CLA Board of Director Candidate Statements for the 2025-2027 Term

We are excited to share the slate of nominees for the 2024 CLA Board membership. Six candidates have been nominated and you will be able to select three candidates who will serve a three-year term from January 1, 2025- December 31, 2027. Be sure to cast your vote during the voting period, September 25-October 10, 2024.  

All candidates responded to the following prompt:

"The Children's Literature Assembly (CLA) of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is a professional community of children’s literature enthusiasts who advocate the centrality of literature in children’s academic and personal lives. We believe every teacher needs a wide and extensive knowledge base of books published for children and young adults. With this in mind, please create a statement for the ballot (200-word maximum) that speaks to how you envision working with and for the Assembly as a Board Member. Please include any relevant information within your statement."

Below you will find the candidates' statements listed alphabetically. You will be asked to vote for 3 candidates. The three nominees with the most votes will be selected to serve.

Suriati Abas, State University of New York (SUNY) Oneonta

As an assistant professor of children's literature and literacy education, and a board member for the New York State Reading Association, I am well-positioned to serve on the CLA board. My experience in teaching, scholarship, and literacy advocacy has prepared me to address current challenges, particularly the rise in book bans. The 2022 "Divergent Award for Excellence in Literacy" recognized my commitment to promoting diverse children's literature through community-based projects. These initiatives, involving pre-service teachers, children, educators, libraries, and authors, exemplify my dedication to integrating contemporary literacies with children's literature.
 
On the CLA board, I would focus on expanding CLA's outreach to educators and initiating discussions on critical issues in children's literature. My leadership experience as regional director for both the Greater Thousand Island and North Country Literacy Councils has honed my advocacy skills. I am committed to amplifying underrepresented voices and fostering cultural understanding through diverse books.
 
My goal is to further CLA's vital work in making literature integral to children and youths’ development while defending their right to read freely. I believe in literature's power to shape readers and look forward to collaborating with fellow board members to support educators and community leaders in this mission.

Dorian Harrison, The Ohio State University

I am pleased and honored to be considered to serve as a member of the CLA board. I am an experienced elementary and early childhood teacher. I now work for Ohio State University as an associate literacy professor whose work is grounded in equity and social justice. I have worked alongside members of CLA for many years as an official member of the assembly and prior to joining the assembly. I also served on CLA’s NCBLA committee, CARBTE, the elementary nominating committee, and NCTEAR.
 
My work and research always utilize literature as a tool for critical explorations of self and the world. The power books have on young learners, their families, and the community has no bounds. However, more recent legislation has begun to challenge, bar, and ban those efforts toward connection and community through literature. Literature is under fire, and CLA has a key role in speaking to and for educators as they navigate policy changes that remove literature from the classroom and children’s lives. I feel prepared and qualified to assume a board member role based on my experiences within CLA but also my work across NCTE. Literature reflects society and our assembly plays an integral part in helping champion access to it.

Mary Ellen Oslick, Stetson University

As Kindergartners, my children were asked to share what I do for a living. One child said mommy was a professional reader and the other told the class that I was a doctor for teachers. Both statements are so accurate. As an educator with 20 years of experience and a passion for fostering a love of reading, I am committed to advancing the CLA’s mission.
 
Throughout my career, I have integrated diverse and inclusive texts into my teaching in elementary schools, as well as university classes, recognizing the integral role that children's literature plays in shaping empathetic and informed young readers. Additionally, my research agenda has focused on the transformative power of literature.
 
I have been honored to serve the CLA as a member of the Early Career Award committee (2021-2022) and vice-chair and now chair of the Bonnie Campbell Hill National Literacy Leader Award committee (2022-present). This spring I began my term as a member of the Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts Award committee. I am eager to contribute to the CLA Board as it continues the vital work of supporting the integration of high-quality children’s literature in all classrooms for all readers.

Jennifer Slagus, Brock University (Canada) & University of South Florida

As a neurodivergent librarian and researcher of neurodivergent representation in middle grade literature I would bring personal, scholarly and professional expertise to the role. Even as a young reader I recognized that my body—disabled, fat, and queer—was rarely presented as visible, let alone valuable, in children’s literature. Now in the final stages of my PhD dissertation and through work currently being done by CLA, I see positive change in progress. That change is supported by the Assembly’s visionary leadership for what we hope the future of children’s literature will be, while uplifting the strong, notable representation we have at present.
 
Over the past four years, I have been deeply embedded in CLA: as a student member (2021), on the Student Committee (2022) and as its Chair (2023 & 2024), and this summer I joined the Organizing Committee for the inaugural CLA Research Conference. Across these appointments, I have seen the significant scholarly and pedagogical contributions that CLA makes to support teachers, librarians, and researchers through advocating for diverse literature inclusion. As a CLA Board Member, I would provide necessary early-career perspectives on policies and decision-making to continue strengthening the impact that our organization makes on the field.

Rebecca Stortz, The University of Texas at San Antonio

I am Rebecca Stortz, a literacy faculty member of the educator preparation program at my university since 2013. I forefront my teaching of children’s and young adult literature by amplifying and uplifting the voices of authors and illustrators from diverse perspectives. As a consummate reader of children’s and YA literature, I design course content that encourages my students to read widely and variedly to develop their own sense of how broad and creative these texts can be.
 
As an educator of children’s and YA literature courses, I am also passionate about developing innovative and effective ways my teacher candidates can delve deeply into stories and bring them to life for their own future students. My research explores children’s and YA literature through various textual formats, seeking patterns and pathways that can provide teachers and young readers with frameworks for understanding. As a Board Member of the CLA, I would work to encourage literacy research surrounding children’s and young adult literature. I would also seek ways to promote our assembly’s work and knowledge via non-traditional avenues such as exciting new virtual education spaces.

Meghan Valerio, District Literacy Coach, Canfield Local Schools, Ohio

I have been a committed CLA member since joining in 2020. I have served on CLA’s Student Committee, co-planned and led webinars, often contributed to the CLA Blog, and participated on the CLA Research Award Review Committee. Currently, I am a co-host for the CLA Breakfast Committee for the upcoming 2024 and 2025 annual NCTE Conferences. As a CLA Board Member, I will continue my active role on committees and hope to take on additional leadership positions.
 
Children’s literature is essential in our children’s lives. At a time when traditional children’s literature competes with digital platforms and scripted literacy curricula, we need to continue our efforts as a united group of professionals who bring this awareness to parents, teachers, and administrators. As a current District Literacy Coach (K-12), I am a voice for teachers and will continue to bring their concerns and experiences to CLA Board Meetings. A top priority of mine is to support CLA’s Board Mission, and I will do this by advocating for teachers as they negotiate integrating authentic and diverse children’s literature into mandated scripted curriculum.

Ballot Access

You will be asked to log in to your CLA account to access the ballot.
Please submit your ballot by Thursday October 10th, 2024 at 5 p.m. EST
VOTING IS NOW CLOSED

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