Volunteer to be a Leader in TESOL

TESOL is an organization of volunteers, so its success depends upon the initiative of leaders to share their vision for the field, stay informed on trends and concerns, inform others, and generate interest and collaboration among members.

TESOL members volunteer to serve the association, to create and disseminate knowledge, to influence public policy, and to maintain a strong organization. In maintaining membership in TESOL and volunteering in various capacities, TESOL leaders are imperative to the work of the association, which could not be accomplished without their time and expertise. Serving in a leadership capacity for the association offers a unique opportunity for personal and professional growth and is one of the benefits of TESOL membership.

Volunteer to be a Leader in Caucuses

TESOL Caucuses provide forums for members of TESOL who share common social, cultural, or demographic identities that further TESOL’s mission. Caucuses are generally centered on professional issues related more closely to teachers such as identity, belief systems, and conditions that affect professional life. The focus of TESOL’s six Caucuses is to educate, inform, and generate discussion about trends and concerns that arise in the TESOL profession in reference to race, religion, sexual orientation, culture, and employment. After serving as a Caucus leader, many members have moved into other areas of TESOL leadership.

The TESOL Board of Directors encourages Caucus leaders to make recommendations on Board action through the Caucus Leadership Council and their Board liaison. Caucus leaders are advocates and serve the TESOL membership by providing an awareness of ways the TESOL profession can grow stronger and ways TESOL can build and maintain an organization that reflects diversity.

There are presently six Caucuses:

Caucus on Part-Time Employment Concerns (COPTEC), created October 1996. COPTEC is dedicated to addressing the employment concerns of ESL professionals hired in educational institutions across the United States and around the world, particularly those hired as part-time, temporary, adjunct, or contingent employees. COPTEC is dedicated to righting the inequities facing English language teaching professionals who hold less than full-time positions and to promoting the improvement of their working conditions. COPTEC advocates improved benefits, salary, job security, staff development opportunities, and access to promotion to full-time, permanent, and/or tenure-track employment for all English language-teaching professionals. See http://www.tesol.org/coptec.

Christian Educators in TESOL (CETC), created October 1996. CETC is composed of persons who have a common interest in the teaching of English to speakers of other languages and who share a common belief in Jesus Christ. CETC fosters fellowship and encouragement for Christians within TESOL and provides a framework for networking among these members. CETC also shares and disseminates information regarding effective teaching ideas, materials, and resources. See http://www.tesol.org/cetc.

International Black Professionals and Friends in TESOL (IBPFT), created October 1997. IBPFT exists to promote and enhance the positive professional growth and development of TESOL members of African descent, and other people of color, by providing a forum for the discussion of pertinent issues. The ultimate goal of IBPFT is to ensure that TESOL increasingly builds and maintains an organization that reflects the total diversity of its members and that TESOL takes measures to actively promote, support, and value the interests and contributions of the professionals of color among its ranks. See http://www.tesol.org/ibpft.

International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Friends (ILGBTF), created June 1995. ILGBTF believes in the creation of fair, safe, and accepting environments for students and colleagues of all sexual orientations and gender identities. See http://www.tesol.org/lgbtf.

Nonnative English Speakers in TESOL (NNEST), created October 1998. For nonnative-English-speaking teachers in the TESOL profession, employment discrimination and other forms of professional marginalization are issues that need to be addressed. NNEST is concerned with the creation of nondiscriminatory teaching environments, as well as research and publication on the role of nonnative-English-speaking professionals in TESOL. See http://www.tesol.org/nnest.

TESOLers for Social Responsibility (TSR), created October 1999. TSR comprises TESOL members who are actively engaged in integrating language teaching with social responsibility, world citizenship, and an awareness of global issues such as peace, human rights, and the environment. The Caucus aims to promote social responsibility within the TESOL profession and to investigate content, methods, and materials, which promote tolerance, international understanding, and action for a better world. See http://www.tesol.org/tsr.

Each caucus has its own internal leadership, which includes the Chair, Chair-elect, Electronic Newsletter Editor, Electronic Discussion List Manager, and Web Content Manager.  For more information on these leadership positions, see the document below.

The Caucus Leadership Council provides leadership for all caucuses as a whole, and comprises of three members from different Caucuses, established on a rotating schedule. For more information on the CLC, see the document below.