The three-sentence memo contained several mistakes. A sense of humor is extremely useful in challenging large, powerful organizations. The memo quoted above was not the only example of spelling or grammatical errors in NCAA memos. Some readers may think this is getting a bit picky, and, to some extent, that's true. When faced with absurdity, a sense of humor helps.
Alliances can produce constant and sometimes unanticipated benefits.
What began as a handful of frustrated educators and families evolved into a loose alliance of hundreds of folks and a number of organizations. Just as the 1997 NCAA convention began, USA Today printed a prominent article questioning the NCAA's procedures, in part because the alliance had issued a statement signed by people ranging from liberals such as Jonathan Kozol, Ted Sizer, and Deborah Meier to conservatives such as Jeanne Allen. The National Association of State Boards of Education was one of the few national organizations to join the alliance. In addition, Phi Delta Kappa, the American Association of School Administrators, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and the American Association of School Administrators ran articles in their national magazines publicizing the problem. Battling the NCAA was one of the first national issues that brought together educators from charter schools and district-run public schools.