Re: Re[2]: phonics politics

KEN GOODMAN (KGOODMAN who-is-at CCIT.ARIZONA.EDU)
Sun, 12 May 1996 03:45:38 -0700 (MST)

The attacks on whole language are far beyond the academic debates over
whether reading is word recognition as Marilyn Adams asserts or meaning
construction as I and others believe. When Newsweek, the LaTImes, Chicago
Tribune, and CBS all devote space to attacking whole language in simplistic
terms lauding the imposition of simplistic phonics by politicians something
far beyond scholarly debates is involved.
I didn't respond to Phil Agre angry responnse to

my suggestion he be involved
in answering the attacks on whole language in which he said if we "educaionalists"
didn't respond ourselves we deserved what we were getting. I didn't respond
because it sounded to much like the Jews were getting what they deserved
when they didn't respond strongly enough to Hitler's anti-semitism. Noe of
us deserve the treatment whole language is getting in the press and the
political arena. And we must all recognize that in an atmosphere in which
political decisions marginalize professional and academic debate none of us
is safe.
Ken Goodman