How can Newcomer Academies help immigrant students get off to a good start in on their academic journeys? Why is community and family engagement so important and how can educators implement strategies that work? How do we go about streamlining EL programs while also mitigating concerns around change management?

We discuss these questions and in the first in a series of episodes featuring Ellevation Educators of the Month, an award program we kicked off on October of 2019 to recognize and celebrate educators who go above and beyond in supporting the needs of their multilingual students. In this episode, we speak with Dr. Geniene Delahunty of Boone County Schools in Kentucky. Geniene was nominated by her colleague Kathy Hammonds, who is also featured in this episode.

Dr. Geniene Delahunty is the Director of Language Learners at Boone County Schools, KY. Geniene has been working in education for 18 years and is still as passionate about serving the needs of students as she was on day 1. Being born and raised in South Africa lends a unique perspective to her life and educational career. She is dedicated to equity in education, and addressing differences - not barriers (for example ‘language’). Active on Twitter (@geniened) to connect with other educators and community leaders, Geniene is always eager to learn. Geniene and her husband adopted 4 boys from Taiwan (at ages 7, 10, 12 and 13). When not at work Geniene can be found on her 15 acre mini-farm, with ducks; chickens; dogs and her bearded dragon.

Kathy Hammonds started her teaching career near her hometown and taught Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade. While working there she attended Union College where she received her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education. After a few years, she moved to Las Vegas, Nevada where she taught 3rd and 4th grade as well as serving as a Literacy Specialist and Interventionist. This is where her passion for working with English learners started and grew. She returned to Kentucky to work as a classroom teacher in Boone County, where she now works as an English as a Second Language Teacher in her building. She enjoys working with my teachers every day as a team to support the learning of all students. Her team also works closely with their families and community.