SLATE Newsletter


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Welcome to the August 2007 issue of the SLATE Newsletter! SLATE is NCTE's grassroots network that • seeks to influence public attitudes and policy decisions affecting the teaching of English language arts at local, state, and national levels; • seeks to implement and publicize the policies adopted by the National Council of Teachers of English; and • serves as NCTE's intellectual freedom network, providing support for those facing censorship challenges. Every NCTE member will receive SLATE updates on a regular basis, will have an opportunity to participate in SLATE campaigns, and will occasionally be invited to support SLATE through voluntary contributions.
From the Editor Fred Barton, Michigan State University, East Lansing Chair, NCTE/SLATE Steering Committee "May you live in interesting times" is a curse I'm told, but curse or not, one thing we can all agree on is that these days "interesting" is an adjective that has to do with a lot of work. NCTE Members Speak Out on NCLB Reform Kent Williamson, NCTE Executive Director What do literacy educators have to say about the future of NCLB? Plenty. First Person: Advocacy Day 2007 Susan Houser, Thurgood Marshall Middle School, St. Petersburg, Florida NCTE Middle Level Representative-at-Large The most positive experience I have had came this year on Advocacy Day. While talking with Representative Bilirakis from Tampa, Florida, he asked what I would do if I could change NCLB. 2008 NCTE Advocacy Day Join NCTE on Thursday, April 17, 2008, in Washington, D.C., for NCTE Advocacy Day or take action at home by calling, writing, or visiting your legislator in his or her home office. This is an opportunity to let your legislators know about good teaching and learning. Banned Books Week Is Sept. 29-Oct. 6 See the latest report of Censorship Challenges by Millie Davis, NCTE Division Director, Communications and Affiliate Services: "FY2007 was a much quieter year than FY2006 for censorship challenges." Learn more about the "Censorship in Schools and Libraries" exhibit available from the Long Island Coalition Against Censorship. Critical Policy Resources NCTE's Action Center and the Latest Action Alerts (sent to all NCTE members) NCTE's Anti-Censorship Center NCTE Position Statements NCTE Policy Collections NCTE Executive Committee Strategic Governance Policies (see "Strategic Governance" at the bottom of the page) SLATE Website (archives of past SLATE Newsletters, SLATE Starter Sheets, and other SLATE-related resources) Find your elected representatives at Congress.org. Don't Miss These Sessions at the NCTE Annual Convention in New York City SLATE: J.23, Sat., 11/17, 2:45-4:00 pm: "NCLB: A Vision for the Future. . . a Roadmap to Disaster" K.25, Sat., 11/17, 4:15-5:30 pm: "NCLB/Reading First: Accelerating in the Wrong Direction" Standing Committee Against Censorship: B.30, Fri., 11/16, 11:00 am-12:15 pm: "Speaking Out: Three Authors Discuss Their Experiences with Censorship" D.05, Fri., 11/16, 2:30-3:45 pm: "Defending Intellectual Freedom" Advocacy: Look for a Featured Session on Advocating for NCTE on the Hill Annual Business Meeting: Fri., 11/16, 5:30-7 pm: Submit a resolution on an issue that affects your teaching; October 15 is the deadline. Contribute to SLATE Your donation to SLATE will help us to implement and publicize the policies adopted by NCTE, to support NCTE’s anti-censorship work, and to influence public attitudes and policy decisions affecting the teaching of English language arts at local, state, and national levels. Donations can be made through the NCTE online store or by using the donation form (fax it to 217-278-3761 or mail it to SLATE, c/o NCTE, 1111 W. Kenyon Rd. Urbana, IL 61801-1096). NCTE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and all donations are tax deductible. Donations received by December 31 may be deducted from your income taxes for that year.

SLATE Newsletter is distributed by email by the National Council of Teachers of English, 1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801-1096; 800-369-6283. This online newsletter is mailed to you at the email address NCTE has on file for you. In it you'll find articles and information on and about issues that affect the teaching of the English language arts. If you would like NCTE to have a different email address on file for you, please email slate@ncte.org. If you do not wish to receive future SLATE emails, please send an email to slate@ncte.org.

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Copyright 2007 National Council of Teachers of English http://www.ncte.org

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