The education profession as well as the public do not need exposure to more one-sided opinions about the need for academic preschools, about how to generate higher standards, about how poorly United States schools perform as compared to schools in other industrialized nations, and about other potentially volatile issues. In responding to the barrage of criticism aimed at literacy-learning practices, educators have a responsibility of looking at the "big picture." The following suggestions may be helpful: treat parental concerns as serious matters; involve parents in curriculum development; communicate with colleagues across grade levels; encourage quiet time at home; and work cooperatively and congruently with outside tutors and clinics. An educator learned that "sometimes reactive is proactive," by responding to a letter to the editor of "The New York Times" that unjustly criticized a series of articles in the newspaper that presented "a balanced perspective" of whole language practices at a Long Island school district. Students, parents, administrators, teachers, and tutors should work cooperatively to reinforce the perspective that skills are genuinely valued and that they are connected to meaningful contexts during daily instructional practice. (Ten additional proactive suggestions are attached.) (RS)