Valerie Kinloch will chair the National Council of Teachers of English's annual convention this November

When the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) holds its 2021 Annual Convention on Nov. 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 Anti-racist Teaching” as the 2021 NCTE conference theme. More than 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,” said 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.