I think that requiring an English education class to subscribe to ATEG is an excellent idea. While I am an old mossback who appreciates the contributions of Chomsky to grammar as much as his contributions to political thought, I think that prospective English teachers must know that no one has a lock on the truth--no matter what the textbook might say. I swear by Pence and Emory; others swear at them or try to dismiss R-K diagramming as outdated. Others feel the same way about IC. Some Chomskyites know exactly what to believe, at least until the next book comes out. As opinionated as I am, it's important for English teachers both to know that grammar is not a monolith and to gain the skills of discrimination in order to make their own informed decisions. I'm not enough of a dinosaur to work for the WE SAY SO corporation. The teacher applicants would do well to get a copy of the grammar book, if any, that is used in the school district and familiarize themselves with the text before the interview. I did not do that one time and was asked what I though about Robert's. I responded that the approach had merit; however, it was very poorly executed and developed ideas far too slowly. I was still offered the position, but I declined. As for appearance, the weirdo "stylish" haircuts for men and the highly styled uncombed look for women may be your personal preference; however, elementary and secondary school teaching is probably the most conservative of professions. Conform, at least until you have tenure. Teaching has the highest drop-out rate of any profession in the first three years. If you loving teaching, stick with the program until the dust has settled. The ATEG conference is 7 1/2 to 14 hours one-way flight time at a cost of $885.50. I'll wait until the conference is a wee bit closer, particularly because I am already committed to presenting papers in Toronto and London this summer. Scott Catledge ********************************************************* To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/