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Mike, good analysis.
I think that the big problem for beginners is composition and not focal length. Whether using fixed focal length or zoom the questions should be things like, is the frame full, are there leading lines adding strength, is there balance in the image, etc.
Believe it or not, there was a time when we all had SLRs with 50mm lenses. My kit was a Pentax Spotmatic, a 50/f1.8 and a preset 200/f3.5 and I was in the minority with that telephoto. I didn't know anyone with a zoom until 1969 and he was a pro. People still made really shitty images back then, just like they do today.
I think that telling beginners to change their perspectives and take several shots of the same scene is very useful. There are exceptions, but saying that shooting from the left or right or from a high or low perspective is almost always better than shooting straight, head-on. In my examples, I walked all around that street band and took maybe thirty images, but I think the strongest is the guy putting a buck in the bucket.
I think that attention to composition is really important and that zooms are not the culprit, but a really great tool for all photographers.
Dave
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