CSULB faculty take prominent roles at statewide equity in education conference

Four CSULB College of Education faculty members will play key roles at the upcoming 2026 California Association of Teachers of English Conference, which will focus on themes of equity, inclusion and belonging in education.

 

Dr. Rita Suh, a lecturer in the Teacher Education Department and coordinator of the UTEACH program, will chair the statewide conference, which brings together educators from across California. 

 

CATE is an affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of English.

 

Suh said the organization asked her to lead this year’s event after she previously served as a keynote speaker. She wanted the program to “make sure that voices that are being erased are being recentered” and so will highlight speakers and topics that address marginalized histories and perspectives, including Black, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ narratives.

 

Suh invited two CSULB colleagues, Associate Professor Dr. Heather Macías and Assistant Professor Dr. Christian Bracho, to present their ongoing work on drag pedagogy, which explores how performance and identity can shape inclusive teaching practices. 

 

Also speaking will be CSULB Lecturer Désirée Zamorano, author of the historical fiction novel Dispossessed. It traces the life of a boy separated from his parents during the mass expulsion of Mexican Americans and Mexican nationals in Los Angeles during the 1930s. 

 

Suh said the conference aims to empower teachers and administrators to create classrooms where all students feel they belong. 

 

“When we create belongingness, it impacts how students see themselves in classrooms, how they perform in classrooms also,” she said.

 

Suh said she is proud to showcase CSULB’s leadership in equity-focused education.

 

“We do so much at Cal State Long Beach, and our faculty do so many amazing things,” she said. “This was a really great way for me to highlight who we are and what we represent as a university.”

 

The conference will be held March 6-8, 2026, in Los Angeles. For more information including how to register, go to www.CATEweb.org.