ABSTRACT
In our quest to move every child ahead, we have fallen behind, lost our way as a profession. In our all-out national effort to improve the quality of teaching and
When Ken and Yetta’s Festschrift came along, I thought long and hard about what I could contribute. It had to be something that honored the infl uence of their work on my own thinking AND was also at the core of my professional life space. I owe Ken and Yetta a lot, both intellectually and professionally, even though there have been times, I’m sure, when they’d just as soon not have to acknowledge having ANY infl uence they might have had on things I’ve said and written. Yes, we have had our intellectual tussles from time to time. But through all of those tussles, we have built mutual respect and enduring friendship. Both Ken and Yetta gave me a lot of support personally when I was a new kid on the block in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They helped me get on NCTE and IRA programs, listened to my frustrations at not being able to crack the publication ceiling, and invited me into their professional community. For their collegial support, I am forever grateful. But I am also grateful for their contributions to my own world view, particularly the centrality of language in understanding reading, a commitment to constructive views of learning and teaching, and an abiding respect for learners.
