Secondary Section 2019 Election Results
The Secondary Section Steering Committee (SSSC) members are elected by the NCTE membership each year to a four-year term. The Chair is elected from within the SSSC to a two-year term and serves on the NCTE Executive Committee representing the interests of the secondary membership.
The Nominating Committee prepares a slate of candidates for vacancies that occur annually on the Secondary Section Steering Committee and selects candidates for the succeeding year’s Secondary Section Nominating Committee. The candidate who receives the largest number of votes in the election will chair the committee.
Learn more through the SSSC Annual Report and SSSC Member Activities Responsibilities.
Thanks to the 2019 Secondary Section Nominating Committee: Elena Garcia, Scottsbluff High School, Nebraska, chair; Adrian Nester, Tunstall High School, Virginia; and Andrea Zellner, Oakland Schools Intermediate School District, Michigan.
Secondary Section Steering Committee
(term to expire November 2023)
Section Committee members elect a chair who represents section concerns on the NCTE Executive Committee. Through correspondence and meetings once or twice a year, the members identify and explore issues of section concern. Often the Section Committee will suggest new programs or revisions of present Council programs that may benefit section members. The Committee helps plan section conferences and portions of the NCTE Annual Convention that will be of interest to section members.
English teacher, Grady High School, GA; AP literature reader, College Board; Georgia Teacher Advisory Council
Membership(s): NCTE; GCTE; PAGE
Award(s): Coweta County Teacher of the Year; Georgia Teacher Advisory Council; TEDEd Fellow
Publication(s): The Best Lesson Series: Literature and The Best Lesson Series: Writing, contributor; APLitHelp (blog), editor/contributor
Program Contribution(s): NCTE; GCTE; GDOE
Position Statement: Equity in education is a concerning issue. My recent move to an urban school provides me not only with a front row seat to see how race and poverty affect students, but also with a place to work on closing the achievement gap. Literacy, and the need for quality literacy instruction for ALL students, is at the heart of education. NCTE provides the latest research, collaborative opportunities, and inspiration for educators. My work on the Secondary Steering Committee will allow me to serve others by giving voice to teachers while thoughtfully considering issues affecting English education.
Secondary Section Nominating Committee
(term to expire August 2020)
Members of the Section Nominating Committee choose candidates for the Section Committee and the Section Nominating Committee for the following year. The person receiving the most votes serves as chair.
Tenth-grade ELA teacher, Oak Mountain High School, Birmingham, AL; NCTE Policy on Leisure Reading Revision Committee
Formerly: NCTE Lead Ambassador; grades 9, 10, and 11 ELA teacher, yearbook advisor, Briarwood Christian High School, Birmingham, AL
Membership(s): NCTE; ALAN; ACTE
Program Contribution(s): NCTE; ALAN; ACTE
Position Statement: I’ve come to realize the importance of authentic listening in the education field: listening to my colleagues, listening to my students, and listening to those who have been educating much longer than I have, as well as those brand-new to the profession. I’ve also learned the importance of listening to those whose voices are harder to hear than my own—voices belonging to those who have experienced a much different world than I have. I hope to pursue ways to authentically listen to and amplify the voices of those around me to the leadership of NCTE.
English department chair, Greenhill School, Addison, TX; Deep Vellum Publishing, board member
Formerly: Lecturer, Honors College, University of Houston; director, Collegiate Institute, Texas Wesleyan University
Membership(s): NCTE; SAT Literature Test Committee; College Board ELA Academic Advisory Committee
Award(s): Faculty Leader, Greenhill School (2011); Trustee Grant Award, Greenhill School (2015, 2018)
Program Contribution(s): NCTE; Lausanne Learning Institute; Educon; ACTC
Position Statement: Thanks to NCTE, I have been rethinking and reinvigorating much of what I learned as a student, much of what I preached as a young teacher. NCTE—its position papers, its membership, its online village—has been transformative for my teaching: transformative in what I read and in how I present it, in what I write and how I guide my students through their own writing. I am eager to join NCTE’s efforts to help teachers as they rethink and reinvigorate pedagogy, equity, and literacy.
Associate professor, Chicago State University, IL
Formerly: Secondary level English and math teacher (15 years); middle level ELA department chair (2 years); NCTE Nominating Committee (2012, 2016)
Membership(s): NCTE; IATE; NCTM
Award(s): Fulbright Scholar Specialist Roster Candidate (2009); Faculty Excellence Award in Teaching, Chicago State University (2017)
Publication(s): Articles in English Teacher, Kentucky English Bulletin, Sage Research Methods Cases
Program Contribution(s): NCTE; NCTM; IATE
Position Statement: NCTE needs leaders who are willing to reach across the aisle to other content areas such as math. I will work with my fellow committee member to choose candidates who are willing to think outside the box so that all children can learn.
Question or comments for the Steering Committee can be emailed to secondary@ncte.org
The Secondary Section enhances the professional lives of English language arts educators and the quality of education of their students by providing multiple forums for significant dialogue on historical, current, and emerging topics of interest to secondary English language arts educators.