WE TURN OUR FOCUS periodically at School Administrator to the always-vital subject of literacy — and more particularly to the work inherent in raising the writing and reading skills of all students. The role of school leadership in this mighty quest figures prominently in our editorial coverage.

In this issue, we are fortunate to include the work of a prominent literacy authority, Lucy Calkins, a professor at Columbia University’s Teachers College, whose grade-level teaching units are used widely in K-12 classrooms. Her attention here focuses on the reading and writing framework that she developed. It’s complemented by separate on-the-ground perspectives by a pair of superintendents, Nancy Lubarsky and Jeremy Palotti, whom Calkins and her staff have worked with.

You’ll also find stories about some pacesetting efforts to raise literacy levels in school districts located on both coasts. Betsy Webb addresses the all-hands-on-deck philosophy behind teaching literacy in Bangor, Maine, while Mary Sieu describes instruction and support for English language learners and children of poverty in her Los Angeles-area district.

Finally, we can’t resist pointing you to several of the relevant editorial cartoons appearing this month in Leadership Lite — a fitting coda to our focus on literacy.