I hope to see you at NCTE!

Thank you to @ncte.org for giving my book “Teach Truth” the 2026 David H. Russell award! This is a victory for my great-great grandma Laura Lenoir who was enslaved and forbidden to learn to read or write. open.substack.com/pub/jessehag...

Teach Truth Wins the 2026 David H. Russell Award

Praised for its “extraordinary timeliness” and “extremely well-written and engaging accessibility,” the book “keeps alive our collective hope in combatting racism.”

open.substack.com

Wednesday, October 7, is the last day to receive our best pricing for #NCTE26, happening November 19–22 in Philadelphia! Nonmembers save $70 compared to regular rates, and members can save double that. Don't miss out on this year's incredible program—register today! https://bit.ly/4bilTUK

This #BannedBooksWeek, for the fifth year in a row, NCTE’s leadership is recognized in a federal bicameral resolution supporting the freedom to read books without censorship and the freedom of expression of writers. Learn about the NCTE-endorsed resolution to #LetBooksBe: https://bit.ly/4hETCwp

NCTE Endorses Federal Resolution Supporting Freedom to Read, Write, and Learn

For the fifth year in a row, NCTE's leadership is recognized in a federal bicameral resolution supporting the freedom to read books without censorship.

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The #NCTE26 Middle Level Luncheon will feature Nic Stone, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Dear Martin, New York Times bestsellers Dear Justyce and Clean Getaway, and Fast Pitch, a YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers selection! Save your spot today: https://bit.ly/4bilTUK

The English Language Arts Teacher Educators is excited to welcome this year’s ELATE Luncheon speaker, Raina J. León, at #NCTE26! Connect with colleagues while hearing from the 2026–27 Poet Laureate of Philadelphia. Save your spot now; early-bird registration rates end Oct. 7! https://bit.ly/4bilTUK

“I want to make sure I give them the opportunity to be authors of their own work.” —Victoria Dotson, 5th grade teacher and NCTE Elementary Teacher Cohort member Read more from Victoria about the benefits of—and strategies for—teaching writing through in-class journaling: https://bit.ly/3THAXqr

Journaling can help students get to know each other, themselves

Giving students time and autonomy to write about themselves can build their voice and their joy for storytelling, one educator says.

k12dive.com

Journalist and former English teacher @clintsmithiii.bsky.social will be the keynote speaker at the #NCTE26 Secondary Section Luncheon! You can even score an advance copy of his new book Just Beneath the Soil: World War II Through the Eyes of Its Last Witnesses. Register now! https://bit.ly/4bilTUK

Elementary educators teach their students not just academic skills, but also how to understand themselves, connect with others, and become part of a community. Explore this critical work from several perspectives in the new issue of Classroom Corridors: https://bit.ly/4zqdt8D

So looking forward to this! Join me, @naemmanuele.bsky.social, and @ncte.org this Tuesday!

National Council of Teachers of English@ncte.org · last mo.

Join the Conference on English Leaderhsip (CEL) for a discussion with @manshel.bsky.social about the history of secondary American English education, from the literary canon to parallel institutions of Advanced Placement, CliffsNotes, the Common Core State Standards, and more. https://bit.ly/4ifZmxa

Explore NCTE's 2026 Position Statement on Media Education and what it means for you! This conversation will cover the statement strands—Interpreting, Composing, Evaluating, Analyzing—and how they connect to the reading, writing, and critical thinking skills you already teach. https://bit.ly/4ANxqYq

Enjoy lunch with this year’s winners of the NCTE Children's Book and Poetry Awards! Meet the 2026 winners and get signed copies of their books at the event, which can be added to your #NCTE26 registration for an additional fee. See you there! https://bit.ly/4bilTUK

Congratulations to HEP author Sarah J. Donovan, who was recently honored with @ncte.org's 2026 Julia E. Berry Research Award! Find out more here:

The Berry Research Award

The Berry Research Award supports NCTE members in the teaching, learning, and application of literacy learning

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NCTE initiates ELA standards update for grades 6-12, inaugural standards for K-5 These standards will work together and integrate modern instructional needs concerning media and data literacy across K–12. Teachers, teacher educators, and researchers may apply to contribute: https://bit.ly/4dzScAA

NCTE members have one week left to enjoy a complimentary at-home screening of Story & Pictures By! Featuring acclaimed creators Christian Robinson, Yuyi Morales, and Mac Barnett, the film explores the artistry, imagination, and experiences behind today's picturebooks. https://bit.ly/4ytAIxU

Early-bird savings end October 7 for the 2026 NCTE Annual Convention, happening in Philadelphia November 19–22! Reinvigorate your love of teaching and connect with ELA teachers from across the country this fall. Register for #NCTE26 now! https://convention.ncte.org/registration/

You're invited to a virtual variety show featuring a star-studded lineup of champions of books, authors, and readers! NCTE is sponsoring this event as part of our work with partners across the country to stand up for the freedom to read. Learn more and register ➡️ tinyurl.com/ShowUpSpeakUp

Let's talk #StoryAndPicturesByFilm with @ascenzimoreno.bsky.social! https://bit.ly/4ytAIxU 🖋️ Dive into the creative process of picturebook authors and illustrators. 🖌️ Explore connections between picturebooks, literacy, and classroom engagement. 🖋️ Consider the role of picturebooks in readers’ lives.

Visionary educators at schools, universities, libraries, and nonprofit organizations across the country will be honored among thousands of colleagues at #NCTE26 after receiving prestigious 2026 NCTE Leadership Awards. Read the press release: https://bit.ly/4gVdBGF

We can’t wait to welcome author and champion of young writers Dave Eggers to #NCTE26 at the Secondary Section Get-Together on Thursday, November 19, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. Admission is included with your Convention registration. Register now! https://bit.ly/4bilTUK

Thank you @ncte.org! 🙏🏽📚😎 I’m honored and can’t wait to see everyone in Philly in November!

National Council of Teachers of English@ncte.org · 4w ago

Black History Is for Everyone, by @brianjoneseducator.bsky.social, has received the 2026 NCTE George Orwell Award for Distinguished Contribution to Honesty and Clarity in Public Language! Jones will be honored at #NCTE26 in Philadelphia. Learn more in the press release: https://bit.ly/3Tqdl9y

Black History Is for Everyone, by @brianjoneseducator.bsky.social, has received the 2026 NCTE George Orwell Award for Distinguished Contribution to Honesty and Clarity in Public Language! Jones will be honored at #NCTE26 in Philadelphia. Learn more in the press release: https://bit.ly/3Tqdl9y

Dolly Parton’s literacy advocacy, philanthropy, and music touched countless lives. We are proud to have presented the Dollywood Foundation with the NCTE Literacy Award in 1998. Watch her recorded message about the award. https://bit.ly/4ywBkms

Remembering Dolly Parton, Icon and Remarkable Literacy Champion

YouTube video by NCTE

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NCTE members are invited to stream #StoryAndPicturesByFilm, the first feature documentary to go behind the scenes with #KidLit authors and artists who create children’s picturebooks, then join a discussion between the film's creators and @ascenzimoreno.bsky.social! Register: https://bit.ly/4ytAIxU

An Emmy Win and Powerful Moment of Collective Joy and Resistance www.slj.com/story/An-Emm...

An Emmy Win and Powerful Moment of Collective Joy and Resistance

The Librarians documentary won the Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking, and the filmmaking team brought the librarians on stage with them. The librarians, of course, brought books.

slj.com

We know that student voices impact teachers' classroom practice and decisions every day. What do you think that 5th-graders from Chicago wish they could tell their teachers about themselves as readers and writers? Read this open-access #ClassroomCorridors article to find out: https://bit.ly/4gZE2d9

Dear Teacher: From Your Students

Fifth-grade students write letters about what they want their teachers to know about them as readers and writers.

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Our community is mourning the loss of Jennifer Buehler. An NCTE member for more than 27 years, she served as President of the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN) in 2016. Read more about Jen's accomplishments and contributions in this tribute by Kelly (Kel) Sassi: https://bit.ly/4gM50WF

Join the Conference on English Leaderhsip (CEL) for a discussion with @manshel.bsky.social about the history of secondary American English education, from the literary canon to parallel institutions of Advanced Placement, CliffsNotes, the Common Core State Standards, and more. https://bit.ly/4ifZmxa

We can’t wait to welcome author and former ballerina Misty Copeland to the NCTE Annual Convention in Philly this fall! Copeland will take the stage Friday morning, November 20, with a book signing to follow. This is your cue: Register for #NCTE26 today! https://bit.ly/4bilTUK

Each Sept. 8 since 1967, International #LiteracyDay is celebrated around the world "to remind policymakers, practitioners, and the public of the critical importance of literacy for creating more literate, just, peaceful, and sustainable society." Learn more at ReadWriteThink: https://bit.ly/3UR5zG3