Episode 395: Planting Along the Fence—Reclaiming Literacy's Commons

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Recorded24 Oct 2025

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Today’s episode critiques the standardisation of literacy education through legislative efforts like California’s AB 1454. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, argues that reforms, often framed around evidence-based instruction like phonics, have built a “fence” around literacy, reducing it from a communal, meaning-making “commons” to a technical act focused on compliance and metrics. Dr. Hoerricks suggests that this system marginalises neurodivergent and gestalt learners, but reveals an opportunity within the law’s requirement for professional development through its “equivalency” clause. She proposes using her own research-based books—Holistic Language Instruction, Decolonising Language Education, and No Place for Autism?—to occupy and repurpose the mandated training structure, thereby redefining what counts as evidence and restoring inclusive, meaning-first pedagogy. The central metaphor encourages educators to “plant along the fence,” transforming the structure of control into a scaffolding for a new, resilient ecosystem of learning.Here’s the link to the source article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/planting-along-the-fence-reclaimingLet me know what you think.The AutSide is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autside.substack.com/subscribe

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