Why Educators Like Dr. Sam Bommarito Hesitate to Embrace Grassroots Innovations: A Centrist’s Polite Pivot

In 2021, I had a cordial Zoom call with Dr. Sam Bommarito—a self-described centrist who believes teachers matter more than programs. I shared my methods for reigniting reading in “shut-down” kids—those labeled dyslexic or unreachable—using sound-pure techniques that correct the muddled phonics often taught in English. He listened attentively, asked thoughtful questions, but the interview never aired. A year later, he called my work “a great gift to literacy” in an email. Still, no deeper engagement followed.

 

This pattern—warm praise without action—is common among academics who value balance over disruption. My methods, drawn from teaching real children rather than peer-reviewed studies, challenge entrenched practices. To centrists like Dr. Bommarito, even practical fixes can feel like picking sides in the phonics wars.

 

Since 2004, I’ve taught over a hundred children, including children and parents I taught via Zoom, Skype and WhatsApp, many multilingual and fluent in Malay or Hanyu Pinyin, yet confused by English due to poor sound modeling—like teaching /b/ as “buh.” I’ve shown video evidence of kids grasping sounds when taught correctly. But without formal research, these wins are often dismissed.

 

This mirrors broader educational patterns. Project Follow Through proved direct instruction worked best, yet its results were buried. Nancy Hennessy noted that systemic change fails when teacher retraining is ignored. My book Shut Down Kids shows how early confusion leads to lifelong aversion, misdiagnosed as dyslexia.

 

Dr. Bommarito’s framework celebrates adaptable teachers, yet hesitates to amplify grassroots fixes that expose flaws in mainstream methods. His centrism seeks harmony, but risks sidelining what works.

 

He’s not the villain—he’s a bridge-builder. But if more educators aired the raw successes of practitioners like me, illiteracy could plummet. As I told him, “I don’t like to say no to any tool that helps a child read.” That’s the middle ground we need—not just exploring sides, but committing to results.