2026 Conference on English Leadership (CEL)

CEL: Where Literacy Leaders Learn

Calling all ELA and elementary department chairs, literacy and ELA supervisors, curriculum and instructional coaches, curriculum directors, literacy consultants, and state-level ELA and literacy coordinators! The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention will be held in Philadelphia from November 19 to 22. Connected to and directly following NCTE, the Conference on English Leadership (CEL) will host its annual gathering from November 22 to 24, focusing on the theme "Integrated Leadership: Bridging Literacy and English."

CEL invites you to submit a proposal for a session by Tuesday, March 17.

In schools across the country, the lines between literacy and English language arts are increasingly blurred. Leaders in both fields are navigating evolving academic standards, assessment mandates, and culturally sustaining practices—all while supporting teachers and students with a shared goal of deep, meaningful engagement with texts and ideas. In middle schools and high schools, English teachers assist striving adolescent students with foundational literacy skills, while elementary teachers devote time not only to foundational literacy skills but also to literary elements and devices. Yet despite overlapping aims, English and literacy often operate in silos, with teachers in the same school district who have different professional identities, priorities, and pedagogical approaches.

This year’s Conference on English Leadership Annual Convention invites participants to explore the dynamic intersections, tensions, and opportunities that arise when we work to integrate leadership across literacy and English. How can leaders create coherence between literacy instruction and English teaching while honoring their distinctions? What strategies build collaborative cultures among elementary and secondary teachers, literacy coaches, curriculum designers, college professors, and instructional leaders? And how can school, district, and state leaders guide the work of literacy and English to strengthen learning, honor differences, and respond to today’s complex educational challenges?

Please reach out to cel@ncte.org with additional questions.