Event Policies

The NCTE Annual Convention is designed to reflect NCTE’s longstanding mission of literacy education. With this in mind, the goals of the Convention include the following:

• Provide professional development in literacy education, ranging from early childhood through graduate studies, inclusive of practice and research.

• Share literacy practices that benefit students, schools, campuses, and communities.

• Offer space for professional growth through networking, access to emerging ideas, special opportunities such as access to draft materials, and support from peer professionals.

• Provide access to literacy resources and opportunities as well as specialists interested in learning how literacy resources and opportunities can be improved in service to literacy educators.

The Convention is a space specific to matters of literacy education. It is strategically designed to promote literacy, support the goals listed above, and promote the broader values of NCTE. It is not a place for individuals or organizations whose beliefs are inconsistent with our values or distract from our goals and intentions. We recognize and value intellectual freedom but not behavior or beliefs that severely undermine educators’ ability to learn and engage in the Convention. This may include, for example, individuals or organizations whose goals are inconsistent with our values against book banning; individuals or organizations whose primary focus is not on education; individuals or organizations that openly promote hate. We are steadfast in our goals and values and are unwavering that they not be compromised.

The exhibit hall, speaker events, and communal spaces are critical to the success of our mission. It is in all of these spaces that teachers share ideas, build meaningful relationships, and advance literacy education. The exhibit hall uniquely offers our members opportunities to connect literacy educators with literacy resources, professional opportunities, and avenues to support NCTE and literacy education. To facilitate this outcome, all conference spaces must remain safe, respectful, and free of unnecessary disruption and distraction that does not directly promote literacy. In keeping with this purpose, the exhibit hall is not a space for advocacy or political activities outside the politics of literacy education matters.

The following policies apply to all in-person events produced by NCTE. The policies also apply, where applicable, to online events.

NCTE expects all participants to adhere to the following policies regarding our Annual Convention. NCTE reserves the right to take action against any participant in the Convention whose conduct is inconsistent with these policies. Action may include dismissal from the Convention, revocation of speaking or attendance privileges for the current or future Convention(s), and/or termination of NCTE membership.

NCTE is committed to producing events where everyone may learn, network, and socialize in an environment of mutual respect. Therefore, some behaviors are prohibited, including harassment related to sex, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, disability, race, age, religion, political affiliation, or beliefs; intimidation, stalking, or following; sustained or repeated disruption of talks or events; inappropriate contact or unwelcome sexual attention; or any other conduct that NCTE leadership finds to be unreasonably hostile, offensive, or humiliating. Participants are expected to observe this policy at all times during NCTE activities or events. Contact eventcommunications@ncte.org if you believe this policy has been violated.

Demonstrations and protests will be conducted in a peaceful and organized manner, will be within the policies of the venue, and will be compliant with federal, state, and local laws. Such activities are strictly forbidden in exhibition space, and protesters will not be permitted to block the entrance to traffic flow within the exhibit area. NCTE retains the right to permit protests to occur in predetermined areas and to terminate any protests that occur on its property or property NCTE is renting, leasing, or otherwise using for a specific time to host an event. Attendees who do not uphold these standards may jeopardize their membership and/or event participation.

Individuals and groups interested in demonstrating/protesting should contact our Convention Operations Team, at eventcommunications@ncte.org to register their plans and obtain further details.

In order to provide an environment free of unreasonable disruption and distraction for our members and attendees, NCTE maintains a non-solicitation and non-distribution policy covering all events associated with the Convention except during designated exhibition times in the exhibit hall and/or in compliance with our Demonstrations policy. NCTE does not allow solicitation or distribution of any kind during any other times or in any other spaces by an exhibitor, attendee, or guest. Examples of prohibited solicitation or distribution activity include, but are not limited to, unauthorized onsite distribution of printed or electronic materials including literature, signs, flyers, clothing, giveaways, invitations, tickets, forms, etc. (except business cards).

Any person and/or organization who violates this policy, in NCTE’s sole discretion, may be expelled from the event without refund of registration fee(s). Violation of this policy may also result in disqualification from future events.

In order to be an exhibitor at the NCTE Convention, organizations must submit a completed application by the posted deadline. NCTE will evaluate each application and reserves the right to accept or deny applications within its sole discretion and without explanation.

By attending the Convention, you acknowledge and agree that NCTE and its designees may take photographs and video (by any means) and/or make sound recordings during the Convention and that you may appear in such photographs and videos and be heard in such sound recordings, and that NCTE may edit and use the footage it captures for marketing and promotional activities (including through social media) now and in the future, and for any other lawful purpose in the ordinary course of its business.

Exhibitors may record people only within their contracted space. Any recordings by exhibitors must NOT include images of other exhibits, common spaces, or walkways in between exhibits. More specifically, the background within any visual recording must be limited to the exhibitor’s own exhibit background.

Although such activities are not expressly prohibited by NCTE policy, individual attendees are strongly encouraged to respect presenters and other attendees when photographing, videoing, or sound recording any part of any Convention sessions or other content. This includes not recording any part of a presenter’s presentation unless the presenter has expressly given permission for members of the audience to do so.

NCTE will monitor applicable health guidelines to the extent there are any recommended changes and may add new health and safety guidance or requirements should the current situation change. Of course, each individual should make an informed decision regarding travel and attendance at an in-person meeting based on their own circumstances.

To ensure maximum participation and a fair process for reviewing proposals, NCTE has adopted a policy of limiting individuals to speaking/involvement in no more than three (3) sessions at the Annual Convention. If any individual has more than three sessions that are accepted on the program where they are listed as a presenter or proposal contact, they will be required to choose the three sessions in which they will have speaking roles. This policy reflects NCTE’s commitment to include as many presenters as possible on the Convention program.

Chairing a session and participating in workshops, special interest group sessions, poster sessions, the Classroom Idea Exchange, committee or caucus business meetings, standing group- or assembly-sponsored panels or workshops, or mentoring-specific sessions, such as the Cultivating New Voices among Scholars of Color Institute, do not count as speaking roles.

NCTE’s online events are provided to expand the professional opportunities available to NCTE members and, occasionally, its wider community. The content and the speakers reflect on our organization and its reputation. Online sessions also require a substantial staff investment to prepare, communicate, and execute.

NCTE staff actively seek opportunities to connect NCTE’s audience with valuable conversations that often manifest in the form of online events. This includes topics tied to initiatives NCTE funds, topics and learning activities supported by grants, as well as themed conversations and series that tie to specific interest areas that advance NCTE’s mission, such as meeting authors or exploring teacher leadership. The vast majority of NCTE events are offered to members-only. Occasionally, at the determination of staff, events may be open to the public.

If NCTE section steering committees, conferences, association, and regular committees want to hold online events, they must do so by proposing the online events through their staff liaison. Usually, shaping the idea collaboratively with staff yields the best outcome as staff are experienced in developing online events and have a more complete picture of needs, calendar of events, and current activities within NCTE. The chair of each respective group will make the request with the following details provided, a minimum of six weeks from the proposed event:

1. How the online event directly relates to the charge or written mission statement of the group.
2. Goal and intended audience.
3. Tentative title.
4. Any speakers suggested for the event.
5. Three (or more) learning objectives.
6. Coordinating point of contact, if approved.
7. If a series is being proposed, describe why a series is necessary for this topic. Requests for series will be approved on a very limited basis.

All online events must be approved by NCTE staff. NCTE staff also have the exclusive authority to redirect proposed events, assign or reassign dates, and determine the format of the event, including any special protocols that are necessary from time to time. Further details and determinations, such as the use of chat lines, making the event open to beyond membership, the use of specific online platforms, and so on are the responsibility of staff. Staff administer the events and retain controls to remove participants, attendees, and/or end the event if the conversation strays from the written articulation. In no circumstance can the event veer from the approved and articulated goal(s) and learning objectives.

All presenters of events coordinated by section steering committees, conferences, association, and regular committees must sign the NCTE Online Event Speaker agreement.

If a proposed speaker(s) is not an active NCTE member leader and/or is being represented by a publisher or other organization, staff will initiate and maintain these contacts throughout the planning process and during and after the event. Any requests for sponsorships or other agreements will be at the discretion of NCTE and must be initiated and fulfilled by staff.