There's more to literacy than knowing how to spell.

Yes, the same title used for two posts in a row. Sue me.

Thing is, no sooner do I use the title on a mere urinal instruction than I see this, the Seattle School Board's race relations policy. Laban's concentrating on the political side of it, but forget about that. What bothers me is the language. I mean, just pick any sentence:

Third, a culturally competent helping professional is one who is in the process of actively developing and practicing appropriate, relevant, and sensitive intervention strategies and skills in working with his or her culturally different student.

I'd love to say that I trawled the piece for the worst sentence, but, really, no; I just picked that at random. Here's another:

The professional actively challenges their assumptions; they monitor their functioning via consultations, supervision, or continuing education.

Don't know about you, but I monitor my functioning regularly, ever since that visit to the doctor.

Tsk. This from an organisation responsible for teaching kids how to write. Parents: leave Seattle now.

Actually, I know I said to forget the political side, but I just can't restrain myself from pointing out that

The culturally competent professional does not profess color blindness

neatly rules out Martin Luther King. Which was it, I wonder? Was he uncultural, incompetent or amateurish?