NAELPA Membership 2024

Jess Marty

Coordinator of the Department of English Learner, Immigrant, and Migrant Education Services

Hazelwood School District

Jess Marty, an education leader with master's degrees in ESOL and Educational Administration, has dedicated 15 years to championing educational equity. Currently serving as the Coordinator of the Department of English Learner, Immigrant, and Migrant Education Services in Hazelwood School District, Jess is a dedicated advocate for linguistically gifted populations. Through collaboration with district administrators, teachers, and coordinators, Jess has advocated for a commitment to co-teaching as the preferred instructional model in all grade levels and content areas in Hazelwood School District. Jess has also focused on collaborating with other school districts in the region to train an expanding cohort of co-teachers on best practices for English language development to create inclusive, impactful learning environments. Passionate about continuous improvement through professional development, Jess's leadership fosters collaboration and empowers educators, promising enhanced educational outcomes for all students.

• 4:00 - 5:30 PM, February 8, 2024 Virtual - Zoom

  NAELPA and Little Sponges presents: Q1 Webinar: Co-Teaching Practices Panel Discussion

Pam Schwaillier, Ph.D.

Director of EL & Bilingual Programs

West Ottawa Public Schools

Dr. Pam Schwallier currently serves as Director of EL & Bilingual Programs at West Ottawa Public Schools in Holland, MI. Prior to this role, Pam was a Regional English Learner (EL) Consultant in West Michigan. She completed her PhD in Educational Leadership from WMU with her research focusing on K-12 schools’ civil rights obligations to English Learners. Additionally, Pam earned her Specialist in Education (EdS) in Educational Leadership, her MA in TESOL, and her BS in Elementary Education with a Spanish major. Prior to Pam’s work as an EL Consultant, she spent 10 years in elementary and secondary classrooms as a 4th grade general education teacher, middle school Spanish teacher, and EL educator serving students with all levels of English proficiency, including newcomers through highly-proficient, long-term ELs. Pam also serves on the MDE EL Advisory and has presented on various topics related to EL & bilingual education at local, state, and national events. Pam's dedication to educational equity, passion for serving culturally and linguistically diverse students and families, and vast experience working alongside students and educators in multiple capacities has allowed her to become a respected leader in the field.

• 4:00 - 5:30 PM, February 8, 2024 Virtual - Zoom

  NAELPA and Little Sponges presents: Q1 Webinar: Co-Teaching Practices Panel Discussion

Deborah Wilkes

ESL Coordinator

Cumberland County Schools

Deborah Wilkes, a native of Derbyshire in England, is the ESL Coordinator for Cumberland County Schools in North Carolina. Deborah holds a Master’s degree in Education with ESL from Meredith College in NC and was named North Carolina’s Migrant Education Teacher of the Year in 2003. Deborah is a National Board Certified Teacher of English as a New Language and received the Carolina TESOL Distinguished Service Award in November of 2021.

Deborah’s professional experience includes roles such as ESL Lead Teacher, district-wide SIOP Coach, high school SIOP Co-Teacher, district-wide ESL Instructional Facilitator, State ESL Consultant, Education Instructor for the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Chapel Hill and NC State University.

Deborah has worked extensively with the NC Department of Public Instruction to develop programs and curriculum for EL/ML students and particularly enjoys working alongside classroom teachers to design instruction and materials to meet the needs of EL/ML populations.

• 4:00 - 5:30 PM, February 8, 2024 Virtual - Zoom

  NAELPA and Little Sponges presents: Q1 Webinar: Co-Teaching Practices Panel Discussion

Sandra Medrano-Arroyo

Instructional Content Manager

Ellevation

Bilingual, bicultural, with strong Hispanic roots, and over 25 years in education, Sandra has served the needs of multilingual learners and their families through different roles in her career. With a desire to do even more for multilingual learners, she joined Ellevation Education in 2019 where she created instructional content for dual language programs and contributed to the development of professional learning modules. Sandra is committed to supporting multilingualism and multiculturalism as pathways of success for students and their families and can now be found advocating for multilingual learners on a national level as Ellevation’s National Director of Multilingual Learner Success.

• 7:00 - 8:00 AM, April 25, 2024 Virtual - Zoom

  NAELPA Q2 Webinar: Equity at the Grading Table: Empowering English Learners in Assessment