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            Votes and vetoes

 

VOTES
NCTE members passed three resolutions this winter that speak to issues at the heart of our profession right now. Resolutions are proposed at NCTE’s Annual Convention each fall, approved by the Board of Directors, and then sent out to all members for a vote. Learn more about the: 

  • Resolution on Contemporary Discourse and the English Language Arts Classroom
  • Resolution on Legislation to Protect the Rights of Student Journalists
  • Resolution Opposing High-Stakes Teacher Candidate Performance Assessments


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Want to reach out to your leaders with news of our resolutions or around other issues? Check out this new feature from Facebook that lets you do just that.

VETOES
On March 23, Governor Terry McAuliffe of Virginia vetoed House Bill 2191, which would have required schools to notify parents if their child is enrolled in a course in which the instructional materials or related academic activities include sexually explicit content or the potential for sexually explicit content. NCTE and VATE members have written letters (here is a recent example) and provided testimony opposing this legislation since 2014.


FIELD NOTES
An new post from Executive Director Emily Kirkpatrick features a slideshow of images from the CCCC Convention that took place earlier this month. 

member spotlight  


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Did you know that April 2 is International Fact-Checking Day? Thanks to NCTE member Antero Garcia, who partnered with the Poynter Institute, you can “introduce your class to the basics of fact-checking, and help them navigate through an ocean of information, rumors, hoaxes and lies” with this lesson plan. Another great resource on “fake news” can be found in this 60 Minutes episode

Jenny Kirsh got a shout-out in last week’s issue of The Teachers Edition, which ran a piece about her post titled “Digital Storytelling” from the Literacy & NCTE blog.

sj Miller is featured in this CBS news special "Gender: The Space Between."

Special thanks to all our members who wrote blog posts over the last few weeks. You can review an archive of those posts here

Awards  

Early Career Educator of Color Leadership Award
Deadline: April 15
Practicing preK- to university-level literacy educators of color who are in the first five years of a paid teaching career are welcome to apply for this incredible learning and leadership opportunity with NCTE. 

CCCC Outstanding Book Award Deadline: May 1
Presented annually for work in the field of composition and rhetoric, the CCCC Outstanding Book Award gives two awards—one for a single-authored or multi-authored work and one for an edited collection of scholarly work. A work eligible for the 2018 award will have been published in calendar year 2016 or 2017. Visit the award guidelines for further details.

NCTE Affiliate Awards Deadline: May 1
There are many awards available to affiliates, covering everything from intellectual freedom to journals to membership. 

NCTE Outstanding Middle Level Educator in the English Language Arts Award
Deadline: May 1
For this award, we are seeking English language arts teachers of grades 6–8 who have demonstrated excellence in teaching English language arts and inspired a spirit of inquiry and a love of learning in their students.

Professional growth and resources  

NCTE Web Seminars 
Take an hour to immerse yourself in thoughtful learning around relevant issues and approaches. These Web seminars are FREE to NCTE members: 

#NCTEchat April 9, 8:00 p.m. EDT 
"The Art and Joy of Poetry" Hosted by: Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, @amylvpoemfarm (View the archive from the March chat.) 

Summer Learning

Everyday Advocacy June 27–29, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti

Got an issue you want to address? Join fellow educators for “Telling Our Stories/Raising Our Voices: From Anecdote to Action,” an intensive summer workshop that will help you develop an action plan for everyday advocacy. 

Brontë Sisters Documentary
To Walk Invisible: The Brontë Sisters aired Sunday, March 26, on PBS Masterpiece. Teaching resources that utilize clips from the show will be available here.

Take action  


Support Literacy Funding Deadline: March 30, 2017
Write your representative and ask him or her to sign on to the Dear Colleague letter to support literacy funding. 

NCTE Advocacy Day April 27, Washington, DC 
Join NCTE for a full day of discussion about education policy and visits to legislative offices on Capitol Hill. We’ve just confirmed that Virginia Foxx will keynote. We’re also planning several activities that members can do from home. 

US Department of Education Call for Peer Reviewers
Deadline: April 14, 2017
The US Department of Education is seeking peer reviewers of grants for the Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy (SRCL) program, which advances literacy skills, including preliteracy skills, reading, and writing, for children from birth through grade 12, with an emphasis on disadvantaged children, including children living in poverty, English learners, and children with disabilities. Contact Cindy Savage at cindy.savage@ed.gov

Election Ballots Will Be Sent Out Soon
NCTE, CEE, TYCA, and Section election ballots will be sent by email to current members in April. Visit "My Account" on the NCTE website if you wish to make changes to your email address or update your member profile. You may phone NCTE Customer Service at 877-369-6283 to update this information as well. Elections will close at 11:59 p.m. Central Time, Thursday, June 1. 

Write for the Literacy & NCTE Blog
As we gear up for Advocacy Day, we’re looking for stories we can share throughout the month of April about your experiences working for change. April is also Poetry Month. Share your poetry or that of your students. 

 

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A Professional Association of Educators in English Studies, Literacy, and Language Arts