Promising Young Writers Advisory Committee

The NCTE Promising Young Writers program makes use of an advisory committee and state coordinators. Their charges are as follows:

Promising Young Writers Committee: To advise staff on the nature, policies, and procedures regarding the NCTE Promising Young Writer Awards, including the following issues: to develop a specific plan for involving more public schools in the awards, especially those with large non-white populations.

To prepare a written set of recommendations for the Executive Committee regarding the following: revision of the structure of the award to mitigate the negative effects of competition on student identity and learning; consideration and development of diversified awards: that recognize development of English Language Learners in writing in their first language as well as English composition; that recognize remarkable improvement or growth in writing; that recognize multi-modal composition (digital or non-digital); and that recognize remarkable risk-taking with the process of writing, instead of the exclusive focus on the final draft; and consideration of revising the Promising Young Writer Awards procedure, to eliminate the test-like, single-draft, timed essay as part of the award criteria, since recent developments in high-stakes assessment already privilege those who write quickly.

State Coordinators: To advise the NCTE staff liaison on any changes that should be made in the Promising Young Writers program; to review judging procedures; to recommend judges; to recommend ways to publicize the program; to coordinate judging of papers within the state; to help disseminate information about the winners; and to suggest topics for the impromptu theme.

If you would like to be considered for future volunteer service with this group, please send an e-mail to and provide the following information in the body of your e-mail: (1)     Name (2)     Member number.  (If you are not currently a member, please provide your address and phone number.) (3)     Name of the role for which you wish to be considered (4)     Preferred e-mail address (if other than the one used to submit this request.) For more information about volunteering with NCTE, please visit www.ncte.org/about/over/vol.

Current Members 

CHAIR, Kia Jane Richmond (2008)
(Northern Michigan University, Marquette)

Shannon D. Collins (2009)
(Tennessee Tech University, Cookeville)

Constance Hauer (2009)
(Manatee Middle School, Naples, FL)

Matthew Kilian McCurrie (2009)
(Columbia College, Chicago, IL)

Reva Sias (2009)
(Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma City)

Judy Wallis (2009)
(Spring Branch I.S.D., Houston, TX)

Leah A. Zuidema (2009)
(Dordt College, Sioux City, IA)

Executive Committee Liaison, Kathleen Blake Yancey 
(Florida State University, Tallahassee)

NCTE Administrative Liaison, Linda Walters

2007

CHAIR, Kia Jane Richmond (2008)
(Northern Michigan University, Marquette)

Matthew Kilian McCurrie (2009)
(Columbia College, Chicago, IL)

Leah A. Zuidema (2009)
(Dordt College, Sioux Center, IA)

Executive Committee Liaison, Kyoko Sato 
(California State University, Northridge)

NCTE Administrative Liaison, Linda Walters

2006

CHAIR, Kia Jane Richmond (2008)
(Northern Michigan University, Marquette)

Matthew Kilian McCurrie (2009)
(Columbia College, Chicago, IL)

Diane Sievers (2006)
(Golden, CO)

Leah A. Zuidema (2009)
(Dordt College, Sioux Center, IA)

Executive Committee Liaison, Randy Bomer 
(University of Texas at Austin)

NCTE Administrative Liaison, Linda Walters

2005

CHAIR, James Johnston (2005)
(South Windsor, CT)

Jacquelwyn Anthony (2005)
(Decatur, GA)

Sharon Crossen (2005)
(Poltech High School, Woodside, DE)

Kia Jane Richmond (2007)
(Northern Michigan University, Marquette)

Diane Sievers (2006)
(Golden, CO)

Martha Swedlund (2005)
(Richland, WA)

Executive Committee Liaison, Patricia Lambert Stock
(Michigan State University, East Lansing)

NCTE Administrative Liaison, Linda Walters

2004

CHAIR, James Johnston (2005)
(South Windsor, CT)

Jacquelwyn Anthony (2005)
(Decatur, GA)

Deborah Barriere (2004)
(Fort Bend School District, IN)

Sharon Crossen (2005)
(Poltech High School, Woodside, DE)

Patsy Lockhart (2004)
(Fremont, CA)

Diane Sievers (2005)
(Golden, CO)

Martha Swedlund (2005)
(Richland, WA)

NCTE Staff Liaison, Millie Davis

2003

CHAIR, James Johnston
(South Windsor, CT)

Patsy Lockhart
(Fremont, CA)

Diane Sievers
(Golden, CO)

Martha Swedlund
(Richland, WA)

NCTE Staff Liaison, Millie Davis  

2002

This reconstituted committee is currently being formed.

Executive Committee Liaison, Pat Graff
(La Cueva High School, NM)

NCTE Staff Liaison, Sandra E Gibbs

2001

CHAIR, Kim S Ford
(Cypress Jr. High, Memphis, TN)

Phyllis Ayers
(VA Department of Education, Richmond)

Gary Banker
(Superior, WI)

Patricia D Bradford
(Hyattsville Middle School, MD)

Donna A Logan
(Blacksburg Middle School, VA)

Rose F Schmitt
(Florida Air Academy, Melbourne, FL)

Steven Parsons Smith
(Outlook School, MT)

Executive Committee Liaison, Akiko C Morimoto
(Washington Middle School, Vista, CA)

NCTE Staff Liaison, Sandra E Gibbs