2025 Hybrid Conference: Activating the Power of Leadership for ML Success

Dr. Patricia Garcia is an Assistant Professor of Education at Lasell University, where she teaches courses in bilingual education, second language acquisition, school improvement, and teacher leadership. A former K-12 educator with over 30 years in public schools as a bilingual and TESOL teacher, director of Bilingual and ESL Education, principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent of schools. While serving as superintendent of schools in Connecticut, Dr. Garcia had the highest percentage of English language learners in her school district. This prompted her to develop and lead the district’s dual and transitional bilingual programs. While stationed in North Carolina, Dr. Garcia was an assistant professor of Foreign Languages at Barton College. In this position, she led the initial certification program for Teachers of English as a Second Language, which was approved by the state of North Carolina.

Dr. Garcia is a member of the National Association of Bilingual Education, the Multistate Association of Bilingual Education, and the Massachusetts Association of Teachers of Speakers of Other Languages. She frequently presents at conferences on the topic of bilingual teacher leadership. Her research interest is directly influenced and inspired by her experience as a second language learner and teacher. As such, her areas of interest include bilingual/TESOL teacher leadership, bilingualism, and the preparation of pre-service bilingual/TESOL teachers. Dr. Garcia has a Ph.D. from Florida State University, an Ed.D. from the University of Sarasota, and a master’s degree from the University of South Florida.

• 10:00 - 11:00 AM, Feb 18, 2025 Virtual - Zoom

  TESOL Teacher Leadership: A Pathway to System Change for the Success of MLL

Aryn Johnson

Educational Consultant

Hamilton County Educational Service Center

Aryn Johnson is a teacher, coach and coordinator. A Fulbright scholar who is herself a multilingual learner- English, Spanish, French, ligo (a little) Greek-Aryn has spent 25+ years in ESOL and Bilingual Education in Texas, California, Kentucky, Ohio, and abroad. She is passionate about bringing about systemic change for ELs and MLs in Ohio, as an Ohio TESOL Board member, and beyond. Aryn loves helping teachers support students and feel equipped to guide their educational journeys.

• 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM, Feb 18, 2025 Virtual - Zoom

  From the field- how to help General Education teachers support ELs and MLs to be successful in language and content acquisition

Margo Gottlieb

Founder and Lead Developer

WIDA

Margo Gottlieb, Ph.D., has devoted her professional career to improving educational opportunities for multilingual learners, their teachers and other educational leaders. Over the years she has been a language teacher and coordinator, a bilingual facilitator, a director of assessment and evaluation, and a consultant to school districts, states, publishers, governments, universities, and organizations. Margo was a Fulbright senior specialist in assessment and evaluation and was recognized in 2016 by TESOL International Association's 50@50 "as an individual who has made a significant contribution to the TESOL profession within the past 50 years." Having traveled extensively, Margo has presented in Asia, Central America, Europe, Indonesia, the Middle East, North America, the Pacific, Singapore and South America as well as across the United States.
Margo's publications include more than 90 articles, monographs, handbooks, guides, technical reports, chapters and assessments. Her latest books include Assessing multilingual learners: A month-to-month guide (2017), Language power: Key uses for accessing content (with Castro), Assessing English language learners: Bridges to equity, 2nd Ed. (2016). She is co-author (with Ernst-Slavit, 2014) of Academic language in diverse classrooms: Definitions and contexts, a foundational book for a co-edited series Promoting content and language learning (a compendium of 3 mathematics and 3 language arts volumes, 2014, 2013). Her other books include: Common language assessment for English learners (2012); Paper to practice: Using the TESOL's English Language Proficiency Standards in preK-12 classrooms (with Katz & Ernst-Slavit, 2009); and Assessment and accountability in language education programs: A guide for administrators and teachers (with Nguyen, 2007).

• 1:00 - 2:30 PM, Feb 18, 2025 Techwood

  Summit K12 Presents: Insights, Reflections, and Connections with Margo Gottlieb, Martha Hernandez and Luis Valentino

Martha Hernandez

Executive Director

Californians Together

Martha Hernández is the Executive Director for Californians Together, a coalition of education, civil rights, parent/caregiver, community, and advocacy organizations, that champions the educational success of California’s more than 1.1million English learners. Her 42 years of public school experience includes serving as Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services for a unified school district, as Director of Curriculum for a county office of education and as a district administrator, principal, staff developer, and bilingual and special education teacher in various districts. She was also the Director of Bilingual Teacher Training at California Lutheran University and served as past president of California Association for Bilingual Education. Martha was appointed by the California Senate Rules Committee to serve on the California Department of Education’s Instructional Quality Commission. In 2014, she was appointed by the State Board of Education to serve as the Co-Chair of the California ELA/ELD Curriculum Framework and Evaluation Criteria Committee. Her work now focuses on biliteracy with an expansion of the California State Seal of Biliteracy, the implementation of California's new English learner policy, the English Learner Roadmap and the provision of effective literacy/biliteracy for emergent bilingual and English learner students.

• 1:00 - 2:30 PM, Feb 18, 2025 Techwood

  Summit K12 Presents: Insights, Reflections, and Connections with Margo Gottlieb, Martha Hernandez and Luis Valentino

• 2:40 - 3:30 PM, Feb 19, 2025 Learning Center

  Centering Multilingual Learners to Ensure Equity in Literacy Instruction: Integrating Research, Policy, and Practice

Kelli Lechnir

Educator

Tolleson Union High School District

As an instructional coach and educator, Kelli Lechnir is dedicated to improving outcomes for Multilingual Learners (MLs). Ms. Lechnir has nearly twenty years experience collaborating with school leaders to ensure the growth of MLs. One of Ms. Lechnir’s main areas of focus is increasing teacher efficacy via targeted professional development. She has served on state level ML Leadership PLCs, holds a Master of Art in Teaching, and a Master of Science in Educational Administration. Ms. Lechnir regularly provides data-driven professional development opportunities for teaching staff that align with improving outcomes for Multilingual Learners.

• 10:00 - 11:00 AM, Feb 18, 2025 Virtual - Zoom

  Increase Multilingual Learner (ML) Achievement through Targeted Teacher Development

Dr. Kendra Katnik

Instructional Specialist

Southeast Service Cooperative

Dr. Kendra Katnik serves as an Instructional Specialist with Project Momentum, an NPD project at the Southeast Service Cooperative in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Katnik is an experienced educator with a passion for culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining pedagogy. She has held various positions throughout her career that have allowed her to work directly with diverse students as well as develop resources and professional learning for educators including the roles of elementary and middle school teacher, English Language Development teacher, consultant, and program coordinator, and Adjunct Professor of education. She holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Michigan, as well as professional licenses in teaching and central office administration. In all her work, Dr. Katnik strives to advocate for equitable educational opportunities for culturally and linguistically diverse students.

• 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM, Feb 18, 2025 Virtual - Zoom

  Expanding Access to High-Quality PD for Teachers of Multilingual Learners

Dr. Bill Rivers

Principal

WP RIVERS & ASSOCIATES

Dr. Bill Rivers, principal WP Rivers & Associates, has more than 35 years’ experience in language advocacy and capacity at the national level, with significant experience in culture and language for economic development and national security, and publications in second and third language acquisition research, proficiency assessment, program evaluation, and language policy development and advocacy.

• 2:45 - 3:30 PM, Feb 18, 2025 Techwood

  Policy and Legislative Update: One Month In

• 3:45 - 4:30 PM, Feb 18, 2025 Techwood

  Policy and Legislative Update: One Month In (Repeat)

Amelia Larson

Chief Academic Officer

Summit K12

Amelia is the Chief Academic Officer at Summit K-12, renowned for her dedication to fostering equitable outcomes and driving transformative change in K-12 education. She focuses on advancing multiliteracy among linguistically, culturally, and economically diverse students. As a national consultant, Amelia has supported schools, districts, and national organizations to create systems of opportunity that make education more equitable and accessible for all.

• 1:00 - 2:30 PM, Feb 18, 2025 Techwood

  Summit K12 Presents: Insights, Reflections, and Connections with Margo Gottlieb, Martha Hernandez and Luis Valentino

Dr. Luis Valentino

Founder

Valgar LLC

With over 35 years in education, Dr. Luis Valentino founded Valgar LLC to drive transformation through publishing, consulting, and services. As an author and thought leader, Dr. Valentino focuses on educational entrepreneurship and leadership, offering resources to empower educators. His vision is to inspire personal and professional growth, shaping the future of education.

• 1:00 - 2:30 PM, Feb 18, 2025 Techwood

  Summit K12 Presents: Insights, Reflections, and Connections with Margo Gottlieb, Martha Hernandez and Luis Valentino

Yvonne Oronoz Williams

Director of Multilingual Learner Engagement

Wisconsin Center for Educational Products and Services (WCEPS)

Yvonne is the Director of Multilingual Learner Educator Engagement at the Wisconsin Center for Educational Products and Services (WCEPS). In her role, she supports educators by fostering collaboration with Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and meeting the diverse needs of multilingual learners. With over 29 years of experience in education, Yvonne has previously served as a Professional Learning Specialist at WIDA and is a passionate advocate for bilingual and multilingual students, leveraging her own experiences as an English language learner from Chihuahua, Mexico.

She has developed impactful programs, including a coaching initiative at WCEPS, which provides educators nationwide with the tools and strategies needed to better serve language learners. Her work emphasizes high expectations, cultural assets, and equitable education for all students. Yvonne is also a first-generation graduate with a master’s in bilingual education, reflecting her commitment to public education and multilingualism.

• 1:00 - 2:30 PM, Feb 18, 2025 Spring

  Unidos: Partnering With Families of Multilingual Learners to Create an Empowering Learning Community

Dr. Joan Lachance

Associate Professor/Educational Consultant

UNC Charlotte

Dr. Joan Lachance is an Associate Professor of Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She directs the TESL graduate programs and undergraduate TESL Minor. She is the co-author of the National Dual Language Education Teacher Preparation Standards and the Director of the CAEP Specialized Program Association in Dual Language Education called “EMMA: Education for a Multilingual Multicultural America.” She received her undergraduate degree in Secondary Education, Modern Languages and Linguistics from Florida International University. With Spanish as the language of program delivery, she completed graduate coursework to earn her master’s degree in School Counseling from Pontifical Catholic University in Poncé, Puerto Rico. Dr. Lachance completed her doctoral work in Curriculum and Instruction, with an emphasis on Urban Education, Literacy, and TESL at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Dr. Lachance’s research agenda and professional learning via her consultancies encompasses dual language teacher preparation, academic literacy development, and authentic assessment with multilingual learners. Her work has resulted in numerous publications including articles, book chapters, technical reports, and state-level curriculum guides since joining UNC Charlotte. She serves on several journal editorial boards and is a board member of the Multistate Association for Bilingual Education, Northeast (MABE). With the publication of a forthcoming Corwin book, she is specializing one aspect of of her professional consultancies with collaboration and co-teaching for multilingual learners in the dual language context. She is also working to support dual language education for the preservation of Native American languages, currently and most-honorably collaborating with a K-8 school serving the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians [EBCI].

• 11:00 - 11:50 AM, Feb 19, 2025 Learning Center

  Project SEMBRAR: Transforming DLBE Teacher Preparation

Michael Rodríguez is the newly-appointed Executive Director of Dual Language Education of NM (DLeNM). For the past six years he has served as the organization's director of operations, heading up and expanding the Leadership Development trainings while supporting schools, districts and state agencies across the country to create quality, sustainable dual language programs. Throughout his career as an administrator, he has helped to establish and operate three different dual language programs in New Mexico.

• 11:00 - 11:50 AM, Feb 19, 2025 Learning Center

  Project SEMBRAR: Transforming DLBE Teacher Preparation

David Rogers

Former Executive Director

DLeNM

David Rogers supports the work of Dual Language Education of New Mexico-DLeNM whose mission is to promote the effective design and implementation of dual language education (www.dlenm.org) in New Mexico, and beyond. He is part of the EMMA Advisory Leadership and Project SEMBRAR's Grant Administrator.

• 11:00 - 11:50 AM, Feb 19, 2025 Learning Center

  Project SEMBRAR: Transforming DLBE Teacher Preparation

Tyler Ramey

Owner and Lead Consultant

Enaltecer Education Consulting LLC

Tyler M. Ramey, an accomplished educator with over 20 years of experience, has made significant contributions as a teacher, coach, administrator, college professor, and consultant. Her specialty lies in Multilingual Learner instruction, with a distinctive focus on supporting newcomers. As a dedicated advocate for equitable instruction, Tyler is passionate about empowering fellow educators. Her engaging sessions draw from a wealth of experience, emphasizing the importance of creating inclusive learning environments. With a strong commitment to Multilingual Learners, Tyler brings both insights and inspiration to the conference, fostering a community of excellence in ML education.

• 11:00 - 11:50 AM, Feb 19, 2025 Regency V

  Supporting Leadership: Building Capacity for Effective ML Instruction

Dr. Merica Clinkenbeard

Director of English Language Development

Springfield Public Schools

Dr. Merica Clinkenbeard is currently the Director of English Language Development for Springfield Public Schools, in Springfield, Missouri. She is knowledgeable in compliance, instructional strategies, and professional learning, and contributes valuable connections within the field.

Merica has over 20 years of experience in the educational field at the local and state level. She is a certified K-12 Spanish and ESL teacher with a research focus on professional learning to promote language proficiency within the content. Prior to her current role, Merica worked at Missouri State University as an English Learner Instructional Specialist for the state. She has a B.A. in International Studies, a M.A. in Education, and a doctorate in instructional leadership from Lindenwood University.

She is the Vice President of the National Association of English Learner Program Administrators (NAELPA) and also serves as co-chair for the NAELPA Professional Learning committee.

• 3:40 - 4:00 PM, Feb 19, 2025 Regency VI & VII

  Closing Remarks

• 11:00 - 11:50 AM, Feb 19, 2025 Regency VI & VII

  Leading Change for Multilingual Learners: Activating Teacher Leaders and Administrators to Create System-Wide Impact

Elise White Diaz

Educational Consultant

Seidlitz Education

As a consultant with Seidlitz Education, Elise travels across the country to assist state education agencies and districts in fostering language development and cross-cultural connections. Before joining Seidlitz Education, she served in various collaborative roles in a high-performing district in North Texas (language acquisition specialist, instructional coach, professional development presenter). Elise specializes in empowering educators to serve newcomer students from hard places, and looks forward to her forthcoming book, Discover, Connect, Respond: A Practical Approach for Trauma-Informed Education.

• 2:40 - 3:30 PM, Feb 19, 2025 Regency VI & VII

  Overcoming Collaboration Challenges to Effectively Support ML Success

Stephanie Vogel

State Title III and EL Program Director

VT Agency of Education

• 2:40 - 3:30 PM, Feb 19, 2025 Regency V

  Building Multilingual EL Programs in Rural Areas: A multi-level collaboration between the University of Vermont, the Vermont Agency of Education, and Essex-Westford School District

Dr. Julie Sugarman

Associate Director for K-12 Education Research

Migration Policy Institute

Julie Sugarman is Associate Director for K-12 Education Research at MPI’s National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy, where she focuses on multilingual learner education and helps stakeholders understand complex research and policy issues, improve program design, and evaluate program effectiveness.

At MPI, Dr. Sugarman has published analyses on topics such as federal policy supporting immigrant-background and English Learner (EL) students, school funding, federal and state data systems, and assessment and accountability. Additionally, she has published numerous research reports on how state and federal policies impact the educational options of newcomers who arrive in U.S. schools in high school. She has been an active contributor to policy efforts in the field, including as a member of the Public Policy Professional Council of TESOL International Association and as an advisor to the executive board of the National Association of English Language Program Administrators. She has also provided expertise to the Office of English Language Acquisition at the U.S. Department of Education; the Council of Chief State School Officers; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and numerous state and local education agencies and community-based organizations.

• 2:40 - 3:30 PM, Feb 19, 2025 Learning Center

  Centering Multilingual Learners to Ensure Equity in Literacy Instruction: Integrating Research, Policy, and Practice

Dr. Ester De Jong

Professor, CLDE Program

University of Colorado-Denver

Ester de Jong is Professor in the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education program at the University of Colorado Denver. Prior to UC Denver, she was the Director of the School of Teaching and Learning and Professor in ESOL/Bilingual Education at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. She has been in the field of ESL/bilingual education for over thirty years, as a practitioner and a researcher. Her research focuses on preparing teachers to work with bilingual learners in K-12 schools, and integrated approaches to the schooling of bilingual learners, including two-way bilingual education. Dr. de Jong was President of TESOL International Association (2017-2018) and currently serves as editor of the Bilingual Research Journal. Her recent co-edited books include the Handbook of Dual Language Bilingual Education (Routledge, with Juan Freire & Cristina Alfaro) and English Language Learners in the Southeastern United States (Lexington Books, with Eric Dwyer & Mary Elizabeth Wilson-Patton).

• 2:40 - 3:30 PM, Feb 19, 2025 Learning Center

  Centering Multilingual Learners to Ensure Equity in Literacy Instruction: Integrating Research, Policy, and Practice

Dr. Andrea Honigsfeld

Professor

Molloy University

Andrea Honigsfeld, EdD, is professor in the School of Education and Human Services at Molloy University, Rockville Centre, New York, where she teaches graduate courses related to cultural and linguistic diversity. Before entering the field of teacher education, she was an English-as-a-foreign-language teacher in Hungary (secondary and adult) and an English-as-a-second-language teacher in New York City (elementary and adult). She also taught Hungarian at New York University. She was the recipient of a doctoral fellowship at St. John’s University, New York, where she conducted research on individualized instruction. She has published extensively on working with multilingual learners and collaborative instructional practices. She received a Fulbright Award to lecture in Iceland in the fall of 2002. Over the past 20 years, she has been presenting at conferences across the United States, Great Britain, China, Denmark, Japan, Thailand, Sweden, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates. She frequently offers professional learning opportunities, primarily focusing on effective differentiated strategies and collaborative practices for ELD and bilingual/dual language specialists and general-education teachers. She coauthored over 60 articles and chapters and coauthored or coedited over 30 books, 11 of which are national bestsellers. See https://andreahonigsfeld.com for more information on Andrea's work.

• 8:30 - 10:45 AM, Feb 19, 2025 Regency VI & VII

  Welcome, Opening Remarks and WIDA Presents: Keynote Presentation

Bruce L Adelson, Esq.

CEO

Federal Compliance Consulting LLC.

Bruce L. Adelson, Esq., is CEO of Federal Compliance Consulting LLC. He is a former U.S Department of Justice (DOJ) Senior Trial Attorney. During Bruce’s federal career, he was responsible for enforcing federal compliance by state courts and state transportation agencies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Bruce was responsible for managing, editing, and publishing in the Federal Register of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s first ever Title VI Limited English proficiency guidance: U.S. Department of Transportation’s Policy Guidance Concerning Recipients’ Responsibilities to Limited English Proficient (LEP) Persons (DOT LEP Guidance, Federal Register, December 14, 2005)

In private practice, Bruce has assisted and consulted with local and state governments, non-profits, courts, law enforcement agencies, and many of the largest health care systems in the United States. He has assisted government clients negotiate Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Title VI resolution and compliance agreements with the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Aviation Administration, and Federal Transit Administration. He has been the testifying or consulting Title VI expert in several federal and state court cases.

Professor Adelson is an Instructor of Family Medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine and Adjunct Professor of Law at University of Pittsburgh School of Law where he teaches implicit bias in health care, civil rights, cultural awareness, and organizational culture. He has been a guest lecturer at Harvard, Cornell, and Auburn Universities, The Johns Hopkins University, University of Baltimore School of Law, and University of Michigan School of Law. He is the ADA and Title VI Consultant to the Idaho Supreme Court and the New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts.

Bruce holds a BA in International Studies from The Johns Hopkins University and a JD from The University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Michigan, and Virginia (inactive). He is licensed to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Fourth and District of Columbia Circuits and the U.S. Supreme Court.

He is the author of 13 books, including the award-winning Brushing Back Jim Crow – The Integration of Minor League Baseball in the American South (University of Virginia Press).

• 1:30 - 2:30 PM, Feb 19, 2025 Regency VI & VII

  Navigating the Changing Course of Federal Policy in Education

Dr. Ayanna Cooper

Educator/Author

ACooper Consulting

Ayanna Cooper, Ed.D. is an educator, author, storyteller, and keynote speaker whose passion for advocacy centers around primary and secondary linguistically diverse student populations. She is also a U.S. Department of State English Language Specialist alumna. As a lifelong learner she's earned advanced degrees in education including a Certificate of School Management and Leadership (CSML) from Harvard Graduate School of Education and Harvard Business School. Ayanna is the author of several publications including the bestseller And Justice for ELs: A Leader’s Guide to Creating and Sustaining Equitable Schools, Black Immigrants in the United States; Essays on the Politics of Race, Language and Voice (co-edited), and as founding editor of Language Magazine’s Pass the Mic series.

• 1:30 - 2:30 PM, Feb 19, 2025 Regency VI & VII

  Navigating the Changing Course of Federal Policy in Education

Khalil El-Saghir

ML Consultant

Wayne RESA

Khalil El-Saghir is a Multilingual Education Consultant at Wayne County RESA with over two decades of experience. His expertise encompasses teaching at various levels, from K-12 to higher education, as well as training and coaching educators. He also provides consultations to school districts on developing effective multilingual education programs. Khalil is known for his frequent presentations at conferences and workshops, addressing a range of issues related to language development, with a particular focus on an asset-based approach and the integration of technology.

• 1:30 - 2:30 PM, Feb 19, 2025 Regency VI & VII

  Navigating the Changing Course of Federal Policy in Education

Dr. Diep Nguyen

President and CEO

Center for Applied Linguistics

Diep Nguyen, Ph.D., serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Applied Linguistics. Dr. Nguyen earned her Ph.D. in Educational Studies and her M.A. in French Literature from Ohio State University. She received her B.S. in Secondary Education from West Virginia University.

Dr. Nguyen has over three decades of experience in teaching, research, and leadership in PreK-12 schools and institutions of higher learning (IHEs) and a proven record of organizational management and thought leadership in bilingual/multilingual education.

Before joining CAL, Dr. Nguyen served as the Director of Educational Learning Research and Practice and subsequently as Senior Director of Research and Outreach for the WIDA Consortium at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she led a team of researchers and Professional Learning specialists to provide the WIDA ELD standards and professional resources to educators serving multilingual learners across the consortium.

• 2:40 - 3:30 PM, Feb 19, 2025 Learning Center

  Centering Multilingual Learners to Ensure Equity in Literacy Instruction: Integrating Research, Policy, and Practice

Kirsten Kollgaard

Educational Consultant

Kollgaard Educational Consulting

Kirsten Kollgaard has developed a wealth of knowledge and expertise working in multilingual
education in Vermont and abroad as an ML teacher, classroom teacher, adjunct professor,
district administrator and educational consultant. She is a good listener who approaches
systems development and professional development from a strengths based model. Her
specialty is in working with educator teams who support MLs to help them develop systems and
instructional practices that better support all aspects of MLs’ learning experiences.

• 2:40 - 3:30 PM, Feb 19, 2025 Regency V

  Building Multilingual EL Programs in Rural Areas: A multi-level collaboration between the University of Vermont, the Vermont Agency of Education, and Essex-Westford School District

Jesse Markow

Independent Consultant

For the past six years, Jesse Markow has been engaged as an independent consultant in K-12 strategy and business development. Prior to that, he served as the Chief Strategy and Development Officer for the WIDA Consortium for over 10 years, acting as the principal point of contact for state departments of education while initiating multiple endeavors, including the WIDA Annual Conference and WIDA International. For many years, Jesse managed the development of statewide customized test programs for ETS and Riverside in addition to consulting for Avant Assessment, TESOL, Learnosity, Confianza, and other organizations within the United States and international school markets. He is a past chair of the Association of Test Publishers Education Division and has presented at numerous conferences and professional development venues, most recently at an international education conference held in Vienna, Austria, September 2023. Currently, Jesse serves on the Board of Directors for New Meridian Corporation and as the co-chair of the 2024 NAELPA conference. Jesse grew up in upstate New York and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Colorado-Boulder and the Master of Arts in Teaching at Northwestern University before teaching middle school and high school geography and social studies for 18 years, both domestically and abroad. Jesse resides in Madison, Wisconsin, with his partner and soulmate, Teri Dobbs, and as a significant human for Asti the Wonder Dog.

• 1:30 - 2:30 PM, Feb 19, 2025 Regency VI & VII

  Navigating the Changing Course of Federal Policy in Education

Mary DeSimone

Mountaintop Education Consulting LLC

With over 20 years of experience as an EL teacher, coach, and administrator, Mary DeSimone specializes in providing professional development worldwide, equipping educators with the skills to effectively support English learners.

• 11:00 - 11:50 AM, Feb 19, 2025 Regency V

  Supporting Leadership: Building Capacity for Effective ML Instruction