NCTEAR 2026 Conference
“Each Other’s Bond”: Researching, Practicing, and Sustaining Literacies of Love”
March 6 - 8, 2026
The Pastides Alumni Center, The University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC

Featured Keynote Speakers

Friday, March 6, 2026

​Dr. Patriann Smith is a Saint Lucian American expert on language and literacy who currently serves as Associate Dean of Faculty Success & Excellence and as Professor of Literacy Studies at the University of South Florida. A globally recognized educational, inspirational, and motivational keynote speaker (e.g., United Nations) and professional (e.g., UNESCO, OECS), her research emerges at the intersection of race, language, and immigration, with an emphasis on transculturally, transracially, and translinguistically responsive literacy and assessment practices. She is the author of numerous scholarly works (e.g., American Educational Research Journal, Reading Research Quarterly, The Reading Teacher) and the recipient of numerous awards (e.g., AERA, ILA, LRA). Among these is the Modern Language Association (MLA) Mina P. Shaughnessy Honorable Mention for her Teachers College Press book “Black Immigrant Literacies: Intersections of Race, Language, and Culture in the Classroom” (2023, Foreword by Shondel Nero). She is the Co-Founder of the USAID-funded RISE Caribbean Educational Research Center (CERC) and the recently elected President of the Literacy Research Association (LRA: 2024-2028). Her most recent book is “Literacies of Migration: Translanguaging Imaginaries of Innocence” (2024, Forewords by Allison Skerrett & Awad Ibrahim; Afterword by Ramón Martínez), published by Cambridge University Press.

​Saturday, March 7, 2026

Dr. Gloria Swindler Boutte is a Carolina Distinguished Professor at the University of South Carolina. Her scholarship focuses on equity pedagogies. She is the author/editor of eight books: (1) Pro-Blackness in Early Childhood Education. Diversifying Curriculum and Pedagogy in K-3 Classrooms; (2) Revolutionary Love: Nurturing the brilliance of young Black children; (3) Educating African American Students: And how are the children (2nd edition); (4)We Be Lovin’ Black Children: Becoming Learning to Be Literate About the African Diaspora (2022 Society of Professors of Education Outstanding Book Award); (5) African Diaspora Literacy: The Heart of Transformation in K-12 Schools and Teacher Education (2019 AESA Critics Choice Award) (6) Educating African American Students: And how are the children; (7) Resounding Voices: School Experiences of People From Diverse Ethnic Backgrounds; and (8) Multicultural Education: Raising Consciousness. She has more than 100 publications and has presented nationally and internationally. She has received prestigious awards such as the Fulbright Scholar; Fulbright Specialist; 2020 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Outstanding Educator in the English Language Arts—Elementary Section; the 2021 AERA Division K Legacy award; and AERA 2022-23 Fellow Award; the 2025 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Social Justice in Education Award. She was the founder and Executive Director of the Center for the Education and Equity of African American Students (CEEAAS). She has served as a Visiting Scholar and presented her work internationally on every continent except for Antarctica.

Dr. Boutte is the mother of three children and seven grandchildren.

Sunday, March 8, 2026

Dr. Natasha Thornton received her Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning with a concentration in Language and Literacy Education from Georgia State University. She began her career as a kindergarten teacher, which inspired her interest in culturally responsive literacy development. She has also served as a 4th grade teacher, literacy coach and educational consultant. Additionally, Dr. Thornton has supported various non-profit organizations with developing culturally responsive courses, fellowships, and coaching programs for educators. Dr. Thornton’s research and practice focus on culturally responsive literacy instruction, curriculum that affirms the histories and identities of Black children, and the intersection of teachers' beliefs and practices. Her co-authored book, “Revolutionary love: Creating a Culturally Inclusive Literacy Classroom” highlights the beliefs, knowledge, and practices of teachers who love their students by affirming and building up on their cultural and linguistic resources and practices during literacy instruction. As a teacher educator, Dr. Thornton’s work in the classroom is guided by the rich legacy of scholarship and pedagogical traditions of Black educators, which are rooted in love, culturally responsiveness, collective responsibility, and critical consciousness.

Dr. Thornton’s educational philosophy is encapsulated in these guiding words by Dr. Asa G. Hilliard, III, “It is imperative for the curriculum we teach to support the development of purpose, calling, and belonging of Black children, and educators as well”.