In this essay, the author explores the curious irony that a discipline and a profession organized around the study and teaching of language and literacy have had so little influence on the discursive constructions (policies) that govern the teaching of language and literacy. Part of the problem, as the author sees it, is simply that so little public policy work has been done and therefore there is little collective wisdom about undertaking it. Another part of the problem is that many policymakers refuse to acknowledge the legitimacy of knowledge claims. The challenge of those in English studies face, then, is twofold: (1) they need to learn (and to teach one another) how to do this work; and (2) they need to confront the forces that limit their visibility to policymakers. However daunting, this is a challenge that they must undertake, lest they lose control of their profession. (Contains 11 notes.)