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What is right is not always popular

Published On: April 16th, 2024 | Categories: Latest News |

There has been quite a lot to unpack over the past couple of weeks, and the misinformation is running rampant! If the lies weren’t being spotlighted so publicly, we’d simply go on about our work — helping struggling readers and writers with one-to-one intervention as has been our mission for nearly 40 years. As it is, those with the money and power are insistent on creating distractions and scapegoating, and pushing back against misinformation is the unfortunate reality when the media is bought and sold by Big Business. So we must take a pause to reassure those who still care about supporting children’s literacy that yes, RRCNA remains in the fight.

Hanford’s reporting gets exactly one thing right: RRCNA has less money than it did prior to the APM smear campaign. So what? Unlike Hanford and the profiteers behind her, money isn’t our end game. Supporting children’s literacy is.

I’m reminded of an adage: What is right is not always popular. What is popular is not always right. We know we are in the right because we remain laser-focused on children’s right to receive well-rounded, evidence-based literacy instruction, and the fact that RRCNA is a nonprofit makes it all the clearer that money isn’t our motivating factor.

You’re likely asking yourself the obvious question: “Why does this tiny volunteer-led nonprofit of minimal means and even less political cache continue to be the target of such a well-funded smear campaign?”

It seems that we’ve struck a nerve! The profiteers behind the Science of Reading (SOR) grift seem to be getting a little antsy that the education community wants proof of their over-hyped claims of silver bullets.

Consider the timing: Here we are in the weeks leading up to the injunction hearing against Gov. Mike DeWine’s illegal Literacy Statute in Ohio, and suddenly Hanford’s podcast rears its ugly head with more tall tales of CRISIS! At the same time, the honorable governor is making public appearances at SOR-sponsored events aimed at solving the crisis-that-isn’t to shape public opinion with half-informed research. Curiously, he seems blind to anything that debunks claims of structured literacy being a settled science, choosing to repeatedly ignore newer, better science — all to the deficit of Ohio’s most vulnerable learners.

Consider the source: A loud minority of noneducators amplified by right-wing supporters like the Fordham Institute, Moms for Liberty, ExcelinED, and multiple pro-charter school reformers, all with the distinct motive for discrediting public education. As concerned as Hanford is with RRCNA’s finances, she seems suspiciously quiet about the hundreds of millions being thrown at large publishers by way of tax-payer funding. And of course, there’s Hanford herself, who has newfound fame and a slew of speaking engagements worldwide.

The profiteers are starting to get nervous we’ve seen through their game and are willing to take the fight to court. As more and more researchers and educators speak out loudly against SOR moves toward one-size-fits-all basals that have been mandated in Ohio and beyond, more people are asking themselves why if Science of Reading policies work so well, why haven’t they, well, worked for the past 10+ years?

Please show the research that proves structured literacy works best for all kids.

Structured literacy (SOR) has failed in the U.K. despite being mandated for more than a decade.
New Zealand is starting to get wise to the grift as well.
Domestically, NAEP scores remain practically unchanged for the past several decades, regardless of the amount of phonics being mandated or where the literacy pendulum was in its swing. NAEP scores have mostly remained flat for several decades, but were at their highest when Balanced Literacy was the rule of the day. That’s certainly no justification for sweeping reform. That alone should be enough to tell you SOR isn’t the silver bullet they promised.

And again we have to ask, why does the popular narrative keep ignoring an entire body of literacy research showing mandated phonics is NOT the answer to our literacy woes? We’ve been asking for proof for decades. Now we’re asking in a court of law. Without the research on their side and with the public getting wise to the grift, all they have left is to attack and scapegoat.

Again I say, so what? Being the scapegoat is nothing when your cause is as important as children’s literacy. I’ve said it before and firmly stand by this belief: Until education experts and real, peer-reviewed research hold more sway than political and corporate interests, those of us who actually care about kids more than money can never stop fighting. While Hanford and her PR machine keep the noise level high, those of us who actually care about the needs of children will keep doing what we do best: serving the child in front of us.

Educators are tired of being lied to and lied about. We know what works best is informed teachers armed with a full toolbox and the autonomy to help ALL children reach their full literacy potential. If you agree, it’s time to stand up, speak out, demand proof, and be part of our mission.

Join RRCNA, the nonprofit organization dedicated to doing Whatever It Takes to support struggling readers and writers.
Attend LitCon: National K-8 Literacy Conference, celebrating its 40^th year as the homecoming of literacy leaders in 2025!
Support professional development and advocacy by donating to the Foundation for Struggling Readers.