General Conference Information

Carolina TESOL is excited to invite you and your ML specialist team to Charleston, South Carolina, from November 11-13, 2026 for the 40th Annual Carolina TESOL Fall Conference! This year's conference will be held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton at 5055 International Blvd, North Charleston, SC. 

Register Here!

This year's theme Bridging Worlds, Building Futures continues our journey from honoring where we come from—Heritage Still Speaks and Our Voices, Our Stories—to focusing on where we are going together. This year's conference centers on collaboration across roles and disciplines, bridging worlds between multilingual learner (ML) specialists, content-area teachers, administrators, district leaders, and higher education partners through shared conversation and practice. By elevating voices in tandem rather than in isolation, the conference highlights how collaborative approaches strengthen instruction and better serve multilingual learners. Building Futures calls participants to action. Sessions will focus on practical, research-informed strategies that educators can immediately implement in their schools and institutions across the Carolinas. Together, this conference affirms that when we bridge our worlds, we build brilliant futures for the multilingual students we serve.

Check the page below for more information about this year's conference! If you have any questions or concerns, please email [email protected] and a member of the conference committee will get back to you!

40th Annual Conference Keynote Speakers

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Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Ayanna Cooper, Ed.D., is an instructor at the Howard University School of Education. She is an educator, best-selling author, storyteller, and keynote speaker whose passion for advocacy centers around primary and secondary linguistically diverse student populations. Cooper, a former TESOL International Association board member, serves as an advisory committee member for the Content Center English Language Proficiency Network, and as an advisory member for the National Association of English Learner Program Administrators (NAELPA). She is a U.S. Department of State English Language Specialist alumna, having served on two projects, one with the Kuwait Ministry of Education and the other in Brazil. In addition to consulting, Cooper stays close to classrooms by teaching pre-service teacher candidates at Howard University and has served at Harvard Graduate School of Education. As a visiting faculty member at Loyola Marymount University Center for Equity for English Learners (CEEL) she served as co-principal investigator for the Young, Bilingual, and Black in California policy brief. She is the author of several publications including: And Justice for ELs: A Leader’s Guide to Creating and Sustaining Equitable Schools;Black Immigrants in the United States; Essays on the Politics of Race, Language and Voice (co-edited), multiple book chapters, and is the founding editor of Language Magazine’s Pass the Mic series. 

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Friday, November 13, 2026

ELL2.0: Dr. McGrath and Dr. Shory are language educators currently working in Louisville, KY.

Dr. Irina McGrath, Ph.D.

Irina has worked with multilingual learners for more than 20 years. She currently serves as an Assistant Principal at Newcomer Academy in Jefferson County Public Schools (Louisville, KY) and as an adjunct professor at the University of Louisville, Indiana University Southeast, and Bellarmine University. In these roles, she teaches graduate courses for the ESL/ENL and Literacy Endorsement programs, as well as the Master of Education in Teacher Leadership.

Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia, Irina holds an M.A. in English as a Second Language (ESL), an M.A. in Literacy Education, an EdS in Educational Administration, and a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction. She is the Immediate Past President of KYTESOL and serves as a book proposal reviewer for Routledge. In her free time, Irina enjoys writing and playing tennis.

Dr. Michelle Shory

Michelle is a language educator with 27 years of experience, having taught in five different states. Currently, she works as an ML teacher and instructional coach at Seneca High School in Louisville, Kentucky. Michelle also teaches ESL/ML/ENL courses for Eastern Kentucky University and Indiana University Southeast. She holds a Bachelor's degree in French, a Master's degree in World Language Education, an Educational Specialist degree in ESL Education, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership. Her quantitative dissertation work focused on andragogy and online learning. 

Michelle is passionate about literacy and high-quality professional learning; she also helped establish Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Louisville. Michelle grew up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where she loved school and her public library. In her free time, Michelle enjoys reading, running, weight training, and instructional design. Dr. Shory is proud to be a first-generation college graduate and has recently been appointed an ML reviewer for Ed Reports. 

Register Here!

 

Hotel Block Information

Embassy Suites by Hilton
North Charleston Airport Hotel & Convention Center
5055 International Blvd, North Charleston, SC 29418

Call for Proposals Information

Approved session presentations have been emailed to the main applicant on this form as of May 15, 2026. Presenters must register and pay for the conference by Saturday, August 15, 2026 to hold their spot in the 2026 Carolina TESOL Conference program. 

Prospective presenters may still fill out a proposal to join our waitlist by Saturday, August 15, 2026. Should your waitlisted proposal be accepted, a member of the Conference Committee will email you session and registration information.

Please direct all questions regarding proposals to the conference committee at [email protected].

Prospective Exhibitor Information

This year we have several package options to choose from for Exhibitor participation. Interested exhibitors can submit an application at this link. It is important to note that Exhibitor spaces are limited, so be sure to get those applications in on time! Directions for registration and payment will be given soon. There is limited space available for prospective exhibitors.

Fill out the linked Application and email John Spigner at [email protected] to inquire about approval.

Presenters must register and pay for the conference by Saturday, August 15, 2026 to hold their spot in the 2026 Carolina TESOL Conference program.  

 DRAFT AGENDA

2026 Exhibitor Invitation Letter

Download 2026 Exhibitor Letter.pdf

Exhibitor Package Options

Download 2026 Exhibitor Packages.pdf

A Special Invitation to Title III Coordinators

Download 2026 Title III Coordinator Letter.pdf

A Justification Letter for Prospective Participants

Download 2026 Participant Justification Letter

Click to make a copy and edit for personal use!