Brandon Abdon

Present Position: Director of English Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment for the AP Program at College Board; doctoral candidate at Murray State University.
Formerly: High school English teacher (12 years); English and education instructor at University of Kentucky and Georgia State; NCTE Standing Committee Against Censorship (2008-11); KCTE: President & Conference Chair (2009-11), Exhibits/Conference Coordinator (2011-14), SLATE Representative (2011-14), Board member of Bluegrass Writing Project.
Memberships: NCTE, CEL, CCCC, MLA, ASCD, Kentucky Council (KCTE), NWP Fellow.
Awards: NCTE Teacher of Excellence (2011)
Program Contributions: NCTE, CCCC, NWP, College English Association (CEA), AP Annual Conference, ASCD, KCTE, Texas Council of Teachers of English

Position Statement: Without any doubt, I see the community of leaders in CEL as the lynchpin that holds the different arms of our discipline together. Having worked at local, state, and national levels, I have seen how political and social circumstances affect and are affected by developments in the discipline. Through memberships in several disciplinary organizations, I have developed a perspective on the different values espoused by groups that shape the development of English language arts and ELA education. CEL is uniquely positioned to synthesize and represent these different values as we seek to fulfill our commitment to the discipline and its educators.

Video Statement: https://youtu.be/WemwqYyLm_I

Kate Baker

Present Position: High school English teacher, CEL Member
Formerly: 2018 CEL Convention Program Chair
Memberships: CEL, NCTE, NJCTE (NJ Council of Teachers of English) board, FLN (Flipped Learning Network) board, NJEA (New Jersey Education Association), ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education)
Awards: 2017 and 2015 Edmodo Certified Trainer of the Year, 2017 CEL Teacher-Leader of Excellence, 2015 American Graduate Champion, 2015 PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovator, 2014-15 Jacobs Educator, University of Indiana, 2011 SRHS Nominee for Ocean County Superintendent’s Teacher of the Year, December 2000, 2005, 2009, and 2016 SRHS Feature Teacher for the 9-10 House
Publications: http://kbakerbyodlit.blogspot.com/; https://flippedlearning.org/author/kate-baker/; https://blog.edmodo.com/?s=kate+Baker; “Empowering Students and Teachers through Technology,” CEL Blog, January 27, 2017; “Tools to Flip Reading,” NJEA Review, January 5, 2016; “Winning the Game of Learning,” English Leadership Quarterly, Volume 37, Number 1, August 2014; “4 Powerful BYOD Apps for the Disconnected Classroom,” Edudemic, February 2014; Flipping Your English Class to Reach All Learners: Strategies and Lesson Plans by Troy Cockrum—contributed lesson plans, January 2014; Flipping 2.0: Practical Strategies for Flipping Your Class—contributing author, August 2013, “Flipped Learning in the Science and English Classrooms: Two Case Studies,” NJ Education Now, March/April 2013, cowritten with Marc Seigel

Position Statement: I have served CEL in various capacities, most recently as Chair for the 2018 national convention and recipient of the Teacher-Leader of Excellence Award at the 2017 convention. As a 20-year veteran of the teaching profession and an educator who leads from the classroom, I offer CEL my passion, expertise in edtech, and collaboration with my professional learning network as I aim to continue serving CEL and its members.

In addition to presenting at conferences and serving on the executive boards of the Flipped Learning Network and NJCTE, I am an experienced organizer of professional development events. As a Member-at-Large, I will channel my expertise to create learning experiences for the CEL community beyond the annual national convention. With masters degrees in both technology and education, I consistently add a pedagogical foundation to the work I do with edtech and beyond. My technical skills in social media management and desktop publishing will be an asset to CEL in the recruitment and maintenance of membership.

Identifying as a Gladwellian Connector, the greatest asset I can offer to CEL is my hardworking and personable nature, which brings people together for a common cause.

Video Statement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U91AAcUBxI

Nicholas A. Emmanuele

Present Positions: Secondary English teacher, McDowell Intermediate High School, 2011–present; President, Northwest Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English (NWPCTE), 2016–present; adjunct lecturer, Gannon University, School of Education, 2014–present
Formerly: Secondary special education English teacher (2007–11)
Memberships: NCTE, CEL, NWPCTE
Publications: “Memories of a Dragon: Le Guinian Flights from Archetypal Patterns” (2014); “Questing for Justice in Secondary World Fantasy for Young Readers” (2014)

Position Statement: As a classroom teacher and department chair surrounded by movements of young adult literature, equity, workshop models, and various assessment practices, I find our profession on a potentially liberating trajectory. The Conference on English Leadership offers us the opportunity to work with implementing teaching and learning initiatives on a scale beyond our personal classrooms and into departments, districts, universities, and communities. I believe CEL is a professional home where literacy leaders can discuss, debate, and troubleshoot the challenges that come our way in how to implement instructional, curricular, and assessment practices on a larger scale. As a Member-at-Large, I will work to continue our focus on how to lead our colleagues—and not just our students—forward in our nation’s literacy development.

Video Statement: https://youtu.be/9fyPfr-sySs