Earl links to an article written by lit professor Stanley Fish, arguing that composition students should be taught HOW to write as opposed to WHAT to write about.
One of the biggest problems that students have that I can see as both a parent and a college professor is that they don't know how to logically construct an argument using the English language. While black, brown, and poor kids of various ethnic backgrounds are hit hardest, this is an AMERICAN phenomenon.
I don't see this is as being an either-or thing. You should be able to teach content and form simultaneously. But what Fish is talking about is something a lot deeper than just giving people various models of essays. We should expect freshman comp students to be able to logically structure an argument. We shouldn't expect them to come out of that class knowing Ellison. Form should rule.