Convention Program

The 2026 Conference on English Leadership Annual Convention takes place immediately following the 2026 NCTE Annual Convention in Philadelphia. This schedule will be updated as needed, with a printable PDF to come in November.

Register for #CEL26 at the #NCTE26 website.

Register Now!

 

Sunday, November 22

2:00–2:25 p.m.
CEL Welcome: Nicholas Emmanuele
Welcome from Chief Adam Waterbear
Room 201-C

 

2:35–3:35 p.m.
Beyond the Spreadsheet: Cultivating Integrated Literacy Leadership through Collaborative Data Cycles
Presenters: Ashley Ghiraldi, Glen Cove City School District; Kristen Schaefer, Glen Cove City School District
Room 201-C

Bridging Literacy, English Language Arts and Building Teacher Efficacy with Equity Oriented-Quad Text Sets
Presenters: Lisa Ali-Turner, Appoquinimink School District; Jill Flynn, University of Delaware; Jennifer Fox, Middletown High School; William Lewis, University of Delaware
Room 202-A

Seeing Learning: Visual Literacy and Multimodal Compositions at the Intersection of Literacy and English Leadership
Presenters: Elsie Lindy Olan, University of Central Florida; Kia Jane Richmond, Northern Michigan University, Marquette
Room 202-B

Skills and Stories: Using Secondary Texts as a Vehicle for Foundational Skills
Presenters: Jessica Bivans, Cherry Hill Public Schools; Shera Goldstein, Cherry Hill Public Schools; Megan Langman, Cherry Hill Public Schools; Christy Lee, Cherry Hill Public Schools; Maria Rebstock, Cherry Hill Public Schools
Room 203-A

Stories of Resistance and Adaptive Leadership from the Hip Hop as Humanities Summer Institute for Literacy and ELA Teachers
Presenters: Michele DeVirgilio, New York State English Council (NYSEC); H. Bernard Hall, Drexel University
Room 203-B

 

3:45–4:45 p.m.
Both/And Leadership: Leading at the Intersection of Literacy Mandates and English Teacher Identity
Presenters: Jason Haffner, Oakland Schools; Jenelle Williams, Oakland Schools
Room 201-C

Beyond the Page: Using AI and EdTech Tools to Make Texts Accessible
Presenter:Joseph Rogers, Pope John Paul II High School
Room 202-A

Every Word Tells a Story: How Morphology Bridges Foundational and Disciplinary Literacy across the Grades
Presenters: Kayla Crawford, EPS Learning; Garrett Ivey, EPS Learning
Room 202-B

Keeping the Thinking with Students: Culturally Responsive Moves That Drive Rigorous Literacy Learning
Presenter: Jillian Roche, K12 Coalition – RedThread Literacy
Room 203-A

Where Literacy Meets Literature: Leading Teachers across Instructional Identities
Presenter: Katie Monsour, ARIN IU 28/Marion Center Area School District
Room 203-B

 

4:55–5:55 p.m.
Pattern, Pulse, and Poetry: Reclaiming Scansion as a Foundational Literacy Practice
Presenters: Matthew Helmers, Ransom Everglades School; Adam Schachner, Ransom Everglades
Room 201-C

From Permission to Possibility: Using the FIXIT Game to Lead Equitable Literacy
Presenters: Malcolm Andrews; Kelly Thelen, Southwest Minnesota State University
Room 202-A

Fuel for the Journey: Supporting Teachers in Literacy and English
Presenter: Kaitlin Stamm, Endicott College
Room 202-B

Bridging Literacy in the Age of AI: Authentic Voice through Narrative Practices
Presenter: Jennifer Kittle, College essay easy
Room 203-A

Leading at the Intersection: Strengthening Secondary Teachers’ Identities through Focused Adolescent Literacy PD
Presenter: Lauren Spenceley, Arizona Department of Education
Room 203-B

 

7:00 p.m.
Facilitated Dinners
(location to be announced)

 

Monday, November 23

8:00–8:20 a.m.
CEL Welcome, Sponsor & Award Announcements, Coffee & Light Breakfast (included)
Room 201-C

 

8:20–9:35 a.m.
Keynote: Tricia Ebarvia
Room 201-C

 

9:40–10:40 a.m.
Expansive Literacies: Rethinking What Counts as Literacy in the ELA Classroom
Presenters: Emily Meixner, The College of New Jersey; Cathline Tanis, North Plainfield School District
Room 201-C

Agency by Design: Building 6–12 ELA Curriculum That Elevates Teacher Expertise and Student Voice
Presenters: Coley Conter, Teachers College; Kimmy McGuire Tabb, MS 104 Simon Baruch JHS
Room 202-A

Beyond the Screener: Humanizing Data to Bridge Literacy Learning in an MTSS Framework
Presenters: Oona Marie Abrams, Millburn Township Public Schools; Melissa Bryan, Millburn Township Public Schools; Jennifer Doney, Millburn Township Public Schools
Room 202-B

Calling In, Not Calling Out: Inviting Content Teachers into the Literacy Leadership Circle
Presenter: Naomi Watkins, Utah State Board of Education
Room 203-A

Literacy without Borders: How Special Educators Bridge Foundational and Disciplinary Literacy in Secondary Schools
Presenter: Melissa Garcia, Harrison Central School District
Room 203-B

 

10:50–11:50 a.m.
Leaders as Literacy Designers: High-Impact, High-Interest Approaches for Older Striving Readers
Presenters: Shira Engel, Storyshares; Samantha Krzyzanowski, Hope for Youth and Families, Inc.; Emily Russin, Hill for Literacy
Room 201-C

Future Forward: Designing and Implementing an “AI Scope and Sequence”
Presenter: Matthew Margini, Ransom Everglades School
Room 202-A

Still in the Classroom, Still at the Table: A Teacher Leader Writing Culturally Relevant, Sustaining, and Historically Responsive ELA Curriculum
Presenter: Kevin Cataldo, Luis Muñoz Marín School/Newark Board of Education
Room 202-B

Coherence through Collaboration: A Learning Model for Continuous Literacy Improvement
Presenters: Chae D’Ann Ray, Leading Educators; Julie Schik, Omaha Public Schools
Room 203-A

Beyond the App: Coaching Teachers to Cultivate Student Agency and Voice
Presenter: Debbie Tannenbaum, Fairfax County Public Schools. VA
Room 203-B

 

12:00–12:55 p.m.
Lunch (included)
Room 201-C

 

1:00–2:00 p.m.
Move from Admiring the Problem to Making the Change: Using a Network Structure to Support Disciplinary Literacy Implementation
Presenter: Elizabeth Lietz, Macomb Intermediate School District
Room 202-A

Bridging Preservice and Secondary Classrooms: A Collaborative Model for Feedback, Error Analysis, and Targeted Writing Instruction
Presenters:Jeanette Capritti, Lawrence Middle School; Jennifer Cline, Ewing Public Schools; Petrina Plunkett, New Jersey Department of Education
Room 202-B

Give Me Literacy or Give Me Death: An English Language Arts Revolution
Presenters: Elizabeth Gannon, Pennsylvania Department of Education; Jennifer Wicht, Pennsylvania Department of Education
Room 203-A

When the Text Speaks to Every Reader: Curriculum Leadership at the Intersection of Literacy and ELA
Presenter: Stephanie Owens
Room 203-B

 

2:10–2:20 p.m.
2027 CEL Convention Theme Reveal
Room 201-C

 

2:20–3:20 p.m.
Keynote: Jenelle Williams
Room 201-C

 

3:30–5:30 p.m.
ELQ & ELF Awards, EC Members, Social Hour
Room 201-C

 

6:30 p.m.
ELF Dinner
location to be announced

 

Tuesday, November 24

8:30 a.m.
Welcome, Daily Preview
Room 201-C

 

8:35–9:35 a.m.
Collaborative Workshop: Barriers between Literacy and English
Room 201-C

 

9:35–9:45 a.m.
Break

 

9:45–10:45 a.m.
Collaborative Workshop: Bridges between Literacy and English
Room 201-C

 

10:45–10:50 a.m.
Closing Remarks
Room 201-C