Beverly Ann Chin, PhD, is professor emerita of English, former director of the English Teaching Program and the Montana Writing Project, past chair of the English Department, and former director of composition at the University of Montana.
Chin served as president of National Council of Teachers of English, board member of NCTE Middle Level Section Steering Committee, and executive committee member of the Conference on English Leadership and the Conference on English Education (now English Language Arts Teacher Educators).
She was a board member of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and the senior project consultant for the 2011 and 2015 Writing Frameworks of the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Currently, she is vice president of Writing Coaches of Montana, a nonprofit organization of trained community volunteers who mentor students on their writing.
Chin has published many student and teacher programs, including Grammar for Writing (grades 6–12) and Grammar Workshop (grades 3–5) (William H. Sadlier). She served as senior content advisor/web writer for Annenberg Media’s Teaching Multicultural Literature: A Workshop for the Middle Grades and literary scholar/teacher expert in The Expanding Canon: Teaching Multicultural Literature in the High School.
Chin has been awarded the NCTE Distinguished Service Award, the Richard W. Halle Award for an Outstanding Middle Level Educator, and the Rewey Belle Inglis Award for an Outstanding Woman in English Education. She has also received the Distinguished Educator Award from the Montana Association of Teachers of English Language Arts, the Distinguished Alumni Award from Florida State University College of Education, and the University of Montana Distinguished Teaching Award.
A passionate advocate for mentoring, lifelong learning, and community building, Chin regularly presents at state, national, and international conferences.
“Literacy educators are teachers and leaders who promote the power and importance of oral, written, and media communication. Through our teaching, research, and service, literacy educators inspire learners at all levels of education to grow as critical thinkers and to participate in society as respectful, thoughtful community members. Literacy educators are lifelong learners and mentors. We believe when people share stories, experiences, and perspectives, we discover what is unique and what is universal in our lives. Together, we create a more collaborative, compassionate, and peaceful world.”
Overview:
The James R. Squire Award, formerly called the NCTE Executive Committee Award, was established in 1967. In 1999, the Executive Committee renamed the award to honor former Executive Secretary James R. Squire for his contributions to NCTE and the profession at large.
This award is given by the Executive Committee in recognition of outstanding service, not only to the stature and development of NCTE and the discipline which it represents, but also to the profession of education as a whole, internationally as well as nationally.