Sam Hillyard's (2010) recent article has the value of highlighting the issue of theory development in interactionism, ethnography, and the sociology of education. It also reminds of a fruitful, and unique, research programme in educational research that stretched from the early 1960s into the 1990s. However, in the author's view Hillyard's discussion is misleading in several respects. Some of these are specific points of historical, textual, or conceptual inaccuracy. Others relate to the issue of theory development, and her criticisms of the author's evaluation of this research programme 25 years ago (Hammersley, 1985). In this article, the author contends that while Hillyard's article serves the function of highlighting issues that continue to be important, its contribution is blighted by some important misinterpretations and failings. It seems to demonstrate that there has been little collective progress made in dealing with these issues since the path-breaking work of Lacey and Hargreaves that she rightly celebrates. (Contains 2 notes.)