I've often had a fantasy where, circa 1955, the Chairmen of the Departments of English at Princeton, Harvard and Yale stand on the steps of the Library of Congress and proclaim, "We support Rudolf Flesch!" This small gesture could have saved tens of millions of children from misery. But nobody from these places did a thing. Much to their shame.....

Several years back, as I studied Flesch and the swirl we call the Reading Wars, I realized how close the whole thing was. Thus this fantasy.

The bad guys, as I think of them, relentlessly conspired to push phonics out of public schools, and to make children memorize whole words. it was idiotic, it was endlessly destructive. And still is.

But the good guys, as I would like very much to think of them, did nothing. 

So my point now is that the intellectual have's should try to do more. Make a gesture!

Actual new article title: Princeton, Harvard, and Yale can help improve K-12 education

http://www.rantrave.com/Rave/Princeton-Harvard-and-Yale-can-help-im...

 (My general thesis is that our Education Establishment is deliberately dumbing down the country. That's a tough thing to think about. But we can see the effects all around us. And it's very clear nothing will turn this around unless the smarter people say: no more. If you would like information on any aspect of this thesis, please contact Word-Wise Education, 757-455-5020.)