Collaborating Across Educational Divides: WHY IT IS IMPORTANT FOR LITERACY AND WHAT IT TAKES

The purpose of this commentary is to explore the prospect of reaching out and collaborating for our future in literacy education. Conley argues that we have not always known how to collaborate well. We have not been good collaborators in some instances, and because we have not always been open and inviting, it has been difficult for others to collaborate with us. He concludes the commentary with a series of recommendations, or lessons that have worked for him, as he has engaged in collaborating with many kinds of professionals on behalf of literacy throughout his career. Hopefully, what he has learned about collaboration will be useful to you as well as the literacy profession as a whole as we confront today's challenges.