CTA’s New Educator Weekend (NEW) is a conference for new CTA members. This NEW conference is for educators in their first three years in the profession. The conference has everything that educators need to be successful in their first years of teaching, including sessions about classroom management, creating engaging classrooms, lesson plans and ideas, connecting with your union, student loan forgiveness information, member benefits, project grants and more.

Your experience at the New Educator Weekend is equal parts educational and transformational. You’ll learn new skills and find solutions to real-life challenges. You’ll leave the conference feeling inspired, motivated and with a knowledge of what you need to do to be even more successful on Monday morning in your classroom.

Download this letter, Reasons to Attend NEW and share it with your Principal to prove the value of attending the New Educator Weekend.

Want to send a group of teachers to NEW? Download this letter and send it to your Principal or District Superintendent. Many districts are open to sending educators to meaningful and inspiring training conferences.

If you have any questions, please email the conference staff at NEW@cta.org.

AGENDA*: Click here to download.

WORKSHOP GRID*: Coming Soon!

DESCRIPTIONS*: Coming Soon!

*All program details and documents are subject to change.

Your CTA Membership: Keys to Success
Friday, February 19, 2027
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Unlock the full value of your CTA membership and gain the tools you need to thrive throughout your career as an educator. This engaging pre-conference session is designed specifically for new educators and will provide practical insights into the many resources available through CTA and NEA Member Benefits, helping you maximize the support, savings, and professional opportunities included with your membership.

Participants will explore important topics including retirement planning through the CTA 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan (Yes, we know this is a long way away…but now is the time to prepare!), strategies to help your financial wellness, and the importance of self-care for maintaining personal well-being and preventing burnout. Attendees can submit questions below for a Q&A with CTA Board Members during an interactive session where we’ll cover classroom management, Union involvement, advocacy, and whatever else is on your mind.

Whether you’re just beginning your teaching career or looking to better understand the CTA, you’ll leave with the keys to unlock your success for a great career both inside and outside the classroom.

We are providing release time for the pre-conference, which means CTA Member Benefits will reimburse your employer for your substitute on Friday, February 19, 2027 to assist with your availability to attend. Be sure to request release time and provide the necessary information when registering.

Full-day attendance at the pre-conference on Friday is mandatory and you must be checked in no later than 12:00 pm for CTA to reimburse the school district for your release day.

The Friday Pre-Conference is FREE to attend, and space is limited.

Member Benefits Pre-Conference attendance is worth 6 hours of Professional Development which can be used for the CTA University Credit Program. For more information, please visit https://www.CTA.org/Credit.

Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa
3050 Bristol Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Group Rate: $177/night + tax
Booking Deadline: February 4, 2027 (or until hotel block sells out)
Parking: $18/night Self-Parking; $10/day Self-Parking

Find out more about the hotel and things to do in the area.

The link to book your reservation will be provided during conference registration.

• CTA Members – $49
• CTA Aspiring Educators – $10
• Invited Exhibitor – $560 / booth

The hotel offers onsite self-parking for a CTA discounted rate of $18/night or $10/day.

John Wayne Airport/Orange County (SNA): 3 miles

Hotel offers a complimentary airport shuttle that is available starting at 5:30 AM to and from John Wayne Airport/Orange County.

Long Beach Airport/Daugherty Field (LGB): 20 miles

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX): 36 miles

Please consider using public transportation to travel to the conference. Please visit https://go511.com/ for maps, schedules, fares and more information.

Airfare Discount: United Airlines offers CTA members discounts of up to 10%. To receive the discount, book online at www.united.com or through the United Mobile App. Under “Book,” select Advanced Search and enter the CTA Discount Code ZRVW947785 under “Upgrades, certificates, and promotion codes.” We recommend comparing rates with other airlines to ensure you receive the best fare.

Childcare is available to CTA Members and Staff who are the primary caregivers of the child(ren) attending.

You must register your child to reserve a spot at Camp CTA. Click here for more childcare information.

Children attending Camp CTA must adhere to the conference Health & Safety Policies.

Note: The deadline to register is Thursday, February 4, 2027

Day/Dates/Times of program:

• Friday, February 19 – 5:45 pm – 9:15 pm
• Saturday, February 20– 6:45 am – 6:15 pm
• Sunday, February 21 – 7:30 am – 12:00 pm

Contact Information
Jovie of Newport Beach
Phone: 562-343-6194
E-mail:newportbeachca@jovie.com

Session documents will be available in the conference app and attendee hub closer to the start of the conference. You must be logged in to view session documents. Provided documents can be found at the bottom of each session page within the conference app and attendee hub.

If you are feeling sick, have tested positive for COVID-19, or are showing COVID-19 symptoms, do not attend the event.

Your wellbeing at CTA conferences is important to us, click here to read the conference health and safety policies.

As part of registration, all attendees are expected to abide by the Code of Conduct for CTA Events found here.

The California Teachers Association (CTA) is committed to ensuring that all attendees of its conferences and meetings have equal access and opportunity to participate in these events. CTA recognizes that some attendees with disabilities may require the assistance of animals for various reasons. This document outlines the policy and procedures for reasonably accommodating disabled attendees who require the use of assistive animals at CTA conferences and other events. This policy also recognizes that for the health and safety of all attendees and to avoid disruptions at CTA conferences and meetings, pets are not permitted in conference and meeting spaces.

Please click here to view the full Animal Accommodation Policy.

The CTA Board of Directors will award conference grants for the upcoming New Educator Weekend – South. These incentive grants are available to new members, CTA BIPOC members and members from small chapters. Please click here for more details.

• Application Deadline: November 9, 2026 at midnight

Professional Growth Hours: By attending this conference, you will earn 15 hours of Professional Development which can be used to claim (1) University Credit through our partner, CSU Chico. Conference attendance from start to finish is required to receive the Professional Growth Hours. After the conference, attendees will be emailed a certificate of Professional Growth Hours.

University Credit: The CTA University Credit Program is a benefit available to members who attend CTA Conferences or watch recorded sessions through the CTA Virtual Pass to Online Learning. Please visit www.CTA.org/Credit for all timelines and information on how to claim the credit.

Email: NEW@cta.org

Phone: 650-552-5355