2026 Women's Leadership Conference
CTA is proud to present the inaugural Women's Leadership Conference on April 10-12, 2026.
Event Description
The CTA’s Women’s Leadership Conference will provide an uplifting, supportive, and empowering environment for participants. Our inaugural conference is designed with both flow and function in mind to address the current needs of women in leadership.
The conference will include themes of Empowerment and Confidence, Networking and Mentorship and Wellness and Sustainability. The goal is for attendees to leave the conference with a renewed sense of purpose, equipped with new tools and resources, and connected to a growing network of women who are committed to leading in union advocacy.
If you have any questions, please email the conference staff at womensconference@cta.org.
Program Agenda
AGENDA*: Click here to download the Agenda!
WORKSHOP GRID*: Click here to download the Workshop Grid!
SESSION DESCRIPTIONS*: Click here to download the Session Descriptions!
All other program details and documents are coming soon and will be available on the app for attendees. The app will be launched closer to event date.
Friday, April 10
4:00 PM - 9:00 PM
CTA Registration Desk & Exhibitor Showcase
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Welcome Reception & Buffet Dinner
6:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Friends of Bill W.
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Dance Party & Networking
Saturday, April 11
7:30 AM - 3:00 PM
CTA Registration Desk
7:30 AM - 4:30 PM
CTA Exhibitor Showcase
7:45 AM - 9:00 AM
Buffet Breakfast & Networking
9:15 AM - 10:30 AM
Workshop Session 1 - Modern Salon Activity
10:45 AM - 12:00 PM
Workshop Session 2
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Plated Lunch & General Session with Keynote Speaker, Chicago Teachers Union President, Stacy Davis Gates
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM
Workshop Session 3
2:45 PM - 3:00 PM
Coffee & Tea Service
3:00 PM - 4:15 PM
Workshop Session 4
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Ethnic Caucus Meetings
Sunday, April 12
7:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Coffee & Tea Service
8:30 AM - 10:30 AM
CTA Registration Desk
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Wellness Session
10:15 AM - 12:00 PM
Brunch Buffet & Closing General Session with Panel Discussion
12:00 PM
Conference Concludes
Venue
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Address: 910 Broadway Cir, San Diego, CA 92101 -
Phone: (619) 239-2200 Group Rate: $199/night + taxBooking Deadline: Monday, March 23, 2026 (or until hotel block sells out)Parking: $35/night Valet-ParkingVarious Self Parking Garages available next to hotel
Booking information will be provided during conference registration.
Fees
- CTA Members – $195
- CTA Aspiring Educators Members – $39
- Invited Exhibitor – $560
Featured Presenter
Stacy Davis Gates
Chicago Teachers Union President
Stacy Davis Gates is President of the Chicago Teachers Union, President of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, Vice President of the American Federation of Teachers, and Chair of United Working Families. Before her election to the Office of President in 2022, Mrs. Davis Gates served four (4) years as Vice President of the Union. Prior to that, she served as the Union’s Political and Legislative Director. In the fall of 2019, she helped lead a 15-day strike and negotiate a historic contract that provides for smaller class sizes, ensures a nurse and social worker in every Chicago public school, secures sanctuary protections for immigrant families, and supports students and families experiencing homelessness.
While at the CTU, Mrs. Davis Gates has been the architect of bold political and legislative campaigns for the schools and city that all Chicagoans deserve. She has raised millions of dollars to elect progressive leaders to city, county, and state government and the U.S. Congress. She played an instrumental role in the 2015 mayoral campaign of Jesus “Chuy” Garcia and she has elected classroom teachers to all levels of local government, culminating with the historic election of CTU organizer Brandon Johnson, first as Cook County Commissioner, and in 2023 Mayor of Chicago.
She has spearheaded statewide legislative campaigns that enacted an elected school board for Chicago, bringing democracy to the district for the first time ever. Her legislative efforts also won the strongest charter school accountability measures in the country, restored full bargaining rights that had been denied to Chicago educators for nearly three decades and helped secure millions of dollars in extra state funding for Chicago Public Schools.
In 2017, Mrs. Davis Gates helped found United Working Families, an independent political organization by and for working class people and movements. She also serves as a board member for the Action Center on Race & the Economy (ACRE), a nexus for organizations working at the intersection of the struggle for racial justice and Wall Street accountability.
Mrs. Davis Gates is currently on leave from the classroom, where she taught high school social studies for over a decade at Englewood, Clemente and Mason Community Links High Schools. She attended Saint Mary’s College, the University of Notre Dame and Concordia University. Mrs. Davis Gates lives on the South Side of Chicago with her husband and three children.
Childcare
Childcare for the 2026 Women’s Leadership Conference is available to CTA Members and Staff attendees who are the primary caregivers of the child(ren) attending. Click here for more childcare information.
2026 Camp CTA Schedule –
Friday, April 10, 2026
On-Site Activity Center – 6:15 p.m. – 9:15 p.m.
Saturday, April 11, 2026
On-Site Activity Center – 8:30 a.m. – 5:45 p.m.
Sunday, April 12, 2026
On-Site Activity Center – 8:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Childcare Contact Information:
Contact: Jovie Newport Beach
Phone: (949) 301-9422
E-mail: newportbeachca@jovie.com
Traveling to the Conference
San Diego International Airport (SAN): 2 miles
Please consider using public transportation to travel to the conference. Please visit https://www.sdmts.com/ for maps, schedules, fares, and more information.
Airfare Discount: United Airlines offers reduced rates for CTA members up to 10%. To take advantage of these rates, you must book online at www.united.com.
Enter the CTA Discount Code: ZRVW947785 in the Offer Code Box found on the left-hand side of the page. Please check with the other airlines to ensure that you are getting the best rate.
Health & Safety Policies
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.
Documents
Session documents will be available in the attendee hub app within each session closer to the start of the conference.
Animal Accommodation Policy
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.
Credits
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.
Grants
Grant Applications are now closed.
- Application Deadline: Monday, January 5, 2026
Contact
Email: womensconference@cta.org