Dean Kinloch and Pitt Education to Lead 2021 NCTE Convention

When the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) holds its 2021 Annual Convention on November 16-18, the University of Pittsburgh School of Education community will have a strong presence.

Valerie Kinloch, Pitt Education’s Renée and Richard Goldman Dean and Professor, is chairing the convention and is president-elect of NCTE.

Kinloch selected “Equity, Justice, and Antiracist Teaching” as the 2021 NCTE conference theme. Well over 1,000 educators working in K-12 schools, higher education institutions, community contexts, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations are expected to attend the convention.

“At the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, our mission is to ignite learning and to strive for well-being for all—and these aspirations are reflected in the timely, important, and far-reaching work being done by NCTE,” says Kinloch. “Literacy education is foundational for achieving a more just and equitable society.”

Multiple Pitt Education faculty and students had proposals accepted to present panels and workshops at the convention. Among them is a group of students, faculty, and staff who are participating in a multi-year study group through the PittEd Justice Collective. They will share lessons learned in examining their own whiteness and, in turn, how to become stronger advocates for People of Color.

With more than 25,000 members, NCTE is a national organization for English language arts and literacy educators.

Former First Lady of the United States and best-selling author, Dr. Michelle Obama, will give a keynote address at the 2021 NCTE convention.

In addition to the Former First Lady, other speakers presenting at the conference include best-selling authors George M. Johnson and Colson Whitehead; and inaugural National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman.

According to Kinloch, “It is difficult for me to convey my full excitement at having an opportunity to learn from and be in community with such brilliant minds and accomplished people. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve as the 2021 program chair and President-Elect of NCTE. I am looking forward to the rich and inclusive conversations we will have about equity, justice, and antiracist teaching, particularly in the context of English language arts and literacy studies.”

At the conclusion of the convention, Kinloch will become President of NCTE. She will succeed current President Alfredo Celedón Luján.

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For questions or information, contact NCTEevents@ncte.org.