This paper discusses the role of linguistics in educational planning and argues that, in order for sociolinguistic principles to be introduced and implemented, it will be necessary for sociolinguists to remember the failures of linguistics in the past, to rethink their attitudes concerning the relationship of their discipline to education, and to plan a program for influencing teacher preparation, research, materials development and evaluation. Sociolinguists will have to: become tolerant of the discipline toward which they hope to have influence; start from the problems as they are perceived by the target group; examine extant innovative strategies and motivations and develop new ones or adapt old ones; and address the implementation of their goals by infiltrating professional education organizations. It is concluded that the implementation of sociolinguistic planning in the schools is not likely to be any more successful than structural or generative linguistics was unless the task is seen from a realistically broad perspective which includes political as well as academic components. (Author/AM)