The NCTE This Story Matters Teacher Corps
Educators have long been at the forefront of advocacy for students, and never more so than in this time of attacks on intellectual freedom and students’ right to read. We are looking for NCTE members to lend their time, passion, and skill to continue to expand the NCTE book rationale database.
The This Story Matters Teacher Corps was launched in the fall of 2023. Thanks to additional grant funding, NCTE has formed five more members-only cohorts this winter! This is an exciting opportunity for educators to be involved in exclusive and unique intellectual freedom work.
“Being part of the This Story Matters Teacher Corps is both empowering and invigorating. It has me thinking deeply about books that may be challenged, crafting solid defenses of critically important stories in the form of teaching points, ties to curriculum standards, and positive reviews. In this era of increasing book challenges, our rationales offer a lifeline to teachers who want to use these books in their classrooms. They also create a bulwark to protect authors and their books, ensuring access to readers who need these stories now more than ever.”
—Mary E. Cronin, current Teacher Corps member
Two of the cohorts will focus on picturebooks and elementary books, helping to expand the scope of the database and reach as many educators as possible. The other three cohorts will focus on middle grade and YA titles. Each cohort of five members will be led by a facilitator and NCTE staff member, working collaboratively to write and review each rationale.
This opportunity is open only to NCTE members. Applicants should be current educators in K–12 education, children’s literature scholars, writers, collaborators, and, most importantly, readers. Experience with rationale writing is valuable but not a requirement. Some familiarity with the database and current rationales is preferred. A stipend of $1,500 will be provided to each Corps member, courtesy of grant funding.
Responsibilities will include:
- Writing eight new rationales and reviewing additional rationales
- Collaborating during monthly one-hour meetings with fellow members and NCTE staff
- Reading or re-reading titles of books under consideration
- Recommending additional ways to increase database functionality
Having a passion for and commitment to texts and students is at the core of this opportunity, requiring deep thinking and dedicated time for the Corps. Work will take place from April 1 through August 15, 2024. Due to the demands of the fall and back-to-school preparation, these Corps will have an accelerated timeline and take advantage of the summer months for dedicated work time. Applicants should carefully consider their availability and commit to this timeline.
The application process is now complete. The cohort members can be viewed by clicking through the side menu.
Email intellectualfreedom@ncte.org with any questions.
“The Teacher Corps has been a unique way to connect with educators from other states and discover new books. It’s been fun to explore new stories and think about how they can benefit students.”
—Kyle Belting, current Teacher Corps member
“I am grateful for the opportunity to be a champion of books and to help my fellow members of NCTE to strengthen their voices when fighting to include challenged books in their classrooms and libraries.”
—Linda Hindman, current Teacher Corps member
The NCTE This Story Matters Teacher Corps
In an effort to more vigorously expand our book rationale database, NCTE is announcing a new members-only opportunity for educators to get involved in this work: the This Story Matters Teacher Corps. This project, made possible by private donations, will help NCTE to increase the size and functionality of the database through collaboration with members of the Corps and NCTE staff.
All students have the right to materials and educational experiences that promote open inquiry, critical thinking, diversity in thought and expression, and respect for others. Through the NCTE Intellectual Freedom Center, our organization has created and collected peer-reviewed book rationales for decades to aid all NCTE members in the face of book challenges.
Work is taking place from November 1, 2023, through July 31, 2024.
View the rationale database, accessible to NCTE members, that can be searched by title, author, and grade level to help you (educators) find a rationale for a book you plan to use in the classroom or one that is being challenged.
The database includes these important resources: downloadable book rationales, an updated How to Write a Rational template created by the Standing Committee Against Censorship, and steps to follow for educators preparing for or facing censorship.