Re: Confused in California

Ken Goodman (KGoodman who-is-at u.arizona.edu)
Thu, 08 Jan 1998 00:00:15 -0700

I've sat out the discussion of best practices because I've been too close to
the viscious attacks on whole language involving the use of the power of the
state and federal government to repress "best practices." Whole language can
be defined in a strong sense as the best practices of the best informed and
most professional teachers. A key difference between whole language and
antecedent movements is that it is a teacher led movement- highly
professional teachers selecting for themselves the "best practices"
consistent with their own professional knowledge and beliefs. Too often
.those seeking to influence teachers to adopt their views of best practices
have attempted to impose them from outside or above.

So why the attack on the best teachers using the best practice? A simple
answer is that there are many groups aligned around the proposition that
teachers should not determine best practice: they must be made to strictly
use only the prescribed best practice. The California legislature has passed
12 laws to accomplish that and a federal law has passed the House and is in
the Senate. A panel is being formed in NICHD is being formed to determine
what best practices in reading instruction are according to "reliable,
replicable research" Their report will become the national curriculum and
methodology in reading through the reading excellence act.

These are strange times with insurance companies determining "best practices"
in medicine and laws determining "best practices" in reading, math, and
bilingual education.
Ken Goodman