Highest Aspirations

How has the Seal of Biliteracy evolved from a California-based grassroots movement to a highly regarded program offered in 35 states and the District of Columbia? How might offering the seal of biliteracy help school districts strengthen their language programs for all learners? What pathways and checkpoints are built into the journey toward the Seal to help guide students toward the ultimate goal of biliteracy?

We discuss these topics and much more in Part 1 of our 2 part series on the Seal of Biliteracy with Martha Hernandez. Martha, the oldest of nine children, is a first-generation college graduate and a role model for her siblings who also earned university degrees and are now serving as physicians, teachers, a computer programmer, an organic chemist and a doctor of pharmacy.  She attributes her family’s success to her mother who was an unwavering advocate for her children with a strong belief in the power of public education. Martha’s lifelong support of the United Farm Workers and bilingual education has fueled her commitment to causes of equity and excellence in education especially on behalf of English learners. Her 42 years of public school experience at the classroom, school, district and county levels as well as her involvement in numerous state committees serve her well to advance the vision of Californians Together.

As you’ll hear in our conversation, Martha is both well-versed and passionate about the history, current state, and future of the Seal of Biliteracy and its impact on language learners of all types.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this series, when Martha and I discuss how districts are assessing criteria to achieve the Seal of Biliteracy, supporting teachers with diverse groups of language learners, preventing home language loss, and much more.

How is interpretation different from translation? When is interpreting necessary and how is it mandated in schools and other community institutions? What are some of the challenges and  pitfalls of “home grown” interpreting services? We discuss these topics and much more in our conversation with Michelle Gallagher.

Michelle is the Managing Director of Cross-Cultural Communications, the leading national training organization for educational, social services and medical interpreters with more than 300 licensed trainers in 37 US States, Washington DC, Guam and six other countries. Michelle has more than 15 years of experience in facilitation and management of professional training programs for international audiences. She has taught at the Universidad Europea de Madrid and managed training organizations in Madrid and Maryland. She is also a freelance Spanish interpreter. Michelle received her BA in International Relations from Tulane University and her MBA in Marketing and General Management from the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business. She spent nine years living in Madrid, where she received her MA in Conference Interpreting at the Universidad de Cluny. Michelle has volunteered for Youth For Understanding, an international student exchange program, since 2003 and has served as the Webmaster for the National Capital Area Translators Association, a local chapter of the American Translators Association.

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How might schools districts design programs that help teachers work with growing numbers of English Language Learners? What role does technology play in helping all students get the services they need? How is equity and advocacy work connected to school leadership? We discuss these topics and much more with Dr. Terri Bresnahan.

Dr. Bresnahan began her teaching career in San Bernardino, California where she taught middle school math and Kindergarten/1st grade while earning her master's degree in Educational Technology from Azusa Pacific University. After 4 years in California, she returned to the midwest as a K-5 Computer teacher and technology facilitator while earning her CAS CAS in Educational Leadership. In 2005 she took her first administrative position as Director of Technology in Addison School District 4. She worked there for 5 years while beginning her doctoral degree at National Louis University. In 2010 she accepted the role of Director of Educational Technology in Park Ridge School District 64. In 2014 she was selected as the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction in Berkeley School District 87 and was named Superintendent the following school year. She has served in that capacity for 4 years and is proud to call Berkeley District 87 her home.

How might we help our English Language Learners engage in quality academic conversations? What supports do teachers of ELLs need to promote these kinds of conversations? How do academic conversations tie into college and career readiness?

We kick off Season 2 of Highest Aspirations with these questions and much more in a conversation with Jeff Zwiers. Jeff is a senior researcher at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and the Director of Professional Development for Understanding Language, a research and professional learning effort focused on improving instruction and assessment of English learners and other diverse students. He consults for national and international teacher development projects that promote language, literacy, lesson design, and formative assessment practices. Jeff’s research focuses on developing classroom instruction that fosters high-quality oral language and constructive conversations across disciplines.

Many listeners will be familiar with his book Academic Conversations, which provides clear ways to support students in developing authentic, meaningful classroom conversation skills. Zwiers' research and work has impacted tens of thousands of classrooms across the country in providing equitable access to grade-level content for all learners, reflective of college-and-career readiness standards.