Letter from the President

And then the sun decides it has had enough and disappears. Who can blame him?

But one thing I know for sure: if I make it to Thanksgiving break, there will be space. A breath. And time. For that, I am truly thankful.

This last week, I have been reflecting a lot on Cornelius Minor’s keynote at our ICTE Conference in 2022. And he told us that in hard times, we, as a group, can find lots of paths forward. That’s what artists do. And that is the purpose of our work together. To advocate. To lead. To write. The Toni Morrison quote he shared popped up in my memories to remind me that our ancestors have done the work to get here. And now, it is our turn.

As you work through this never ending stretch that might seem extra dark this month, know that we are still here. Planning. Supporting. Preparing. And we will need you to along side us for the most important task: teaching the future.

For now, be gentle on your souls. There will be time to work soon.

Nikki Smith

ICTE President

VOTE!

September Board Meeting

In our monthly meetings since September, we have been working diligently on our “Playbook” to ensure our ICTE affiliate has a one-stop-shop to give clarity to the roles and responsibilities each member of leadership plays, including processes and procedures and to give clarity to how each role supports our mission and vision. The Playbook includes bigger picture sections on partnerships, events, financial management, and bylaws to smaller picture sections like contact information and links to forms/surveys.

Another piece in our monthly meetings is ensuring our ICTE affiliate is prepared for the NCTE Conference. Attending NCTE provide sessions that focus on our needs to grow our membership and support all with advocacy, contributing to the overall growth of our organization. The NCTE Conference is November 21-24 in Boston—our team is prepared to represent us well. We can’t wait to reap the benefits of all they learn and implement them into our organization and strategic plan.