Wow that is very interesting!
Yep....I heard that story from two different sources while finishing my masters. The reading professors at UVA are very anti Whole Word and have made great strides in pushing their balanced approach.
In fact, all public schools in VA use the PALS testing and materials, provided by UVA. Look up PALS some time to see what they have put together. It is avaialable to anyone
However, as another funny observation...I don’t know if you know that in the education world the more liberal you are, the more likely you are to endorse Whole Language. Conversely, conservatives are seen to support phonics. The professors at UVA involved with Reading First, Pals, and the specific teaching of balanced literacy with emphasis on phonics. So now the Curry school of education has been accused of being “Right-Wing Bigots,” “Conservative CaveMen,” “in lock step with the Radical right” and “in league with the Christian schools” by Whole Language liberals. Trust me, they are anything BUT conservative politically and have been very uncomfortable with the labels thrown at them. I had an in-depth conversation with one of the big-whigs at the Curry Dept. of Ed about how it felt to be broad-brushed.....Hm....... things that make you think huh?