize, this is not about whole language at all- it just the most
visible progressive movement in education, and a thus a favorite target to
use in attacking teachers and public education. next week's issue of
Newsweek will also have an attack on whole language. What I found most
distressing is that there are no voices on the left raised to answer the
charges and disinformation- Shanker and the AFT are part of the attack.
If you read Stone and others it has the logic and strident voice of any hate
group. Bill Honig, turncoat ex-California Supt. is quoted making
absurd
attacks on teachers, whole language and the Goodmans in a piece in
LAWeekly called black board Bungle reprinted in the Sacramento Bee and
the San Jose Mercury.
Perhaps you can see Dewey why I see little point in response. Someone on XMCA
thought the pice by Stone was important enough to be passed on.
Ken Goodman