How can we support educators in the wake of a significant change, such as integrating newcomers into schools after dissolving all designated newcomer centers? What techniques can be used to best support teachers who are inexperienced with newcomers, including structuring PD and harnessing campus leadership? What is a good approach when preparing staff, families, and other stakeholders for a significant structural change to a school program such as this?

We’re closing out Season 10 of the Highest Aspirations podcast with a topic that is important for everyone working in schools. While your district may not currently have large numbers of newcomers, it is almost certain teachers in your schools will be lucky enough to work with students coming to this country for a variety of reasons. We can learn a lot from colleagues working in places where newcomers have been part of the fabric of their school communities for decades. One such school district is Katy ISD, just outside of Houston, Texas. Katy has been known for its newcomer centers for years - so much so that people from other districts have visited them to learn more about how to create similar programs. But the disruption caused by the pandemic forced district leaders at Katy to make significant changes - and the result has been magical. 

I sat down with Kimberly Mitchell, Instructional Officer for Secondary ESL at Katy ISD to talk about how the challenge her district was facing turned into an opportunity, and how other districts can learn from their journey. From change management to rolling out PD programs with very little time, Kimberly shares a wealth of ideas and resources that will encourage you to rethink traditional newcomer programs and energize teachers in the face of significant transitions. 

I hope you enjoy this last episode of the season. We’ll be back in August for Season 11, but in the meantime, please visit our EL Community to access all our free resources, including every episode of the Highest Aspirations podcast. 

Kimberly Mitchell holds a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and a Master’s of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on literacy from the University of Texas at Arlington. She began her career in Alvin, Texas teaching English as a Second Language at the high school and junior high levels. Since then she has worked in the Office of Other Languages for Katy ISD in Texas. Currently, she is the Instructional Officer for Secondary ESL. She is passionate about supporting campus staff in effectively providing ESL program services for secondary emergent bilingual students

Visit our EL Community page for episode resources, related content and more.Download the episode transcript here.