This session will address leadership support for equitable learning environments and learning opportunities for multilingual learners through three interconnected places and perspectives: district level leadership, school leadership, and classroom level (teacher) leadership. There will be mini case studies as examples of each of these leadership practices and strategies for action planning and implementation will be shared.

Andrea Honigsfeld, EdD, is TESOL Professor in the School of Education and Human Services at Molloy College, Rockville Centre, New York. She teaches graduate courses on linguistics, TESOL methods, and cultural and linguistic diversity. Before entering the field of teacher education, she was an English-as-a-foreign-language teacher in Hungary, an English-as-a-second-language teacher in New York City, and taught Hungarian at New York University. As a Fulbright Scholar, she lectured in Iceland and she has been presenting at conferences across the United States, China, Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates. She frequently offers professional development primarily focusing on effective differentiated strategies and collaborative practices for English-as-a-second-language and general education teachers. She has published extensively on co-teaching, teacher collaboration, ELD strategies, and equity.

Description

Dr. Sonia Soltero

In this session we explore a comprehensive model that creates the necessary conditions for students to develop high levels of biliteracy over time. The biliteracy blueprint speaks to increasing understanding of biliteracy and bilingual development among teachers and school leaders; creating biliteracy instructional plans that include native language, new language, and bilingual curriculum; using integrated and meaning-based instructional practices; adopting linguistically authentic and culturally relevant instructional materials and assessments; and incorporating families in their children’s biliteracy journey.

Dr. Sonia Soltero is Professor and Chair of the Department of Leadership, Language, and Curriculum, and former Director of the Bilingual-Bicultural Education Graduate Program at DePaul University in Chicago. Soltero has numerous publications on bilingual education, English Learners, and Latino Education having been involved with dual/bilingual education for more than thirty years as a dual language teacher, university professor, professional developer, and researcher. Soltero has an extensive background in design and implementation of dual language and bilingual programs and has worked with school districts as well as bilingual universities across the US.

Following current research on effective literacy for multilingual learners, Dr. Carol Salva will offer examples of how these practices can make sense in secondary classrooms. Resources and practical examples will be shared. Current research shared by OELA (US Dept of Ed’s Office of English Language Acquisition), NCEL (National Council of Effective Literacy), and NAELPA (National Association of EL Program Administrators) will also be shared and referenced in this talk.

Dr. Carol Salva is an author and Seidlitz Education consultant. She works with schools, state leaders, and local education agencies to support multilingual learners at all language levels. She is the co-author of both Boosting Achievement, Reaching Students with Interrupted or Minimal Education, and also DIYPD: A Guide to Self-Directed Learning for Teachers of Multilingual Learners. Dr. Salva has taught Elementary, Middle, and High school. She is a Certified Gomez & Gomez Dual Language Trainer, and a Certified Abydos Writing Trainer.

Designing learning ecologies for multilingual learners requires that we consider how students interact, learn by doing, and express their ideas using digital learning resources. When designed with intention, digital-age learning ecosystems can provide students with equitable access to culturally and linguistically responsive learning experiences. In this session we’ll discuss the Digital-Age Teaching for English Learners Framework (DATELs) which outlines the specific elements you need to provide English Learners with a dynamic, technology-rich learning environment that meets the demands of our digital age. Strategies and lesson ideas to engage students through multiple modalities will be shared along with a DATELs checklist and lesson seed template.

Heather Rubin is an Administrator for the NYSED Long Island Regional Bilingual Education Resource Network (L.I. RBERN) at Eastern Suffolk BOCES. She provides technical assistance to K-12 school districts on designing digital-age learning ecosystems for in-person, hybrid, and remote learning environments and supports teachers in the use of culturally responsive-sustaining education practices for English learners. Her book "Digital-Age Teaching for English Learners 2ed." was published in January 2022 with co-authors Lisa Estrada and Andrea Honigsfeld.

Explore innovative approaches in supporting, mentoring, and advocating for immigrant origin students happening in classrooms and districts across the country today, learn about essential, landmark cases and laws that have transformed the country's schools, and listen to the inspiring and powerful voices of young immigrant students in this interactive workshop.

Jessica Lander is an award-winning teacher, writer and author. She teaches history and civics to recent immigrant students in a Massachusetts public high school and has won numerous awards for her teaching, including being named a Top 50 Finalist for the Global Teacher Prize in 2021, presented by the Varkey Foundation and being named a MA Teacher of the Year Finalist in 2022, presented by the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Jessica writes frequently about education policy and teaching. She is the author of Making Americans: Stories of Historic Struggles, New Ideas, and Inspiration in Immigrant Education, a coauthor of Powerful Partnerships: A Teacher’s Guide to Engaging Families for Student Success and the author of Driving Backwards.

Are you ready to provide instructional strategies to engage your ELs and ALL students in your math classroom? This language-rich interactive workshop will be focused on mathematical processes needed to acquire and demonstrate mathematical understanding that will support making content comprehensible and developing academic language. The different strategies will be aligned to different component of a math lesson to demonstrate how educators can incorporate academic reading, writing, and conversations through student-led activities.

Adrian Mendoza has provided Professional Development to educators in districts and educational service centers  for more than 7 years, working with teachers and parents in United States, Mexico, and Costa Rica

He joins Seidlitz Education from his previous role as an Instructional Math Coach in San Marcos CISD with a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership at Texas State University. His commitment leads him to innovate in the education area, and his present action research project is about the importance of Building Mathematical Growth Mindset Communities. 

Adrian is an author of the book Teaching Math to ELs.

In order to positively impact any district or school community, trust and risk taking must be established and encouraged. Through a series of case studies, the presenters share their experiences coaching learning communities with culturally and linguistically diverse learners. By using the civil rights guidance to undergird the discovery process, educators were able to engage in rich dialog, use data more efficiently, and strengthen their depth of knowledge in order prioritize and redress areas in need of improvement, all of which contribute to better outcomes for multilingual learners.

Shelley Jallow, EdD, has decades of experience in administration, school district turnaround and leadership. She currently serves as a New York State Monitor, providing oversight and technical assistance related to fiscal policies, academics and decisions of the superintendent and school board. Prior to her current role, Jallow supervised and coached district and school leaders resulting in a state designation change from Priority Schools to Schools in Good Standing. She is the co-author of Supporting English Learners in Your School: Essential Practices for Ensuring Linguistic Equity (co-authored with Cooper).

Ayanna Cooper, EdD, is a consultant, writer, U.S. Department of State English Language Specialist alumna, and is currently serving on the Board of Directors for TESOL International Association. Cooper provides technical assistance to districts and schools that support multilingual learners. 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 (co-edited), Supporting English Learners in Your School: Essential Practices for Ensuring Linguistic Equity (co-authored with Jallow), and serves as Language Magazine’s Pass the Mic Series editor.

As educators, we’ve been given one of the greatest tasks–developing humanity. In our classroom spaces, we can and should be ELLevating our students authenticity so they develop their identity. Storytelling activities are powerful and a great tool to elevate our students' authenticity and impact those around them. In this session, you’ll analyze many different lessons and activities that not only ELLevate our multilinguals' identity, but also support their linguistic and academic development.

We’ll also learn how ELLevate my storytelling skills by publishing my first book If You Only Knew: Letters from an Immigrant Teacher. Learn how you can use my book to elevate your students’ stories as well as your story as an educator.

Astrid Emily Francis is a nationally recognized English as a Second Language teacher at Concord High School in Concord, North Carolina. She serves students in 9th-12th grade with various English proficiency levels. Emily is a native Spanish-speaker who is originally from Guatemala and came to the U.S. as an unaccompanied minor. Her experience as an English Language Learner inspired her to become an ESL teacher and affords her a deep understanding of the challenges her students must overcome to find success. Emily earned a BA in Spanish and a MAT in ESL from UNC-Charlotte. She serves as a professional development facilitator, motivational speaker, and Keynote. Emily forms part of the Executive Board of The Carolinas TESOL (teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages). Emily is the author of If You Only Knew: Letters from an Immigrant Teacher. Emily served as teacher liaison to the Cabarrus County Board of Education as Teacher of the Year 2016. As a leader, Emily's focus is to inspire students to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more.