Affiliate Leadership Meeting July 8-10
Leaders from regions 2, 4, 5, and 6 should plan to attend this year’s annual Affiliate Leadership Meeting (with NCTE’s cost-share). St. Louis is the site. See the details on the NCTE website. The photograph shows Jean Boreen, SCOA Chair, and Kathy Nelson, Region 4 Representative, collaborating with others. Dozens of photographs of leaders from regions 2, 4, 5, and 6 illustrate the variety of collaboration to expect at this year’s meeting.

In addition to work with regional representatives to SCOA and NCTE staff, participants will learn of Vice President Jocelyn Chadwick’s initiative for the 2017 Annual Convention: “Empowerment: Dismantling and Rebuilding, Recapturing Our Voices, Our Agency, Our Mission.” Jocelyn added the following reflection to the April conference call of SCOA representatives.

“As your liaison, I want to pursue an ongoing conversation—both sharing and, most importantly, listening. Sharing: our new initiative for transparency, collaboration, and a focus on our membership of teachers. With this aim in mind, I look forward to listening in on your conversations and groups during our time together this summer and to continuing the conversation throughout my tenure on the presidential team and, hopefully, beyond.”

This Month’s NCTE Guideline: Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing
This joint project (2011) with the Council of Writing Program Administrators and the National Writing Project still holds relevance for teachers of writing at all levels. In addition to a list of “habits of mind” like curiosity, persistence, and creativity, the document lists ways teachers can develop those skills “writing, reading, and critical analysis.” Sections define and encourage teachers to cover rhetorical knowledge, writing processes, knowledge of conventions, and composing in multiple environments.

See also Millie Davis’s recent post to NCTE’s blog Literacy and NCTE. She credits a winner of the 2015 NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing and a recent initiative of the Nebraska Writing Project.

Request for States’ Implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
Lu Ann McNabb, in NCTE’s Washington, DC, Office, seeks information on how all 50 states are implementing the ESSA. Affiliate leaders with information about how their states are participating can help by emailing Lu Ann.

July 15 Deadlines
Affiliate presidents and executive directors, please complete the annual report for your affiliate before July 15. The electronic forms are available on the NCTE website. Separate forms are available for student affiliates to file their annual reports.

If you are proud of your affiliate’s accomplishments during this academic year, apply for the Affiliate Excellence Award before the July 15 deadline.

Applications for the Student Affiliate Excellence Award are also due July 15.

Plan for 2016 NCTE Annual Convention
Online registration and hotel links are now available on the NCTE Annual Convention site. Make plans to attend November 17-20, 2016, in Atlanta. Authors of program proposals may also log on to the system to discover the status of their proposals.

Spread the word! Summer Professional Learning without the Hassle – and a discount for NCTE Affiliates! 
There’s a great online course starting this week that will help you re-think your approach to assessment. Sign up today for NCTE’s online course Using Evidence to Guide Teaching and Learning. Award-winning author Scott Filkins facilitates lively discussions and provides many excellent resources in a class you can participate in around your schedule. There are no time-specific meetings to attend, you just jump into the online forum each week and read, watch, and contribute to the learning with peers from across the country.  This is a valuable learning experience and a convenient way to earn a certificate for 15 contact hours. A recent participant in the course reflected:

“I have learned so much from this class, and, rather than feeling overwhelmed with the many ways I’d like to revise how I assess, I feel confident and inspired moving forward… This course has provided me with multiple useful tools…  I have shared many of the class assignments and discussions with my colleagues.”
–Ben Roth Shank, English Teacher from Virginia
The course normally costs $150 but for NCTE affiliates we’re offering a special code to give your members $50 off. Tell them to enter AFFILIATE16 in the discount code box at checkout and register for this highly rated professional learning experience for just $100. Don’t just take our word for it, read what other participants have had to say!