Dear County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators:

Celebration of California State Student Authors

I would like to invite you and your students to join me for a webinar on Monday, April 6, 2026, showcasing the great work of published student authors from across the state. I am proud to honor these exemplary young writers as California State Student Authors and uplift their work as great examples for their peers.

The webinar is designed as an educational resource for educators to view with their students. During the virtual event, student authors will have the opportunity to read excerpts of their work. We will also hear from Tanya Baker, executive director of the National Writing Project, and award-winning author Sandra Cisneros about the power of writing and literacy as skills for lifelong learning and success.

What: Celebration of California State Student Authors

When: Monday, April 6, 2026, from 10:30 a.m. to noon

How to Register and View:

• Educators can register their classrooms to participate via Zoom at https://bit.ly/StudentAuthors26.
• Members of the public can view the webinar through the California Department of Education (CDE) Facebook Live page at https://www.facebook.com/CAEducation.

Literacy has the power to open doors and transform our students’ lives. That’s why I am proud of our work to move the needle on literacy no matter what. This celebration of our California State Student Authors complements ongoing literacy efforts, including our work with educators, researchers, and content and literacy experts to develop resources that support great literacy instruction across our state. Find out more about our statewide literacy resources on the CDE California Literacy web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cl/.

I look forward to seeing you via Zoom or Facebook Live on April 6.

Sincerely,

Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction