This article argues that literacy educators must take time to advocate for research-informed instructional responses in this age of Common Core State Standards and Race to the Top mandates. To that end, it offers four key ideas regarding: (a) what we know about instruction, (b) the need for long-term, continuously revised planning, (c) literacy in our growing technological world, and (d) the nature and origins of literacy teacher expertise. It describes how literacy theory and research connect to the new initiatives, raises concerns about responses that do not reflect literacy scholarship, suggests how to proceed to find the most effective ways to address new mandates, and offers numerous references and resources to assist in the implementation of these new initiatives.