"Watch & Observe" Not Good Enough

In a recent column dealing with proposed legislation in Wisconsin for dyslexia screening the legislative chair of the Wisconsin State Reading Association (WSRA) indicated a preference to simply “watch and observe” as the needs of struggling readers continue to go unmet. As a retired urban school teacher and principal, I saw the dire consequences of this “wait and see” approach. I have also noted the refusal of reading constituencies to embrace the unifying message of legitimate science and to prevent it from getting adequate expression in classrooms. Those choosing to act in such a fractious and dispassionate manner must be pursuing some other agenda, one that is obviously not about kids and their literacy futures.