Public criticism of the quality of education implies that teachers need a legal mandate to teach students to read and write. But while teachers may sometimes forget that transmitting knowledge of the English language is their most important function and that every child has the right to learn the language regardless of preconceived notions, legislative mandate is not enough. The following steps, if implemented with consistency and enthusiasm, will help educators improve language arts education, giving students fundamental skills in English and helping them find meaning through language: language arts teachers should (1) develop good curriculum and teaching guides; (2) develop better language skills evaluation programs; (3) use the intensive-immersion model for teaching language; (4) demand excellence of student performance; (5) work through professional organizations to reduce class size; (6) elect legislators supportive of education and keep them informed of educational efforts; (7) continue quality inservice teacher education; (8) negotiate professional development for teachers as part of the contract benefit package; (9) support professional organizations; (10) require excellence of teacher education programs; (11) demand excellence of remedial programs or, better still, keep remedial instruction in the regular classroom; and (12) use the Socratic questioning method of teaching. (HTH)