ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to prepare music teachers to respond to literacy mandates without yielding in their commitment to music literacy goals. Since the form of these institutional expectations changes drastically from location to location, the only realistic approach here is to address the issue in the most general sense—to "stack the deck" in music teachers' favor, as it were. This "stacking of the deck" requires that music teachers nurture three things, combined with their unyielding commitment to music literacy goals. The goals are a clear awareness of the distinction between general literacy and traditional literacy goals in terms of compatibility with music literacy goals, some practical strategies for addressing literacy mandates with minimal negative impact to music literacy instruction, and effective communication with administrators regarding literacy. The most substantial elements of the council of chief state school that can be helpful for music literacy are ten reading standards for science and technical subjects.
