Beyond Straw Men and False Choices: A Guest Post by Dr. G. Reid Lyon On Dr. Linda Diamond’s Substack How very fortunate the literacy community is to have Dr. G. Reid Lyon’s voice, wisdom, and writing guiding our field. Below please see a link to this just released Substack from Dr. G. Reid Lyon posted as a guest on Dr. Linda Diamond’s Substack. It is a call to action for each and everyone of us dedicated to ensuring all are literate. First, Dr. Lyon posits that the current reading wars have become more about identity than evidence, tribal and rhetorical rather than scientific. Second, that the single most persistent error in these debates is conflating weak implementation with weak science: a program failing in a school doesn't tell you the science is wrong, it tells you something about whether the conditions for success existed. Third, that the way out isn't more debate, it's ambassadorship: getting close to schools, documenting what actually happens, and sharing that evidence continuously and generously. The tone is worth noting too. Dr. Lyon is explicitly refusing to keep fighting. He's calling on practitioners to stop waiting for the debate to resolve and instead become living proof that the science works — one school, one teacher, one student at a time. The science DOES work, friends! Let’s focus our efforts on building one another up. Celebrate the small wins and the big wins. Let’s share each and every incremental and significant move forward!!! Let’s be the Ambassadors of Tangible and Deliverable Hope and Solutions, that Dr. Lyon calls us to be. I’m in! Let’s do this! Do not miss this Substack from Dr. Lyon and please share it widely! Reid Diane Lyon P.S. I created a visual summary to go along with it as well. 😊 Access here: lindadiamondeducator76.subst…