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Board Election

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新mg官网电子游戏's policy has been to alternate between candidates who work primarily in higher education and candidates who work primarily at the K-12 level. This year members will also select two higher education candidates and two K-12 candidates to serve on the Board of Directors.

Members are reminded that 新mg官网电子游戏 has a strict “no campaigning” policy.

View the biographies, personal statements and videos for each candidate.

President-Elect Candidates | Higher Ed Candidates | K-12 Candidates

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VOTING WILL OPEN OCTOBER 1, AND CLOSE OCTOBER 30

President-Elect Candidates

Akash Patel

Candidate for President-Elect

Akash Patel

Growing up in small rural communities in Oklahoma where people had never seen or met “a brown Indian guy who spoke five languages and had traveled to over 50 countries”, Akash Patel decided to do something to bridge the gap in global learning and cross-cultural understanding. At first, he started inviting his international friends to video call his students using platforms like Zoom, Skype and Google Meet. Eventually, he mobilized over 1,200 volunteers from over 150 countries to join his Global Connect database at the Happy World Foundation (www.happyworldfoundation.us), a Texas based global education nonprofit he founded after the passing of his twin brother Anand Happy Patel.

In his first year of teaching, Patel was recognized by the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the Multicultural Education Institute as the January 2015 Educator of the Month and the 2015 Multicultural Teacher of the Year for promoting global citizenship in his classrooms and achieving a successful academic turnaround. In 2018, Patel received 新mg官网电子游戏's Leo Benardo Award for Innovation in K-12 Language Education. He was also selected from over 30,000 nominations as one of the top 50 teachers worldwide and shortlisted as a finalist for the Varkey Foundation’s $1 million Global Teacher Prize. In June 2020, Patel was elected to the National Council of the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA) to serve the 2020-2022 term. He was appointed as the chair of the Global Engagement Summit, the largest gathering of American grassroots changemakers and global activists in the General Assembly Hall at the United Nations and the chair of the UNA-USA Educators Affinity group that helps educators from across USA champion the Sustainable Development Goals in their classrooms. In 2021, Patel was inducted in the International Literacy Association’s 30 Literacy Leaders Under 30 list and was granted an "Einstein" green card by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services for his extraordinary contributions to global education.

Patel currently teaches Spanish at Ignite Middle School, a 100% low socioeconomic middle school in Dallas and has previously taught at a similar elementary school in Oklahoma City. He frequently speaks at national and international conferences about his classroom experience. He has trained over 40,000 teachers to use the Global Connect database. Today, thousands of American children travel to countries worldwide through Happy World Foundation’s global education programs.

Personal Statement

Leadership Experience: How have you been a leader in your community, profession, and/or school? How have your unique strengths, professional, and volunteer experiences prepared you to serve on the 新mg官网电子游戏 Board?

I currently teach Spanish at a Title 1 school in the Dallas Independent School District. I am also the Founder of Happy World Foundation Inc. ( www.happyworldfoundation.us ), an international nonprofit organization that promotes global citizenship, citizen-to-citizen diplomacy and cross-cultural understanding in schools and communities worldwide. At the nonprofit, I have created the Global Connect program, a database of over 1,000 volunteers from 150+ countries that video call foreign language classrooms in all 50 states LIVE and for FREE, giving children the unique opportunity to experience the world without ever leaving their classrooms. Since the nonprofit’s founding in 2014, I have raised over $100,000 through our signature Global Citizen Awards gala for study abroad scholarships for at-risk youth and grants and scholarships for startup founders and social entrepreneurs in the United States and abroad.

In 2020, I was elected to the National Council of the United Nations Association of the United States of America to serve the 2020-2022 term. At UNA-USA, I chair the Global Engagement Summit committee responsible for planning and executing the largest gathering of grassroots changemakers and activists in the General Assembly Hall at the UN and I chair the Educators Affinity group responsible for helping educators from across USA champion the Sustainable Development Goals in their classrooms.

For my innovative work in the classroom and my nonprofit leadership, I was selected as one of the Top 50 teachers worldwide and shortlisted as a finalist for the $1 million Global Teacher Prize in 2018 and I was honored with 新mg官网电子游戏’s Leo Benardo Award for Innovation in K-12 Language Education. As an expert in global citizenship education, I have had the distinct privilege of serving as the keynote speaker at JNCL Advocacy Days, 新mg官网电子游戏 Assembly of Delegates in New Orleans, SWCOLT and several state foreign language conferences across USA. In 2020, I was invited to serve on the 新mg官网电子游戏 Nominations committee that was influential in not only making recommendations to membership for voting for candidates seeking elected office in 新mg官网电子游戏 but also to revise the process to make it more transparent and inclusive, allowing 新mg官网电子游戏 to recruit and more diverse pool of talented volunteers to serve on its Board.

My vast nonprofit leadership, fundraising and innovation in teaching experiences will be an asset to the 新mg官网电子游戏 board and will help the organization reach its goals.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: How have you worked to create an inclusive environment in your classroom/workplace/community? What is something you’ve done in professional or volunteer service that demonstrates your commitment to making changes?

In 2014, when I started student teaching in small rural communities around Chickasha, Oklahoma, I realized that a lot of my students had never traveled outside the United States and that there was a gap in global education. At first, I started inviting my friends from social media handles to video call my classrooms to play “mystery hangout” where my students would use a map to ask them questions to find out where they were from. However, little did I realize that the few calls I was facilitating in my classrooms would turn into a larger movement and a database of over 1,000 volunteers from 150+ countries who would engage in meaningful global learning LIVE and for FREE in classrooms all across the United States. I have now trained over 40,000 teachers to use our Global Connect database at the Happy World Foundation Inc, a nonprofit organization I founded after the passing of my twin brother Anand Happy Patel.

When it comes to equity, diversity and inclusion, I have spent over a decade ensuring all children everywhere have access to quality global experiences. People of color are often looked down upon due to the negative stereotypes and portrayal in major media. To change the narrative, we are introducing hundreds of positive role models of all colors and backgrounds from around the world through short live video calls in the classrooms that spark empathy and a respect for differing cultures and lifestyles, a powerful way to promote love and tolerance in the hearts and minds of children to foster world peace and collaboration.

In February 2021, I had the distinct honor of chairing the Global Engagement Summit at the United Nations Association of the United States of America, the largest gathering of global activists and grassroots changemakers in the General Assembly Hall at the United Nations. As the first “teacher” chair of this historic event, one of my main goals was to plan and deliver a conference that mobilized UNA-USA leaders - across generations, race and gender - to engage in the planning and execution process of GES to ensure inclusive programming. We held a 2-day historic virtual summit with a record participation of over 5,000 attendees that marked United States re-entry into the Paris agreement and we were able to engage the most diverse pool of UN high level speakers in the history of the summit.

Challenges to the Profession: What do you think is one of the biggest challenges facing the language education profession today? What parts of the 新mg官网电子游戏 Strategic Plan are you most passionate about and why?

As a Title 1 public school language educator, I know low teacher morale and teacher retention are two of the major challenges facing our profession today. In 2018 at the 新mg官网电子游戏 National Convention in New Orleans, I was invited to keynote the Assembly of Delegates and address the audience about “how to” retain language educators in our profession and boost their morale. In order to address these two challenges, I have created a nonprofit organization that provides an invaluable resource to educators from all across the United States LIVE and for FREE. Educators can dive into our database of over 1,000 speakers from 150+ countries to schedule video calls helping bring authentic and joyful language experiences into their classrooms. During the unprecedented times of COVID19 pandemic when many of our scholars are suffering from depression and are isolated from the world, our programs at Happy World provide educators a simple yet revolutionary way to bring the world to their schools and communities.

I have trained over 40,000 educators at local, state, national and international conferences to use our multicultural and multilingual resources at the Happy World Foundation Inc. As a board member at 新mg官网电子游戏, I will build even more bridges with state foreign language associations continuing to offer our professional development and innovative programs to educators in their states and communities for FREE, thus boosting teacher morale and retaining educators by giving them opportunities to consider giving our very noble profession another shot.

Thomas Sauer

Candidate for President-Elect
Thomas Sauer

Thomas Sauer is a strategic thinker, designer, and change facilitator who is passionate about helping educators make the shift from teaching to learning. He has applied those traits for years in a variety of settings. He currently is codirector of Professionals in Education Advancing Research and Language Learning, a Title VI Language Resource Center, and an assistant director at the National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland. Thomas leads a team in developing resources and creating events that move the profession forward in implementing a new vision for language learning: a vision driven by principles of proficiency, performance, and teacher effectiveness. Thomas is a coauthor of publications well-known to 新mg官网电子游戏 members and impacting world language classrooms: the Teacher Effectiveness for Language Learning (TELL) Framework, the NCSSL-新mg官网电子游戏 Can-Do Statements, and the 21st-Century Skills Map for World Languages. He led teams that developed the Path2Proficiency blog, TELLCollab unconferences, and the NFLC Virtual Summit, an event which attracted over 8,000 participants during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thomas previously was an independent consultant with over 100 school districts, universities, and professional organizations. He supported educators at all levels through reviewing the effectiveness of their programs, supporting the development of curricula, and providing professional development. He designs visuals that help teachers connect the missing dots between buzzwords and teacher practices and through which Thomas challenges teachers to change their beliefs about language learning.

For almost ten years, Thomas worked as the district world language specialist in Kentucky. He was instrumental in guiding teachers to design units and assessments to implement a proficiency-focused program. That work served as a model for hundreds of schools and earned him recognition as the Supervisor of the Year by the National Association of District Supervisors of Foreign Languages in 2011. Thomas has written and directed state and federal grants totaling almost $3.5 million, including several STARTALK programs and a Foreign Language Assistance Program grant.

Believing in the power of professional networks, Thomas has taken on leadership roles in a variety of organizations. Highlights include serving on the 新mg官网电子游戏 Board of Directors, as president of the Kentucky World Language Association, and on the boards of the National Association of District Supervisors of Foreign Languages and the Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

Thomas holds a master’s degree in German Studies from the University of Kentucky and a master’s in Instructional Leadership and School Administration from Bellarmine University.

Personal Statement

As a visionary thinker, I have the unique ability to see the big picture while the designer in me pays close attention to details. This combination has helped me launch national projects that continue to impact the professional development of teachers every day: the Teacher Effectiveness for Language Learning (TELL) Project, the Catalyst professional growth platform, the TELL Collab series of (un)conferences, and my most recently: a national Language Resource Center dedicated to developing and researching professional development for K-16 teachers.

Leadership is based on the ability to connect people to your vision and message and to motivate them to take action. Although I have held many titles throughout my career in K-12 education, from specialist or director to serving on multiple state, regional, and national boards, none have come close to the following I have built through a strong virtual professional learning network.

As a non-native English speaker and German citizen, I have a deep understanding of the challenges that many language teachers face with understanding a new educational setting and a language that is new to them. I have provided leadership to 新mg官网电子游戏 through varied means over the years, from serving on the board from 2012-2014 including one year as the convention chair, reviewing session and award nominations, to co-authoring the 21st Century Skills Map and the NCSSFL-新mg官网电子游戏 Can-Do Statements. I have a deep knowledge of the work of the organization and am ready to work as president the goals outlined in the 新mg官网电子游戏 Strategic Plan.

It’s easy to say ALL students can learn a language. For years our field, including my own advocacy work at JNCL, has been fighting for equality: giving all learners access to all learning opportunities. Equity however comes after equality. Recognizing that all learners (and all educators) are unique. Equity is not about providing more access to 新mg官网电子游戏 resources to more people, but rather supporting every learner and educator with the right learning opportunities. Addressing diversity and inclusion requires us to become better listeners first and rethink second.

Rethinking organizational structures, many of which prevent equity, diversity, and inclusion by design, has been at the core of my K-12 educational career. Too often teachers are relegated to be the recipients of knowledge in professional development expected to reproduce so-called “best practices” that are supposed impact all students.

For the past decade, I have used my entrepreneurial passions to move beyond existing structures to create inclusive professional learning environments that respect diverse perspectives, value equitable learning opportunities, and celebrate teacher voices. The TELL Collab un-conferences started with teachers in a circle and without a set agenda, participants identified solutions that work for them and their students rather than listen to expert presenters. The Path2Proficiency blog created a space that gave a voice to teachers who didn’t know they had one. For the NFLC Virtual Summit, I pushed to replace the usual voices of experts and instead identified practicing teachers who represented actual teacher demographics in terms of age, race, languages, and experience.

Challenges to the Profession: What do you think is one of the biggest challenges facing the language education profession today? What parts of the 新mg官网电子游戏 Strategic Plan are you most passionate about and why?

“What if one day students won’t show up?” is something I have often asked in my keynotes. The COVID19 pandemic turned that warning into reality for many teachers as they struggled to find ways to engage with learners in new environments. A silver lining of the pandemic impact is teachers’ new willingness to share practices from their classrooms. When the safety of classroom walls disappeared, teachers suddenly felt comfortable to share ideas and collaborate with others even outside their schools. Under the leadership of 新mg官网电子游戏 our field is well positioned to take advantage of these new dynamics.

My passion for and experience in designing professional development have prepared me to address several connected areas of the 新mg官网电子游戏 strategic plan that respond to new teacher realities. If we want teachers to design language learning practices grounded in evidence-based research, we need to expand accessibility to professional learning opportunities which will improve teacher recruitment and retention. However, as 新mg官网电子游戏 implements these goals, it must be guided by the most challenging part of the strategic plan.

Addressing equity, inclusion, and diversity when designing professional development begins with including teacher and student voices. The focus of 新mg官网电子游戏’s work should focus on acknowledging that there are many pathways to proficiency based on the diverse needs of learners. We need to include students into those conversations in order better meet their needs. As 新mg官网电子游戏 explores new and innovative professional learning opportunities the diverse voices of students and their teachers must play a role in the process.

Board Member – Higher Education Candidates

Krishauna Hines-Gaither

Candidate for Higher Ed Board Member
Krishauna Hines-Gaither

For almost 20 years, Krishauna Hines-Gaither, Ph.D., (she/her/hers) was a college professor of Spanish, (Afro) Latin-American studies and teaching methods. As the first in her family to graduate from college, Krishauna seeks to increase access and to build a more inclusive and equitable language community. Maya Angelou stated, “I come as one, but I stand as 10,000.” Serving on the 新mg官网电子游戏 Board will help us to reach our collective goals in unity, and not individually. Krishauna’s areas of interest are representation in world languages and antiracism. She currently serves as the Vice President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC. The amalgamation of her leadership experience, passion for languages and commitment to DEI are strong foundations for her 新mg官网电子游戏 Board candidacy.

Krishauna has been an active member of 新mg官网电子游戏 for the past two decades. She currently serves on 新mg官网电子游戏's Bylaws Committee, and she is the Past Chair of 新mg官网电子游戏's Educators of African American Students Special Interest Group. Seeing the need to expand the reach of world language advocacy, Krishauna co-founded African American Linguists (AAL). AAL is dedicated to promoting languages amongst African American language learners. Krishauna is also committed to scholarship. She is currently under contract with Routledge Press to co-author the forthcoming book, The Antiracist World Language Classroom. Krishauna is a frequent workshop facilitator, and she has served as keynote speaker to several world language conferences including AATSP, CSCTFL, FLANC and TFLA.

In addition to her national affiliations, Krishauna is the Past President of the Foreign Language Association of North Carolina (FLANC). In her role as President, she led efforts to diversify the FLANC Board and to forge partnerships with underrepresented groups including Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Krishauna recruited record numbers of FLANC board members of color, and she worked with less commonly taught languages such as Japanese language teachers in North Carolina. During her tenure as FLANC President, Krishauna collaborated with Dr. Mary Lynn Redmond, Past President of 新mg官网电子游戏, and Peter Floyd, Past President of FLANC, to organize the North Carolina Summit on Foreign Languages and Cultures. Floyd wrote, “I was particularly grateful to Krishauna for her combination of administrative skill and visionary leadership. It’s the rarest of leaders who excels at both.”

Personal Statement

My leadership service began in my home state of North Carolina. I served in various positions within the Foreign Language Association of North Carolina.

I was the representative for Higher Education language programs. From there, I served as the Local Committee Chair for the annual conference. I was then nominated to the positions of First and Second Vice President, whereby I ascended to the Presidency. In 2008, I co-chaired the first Summit for Languages and Cultures in the State of North Carolina along with the FLANC President Peter Floyd and Dr. Mary Lynn Redmond of 新mg官网电子游戏. In 2010 I became the first African American President in FLANC’s 60+ years. In 2013, I was named FLANC’s Higher Education Teacher of the Year. Recognizing a true dearth of African American language educators, I sought to address the lack of representation. In so doing, I co-founded African American Linguists, an organization that promotes world languages in the African American Community.

We raised over S20,000 for scholarships to African American language learners. From 2008-2010, I became the chair of the 新mg官网电子游戏 Special Interest Group for Educators of African American Students. In 2021, I was named a working group fellow, appointed by the national Commission on Language Learning of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Through consulting, I also work with world language programs and professional organizations throughout the United States to help them to reach their equity, diversity and inclusion goals.

In order to promote equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), I have worked with leading organizations, such as 新mg官网电子游戏. For over 15 years, I have presented on equity-related content at the 新mg官网电子游戏 Convention. I have presented to several different Special Interest Groups on the topic of EDI. I have traveled the country working with lesser known and major world language programs as a consultant to offer them cutting-edge research and tried and true practices to foster equity and inclusion within our world language communities. In 2021, I have served as a keynote speaker to the Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages and the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, to name a few. I am currently co-authoring a book titled the Antiracist World Language Classroom.

Routledge Press’ editor reached out to me and invited me to author this book given my proven record or being a force for positive change in the scope of EDI and antiracism. I am delighted by the impact that this contribution will have on our profession.

Challenges to the Profession: What do you think is one of the biggest challenges facing the language education profession today? What parts of the 新mg官网电子游戏 Strategic Plan are you most passionate about and why?

One of the most pressing needs that I see in our profession is representation and relevance. I believe we must take a critical look at the racial and ethnic diversity (as well as a wealth of other social identities) of world language programs, language learners, teacher education, professional organizations, and Boards in order to fulfill our goals of becoming a leader in EDI. Of the 20,000 degrees conferred annually in world languages, only around 800 go to African Americans. The numbers are quite low for other non-White ethnicities as well. We have work to do. In review of the strategic plan, I see all facets to be relevant and inextricably linked. However, I feel my greatest contribution would be to the following tenet: 新mg官网电子游戏 is a leader on issues of equity, diversity and inclusion. I want to be an agent to ensure the realization of this goal. With strategic alignment, this goal is within our reach. I bring a very unique lens given that I taught languages for over 2 decades, and I also am an EDI expert. Merging these two credentials will be a great asset to the 新mg官网电子游戏 Board.

Kaishan Kong

Candidate for Higher Ed Board Member
Kaishan Kong

Kaishan Kong (孔凯珊), PhD, is currently an Associate Professor of Chinese and the TEFL advisor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Originally from China, Kaishan received her BA in English Education from Zhanjiang Normal University in China, MA in Intercultural Communication from the University of Sheffield in England, and her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Minnesota in the US. In addition to teaching language and culture courses on the UW-Eau Claire campus, she has also taught in the STARTALK program and the CARLA Summer Institute program (Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition) for many years. She is certified as an 新mg官网电子游戏 OPI tester (Chinese) and an IDI (Intercultural Development Inventory) administrator. She was recognized as both a Fulbright Scholar finalist (2020) and a Wisconsin Teaching Fellow (2015) for her work on interculturalism and language education. Kaishan’s research centers around intercultural communicative competence, language acquisition and teacher training. She regularly presents at the 新mg官网电子游戏 annual convention and other leading conferences, as well as publishing in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters.

The 新mg官网电子游戏 family has been a guiding star in Kaishan’s professional journey. As a language instructor, she intentionally and thoughtfully adopts the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages in her curriculum design, and enhances her skills in using OPI in teaching and assessment. As a teacher educator, she constantly integrates and expands the Culture 3Ps to promote the importance of integrating culture in language education. Presenting at the annual 新mg官网电子游戏 convention allows her to exchange ideas with, and learn from, other exceptional teachers. Additionally, Kaishan has served in the 新mg官网电子游戏 community in a variety of ways, including leading the Teaching and Learning of Culture SIG for four years (first as the secretary and later as the chair), reviewing the 新mg官网电子游戏 conference proposals for multiple years, and volunteering on two award committees (the Nelson Brooks Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Culture Committee, and the 新mg官网电子游戏 Global Engagement Award Committee).

Her involvement in 新mg官网电子游戏 and other board-service experiences have prepared her well for this 新mg官网电子游戏 Board position. She resonates with the five pillars in the 新mg官网电子游戏 strategic plan; in particular, her teaching practices and research on intercultural citizenship will be a valuable addition to supporting teachers’ efforts in EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion). Kaishan hopes for a chance to expand her leadership skills and contribute her expertise to serve the 新mg官网电子游戏 community.

Personal Statement
Leadership Experience: How have you been a leader in your community, profession, and/or school? How have your unique strengths, professional, and volunteer experiences prepared you to serve on the 新mg官网电子游戏 Board?

My leadership experiences are manifested in language teaching, teacher education and the local communities. Firstly, as the only Chinese language faculty on the UW-Eau Claire campus, I significantly expanded the course offerings on Chinese language and culture, increased the enrollment and engaged students in research projects in China. Some accomplishments include establishing a Chinese Certificate Program, and preparing students to compete in regional and national competitions, including the Wisconsin Chinese Speech Contest and the Fulbright scholar award.

Secondly, I have been a lead instructor in the area of intercultural communicative competence in nationally reputable programs, including the STARTALK summer program through the University of Minnesota and through the Fargo Public School District for multiple years. The UMN STARTALK program was a stellar program in the nation and the instructors (my colleagues and I) were invited to share our teaching model in the STARTALK annual conference four times. In the past four years, I have been teaching at a CARLA (Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition) Summer Institute with a focus on culture as a core in world language education.

Furthermore, I demonstrated my leadership skills through serving on the 新mg官网电子游戏 Teaching and Learning of Culture SIG, the Board of the Yinghua Academy (a leading Chinese immersion school), and currently on the Executive Board of Minnesota Council on the Teaching of Languages and Cultures (MCTLC). These leadership roles developed my skills in communication, organization, governance, advocacy and outreach, which are important in the 新mg官网电子游戏 mission and strategic plan.

As an immigrant, I understand that languages can empower and marginalize people. In foreign language education, one challenge is treating language as an isolated subject without making connections with the community; another is tying language with one homogenous culture. Therefore, in my teaching practice, I intentionally direct students’ attention to the speakers of a language, the intended audience, the text representation and the languaging context. One example is a multi-year Intercultural Talk program on campus that connects international students and local students to foster intercultural communicative competence. This high-impact program led to a published book chapter and two manuscripts. I was honored to receive the Wisconsin Teaching Fellow Award and the Fulbright Scholar Award to continue this line of teaching/research.

Outside the classroom, I also get involved in various areas to promote EDI. For instance, as a qualified Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) administrator and interpreter, I supported the Center of International Education on my campus to conduct IDI assessment. I was also a lead organizer of the university annual event International Poetry Reading to advocate world languages and to promote cultural diversity.

In addition, when I was a PhD student at the University of Minnesota, I offered cultural workshops, presented on migrant workers, and organized a fundraiser for the underprivileged children in China. My work was recognized by the SEED (Scholarly Excellence in Equity and Diversity) Award, the Mary A. McEvoy Award for Public Engagement and Leadership, and the President’s Student Leadership and Service Award.

All five pillars in the Strategic Plan relate to each other and require concerted efforts. I am most passionate about the EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) commitment because one prominent challenge in the profession is implementing EDI in historically less commonly taught languages such as Chinese. Although there is an increasing popularity in Chinese language learning, there is a lack of discussion of EDI and social justice. The recent racist attacks on Asian Americans have caught more attention from various stakeholders, and the collective voice against Asian Hate is louder. I am excited to join the efforts in promoting EDI in less commonly taught languages.

Several steps could be taken to address the aforementioned challenge. Firstly, provide professional development and concrete materials for the teachers. We need to engage more teachers to utilize the resources offered through the 新mg官网电子游戏’s Lead with Languages campaign. Besides, CARLA (Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition) has received a national funding award to work on this multi-year project. Once completed, language teachers will have tremendous materials to bring to their courses. Secondly, continue the outreach and advocacy work on a national level and through regional organizations. Talk to legislatures and various stakeholders to amplify the importance of language learning and its societal impact on inclusion. Thirdly, encourage and support research in pedagogies and assessment. It is important to use the 新mg官网电子游戏 publication venues (Foreign Language Annals, the Language Educator) to disseminate studies on EDI topics in various languages.

Hamsa Mahafza

Candidate for Higher Ed Board Member
Hamsa Mahafza

Dr. Hamsa Mahafza is an Arab-American educator and researcher. She is a faculty member at the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). From the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), she received multiple teacher certifications, the Texas Teacher Certification Generalist (EC-4), the ESL / Supplemental (EC-12), and the Texas Teacher Certification of Languages Other Than English “Arabic” (EC-12). She also earned a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the Department of Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching. Later, she was awarded a graduate fellowship and received her Ph.D. in Culture, Literacy, and Language from the Department of Bicultural Bilingual Studies in the College of Education at UTSA.

Dr. Mahafza enjoys teaching and doing research in parallel. She has more than 10 years of experience in teaching students at the university level; she has taught both graduate and undergraduate education courses. Her teaching specialization includes multiculturalism, foreign languages teaching methods, and differentiated Instruction. She also taught Arabic language at the Department of Modern Languages at St. Mary’s University. As a consultant, she assisted the Northside Independent School District in developing an Arabic- English bilingual program, translating official documents and academic standards, administrating language proficiency tests, and advising Arabic-speaking parents regarding their children’s schooling.

Dr. Mahafza’s research interests focus on service-learning in teacher education, as well as heritage language (HL) learning and school choice (private vs. public schools). Particularly, she is interested in aspects of language attitudes and motivation and their relationship to identity construction. Dr. Mahafza is an active participant in the field of education. She is the founder and academic advisor of UAH INCLUDE-Club, a registered student organization; also, she serves as faculty adviser for Perpetua-UAH Journal of Undergraduate Research. She published educational manuscripts, contributed to several conferences, and conducted a wide variety of teacher-training workshops to promote diversity and inclusiveness in the classroom. Dr. Mahafza currently serves a second term as Chair of HL SIG at 新mg官网电子游戏.

Dr. Mahafza’s passion for multicultural children’s literature motivated her to write her first book The Arabian Cinderella and the Secret of the Woven Threads (in progress). Her goal is to bridge the gap between cultures by using the means of culturally-responsive teaching. In her spare time, Dr. Mahafza enjoys gardening with her husband and cooking multicultural foods from around the world.

Personal Statement

Throughout my career, I have been in multiple leadership positions.

Currently, I serve as Chair of Heritage Languages SIG of 新mg官网电子游戏, a leadership position that allowed me to participate in several events and projects throughout my service that support linguistic diversity and inclusion. During my service, I have organized educational webinars, and developed “HLs SIG Outreach & Advocacy Plan.” This plan is aligned with the “新mg官网电子游戏 Language Connects” that begins with “Collaboration” with educators and researchers who support HL education, this field of interdisciplinary applied linguistics, as well as HL communities. My plan includes the following main components:

(1) Community—新mg官网电子游戏 community and beyond, e.g., community-based schools;
(2) Educators—both in-service & pre-service teachers; and
(3) Students—College students, public school, and bilingual programs.

Additionally, as a faculty member, I have been actively involved in the CIEP development process, focusing on the submission of program approval documents and key assessments to CIEP- ALSDE for Class B Foreign Language licensure program (in our Teacher Education program). Also, I have served as board member and chair of the Education Committee at the International Society of Huntsville, and as a committee member at the UAH College of Education Research Day. My advocacy and passion for diversity, and the combination of practical work experience in higher education, as a foreign language methods instructor, and solid educational/research backgrounds, as well as the years of service and experiences as an 新mg官网电子游戏 member and SIG officer have prepared me to serve on the 新mg官网电子游戏 Board.

I am an advocate for diversity. I teach multicultural education courses and foreign language teaching methods, and I think it is important to find the proper context where students can serve their community and apply what they have learned about diversity to real-life situations; this way their learning experiences can be meaningful and relevant. To reach this goal, I founded INCLDED Club that requires participation in a variety of volunteer activities with my students. Currently, I serve as the academic advisor of INCLUDE Club.

The club’s main purpose is to provide a platform for diversity with the intent of promoting cultural/linguistic awareness within the field of education, as well as enhancing community service and involvement.

In addition, in one of my courses, I developed a service-learning project “Passport to Diversity.” This project was intended: (1) to promote awareness and understanding of diversity beyond the classroom; (2) identify and analyze a diversity issue that relates to the education of minority students, e.g., lack of multicultural resources; and (4) to celebrate diversity and inspire inclusion.

Furthermore, as chair of heritage languages SIG, I was assigned to organize webinars sessions. Last year, our SIG hosted a webinar that was presented by my students, pre-service teachers, who were enrolled in my undergraduate foreign language methods course. Students worked collaboratively to present activities aligned with 新mg官网电子游戏-5C’s, five-goal-areas, (including culture/diversity) that focus on world language learning beyond the classroom. This webinar helped my students to communicate with professionals in the field of foreign language education.

Research shows a mismatch between students and their teachers, who often have inadequate training/skills to teach students from diverse backgrounds. In my professional opinion, “teacher-preparation” in higher education is one of the pressing issues in world languages education. Today’s classrooms call for teachers who are well-prepared to teach diverse students. In order for minority students to excel academically, it is vital they feel included and represented within their learning-environment. Language instruction needs to be “contextualized.” Both pre-service and in-service teachers need to be well-prepared and use meaningful strategies and methods aligned with both State curriculum, CIEP, and 新mg官网电子游戏 standards and guidelines (e.g., 5C’s).

Based on experience, as a higher education faculty, there is an urgent need to “increase” the number of foreign language teachers. This necessitates (1) planning effective marketing strategies, (2)提供奖学金/助学金, and (3) creating collaborative approach between teacher-preparation programs and language organizations (e.g., 新mg官网电子游戏, Seal of Biliteracy, etc.).

In my professional opinion, all parts of 新mg官网电子游戏 Strategic Plan are interconnected and also interrelated. I am passionate about them all, specifically, the “Equity, Diversity and Inclusion” part, because it helps in: (1) expanding opportunities for research on diversity (Research);(2) improving the teaching and learning of all languages at all levels of instruction to include all diverse students;(3) exploring new opportunities to engage in recruitment of foreign language teachers from diverse backgrounds (Teacher Recruitment);(4) providing linguistically/culturally responsive training for in-teachers and pre-service teachers (Professional Development);(5) recognizing the importance of language learning for all diverse students (Outreach & Advocacy).

Kate Paesani

Candidate for Higher Ed Board Member
Kate Paesani

Kate Paesani is the Director of the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) and affiliate faculty in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota. At CARLA, Kate oversees projects and initiatives on a range of topics (e.g., foreign language literacies, language program direction, social justice) that realize the Center’s mission of improving language teaching and learning and she delivers lectures and workshops for K-16 language educators across the United States. As affiliate faculty, Kate teaches graduate courses in language pedagogy and undergraduate courses in French language, culture, and linguistics. She also works closely with the Language Center to support research and curriculum efforts across the language departments in the College of Liberal Arts. Prior to coming to the University of Minnesota in 2016, Kate spent 16 years as a French professor at Wayne State University, where she directed the lower-level French program, taught graduate and undergraduate French courses, and mentored teachers enrolled in the interdisciplinary Master of Arts in Language Learning program. Kate is the co-author or co-editor of five books and has published nearly 30 journal articles and book chapters. Her research focuses on literacy-based curriculum and instruction and foreign language teacher development. She is particularly interested in how teachers learn about and apply concepts from multiliteracies pedagogy and the implications of that research for teacher professional development. Kate is past-president of the American Association of University Supervisors and Coordinators (AAUSC) and is currently the co-editor of that association’s open-access journal, Second Language Research & Practice. She is also a member of 新mg官网电子游戏’s Research and Assessment Committee and Research Briefs Taskforce and has served on the Teacher of the Year Selection Committee. Kate holds a B.A. in French from the University of Connecticut and an M.A. and Ph.D. in French linguistics from Indiana University.

Personal Statement

I have over 20 years of leadership experience in higher education, including 16 years as the director of a lower-level French program, 5 years as the director of CARLA, and 7 years on the executive committee of the AAUSC (as French Section Head, Vice President, and President). Through this work, I have mentored teacher-scholars, developed and implemented coherent curricula and professional development programs, advocated for languages locally and nationally, sought out funding opportunities, led grant projects, organized meetings and conferences, and managed budgets. These tasks both align with 新mg官网电子游戏’s mission to provide vision, leadership, and support for quality teaching and learning of languages and provide grounding for the work required of 新mg官网电子游戏 board members. Across these leadership roles, I apply my organizational and time management skills to conceptualize and lead multiple complex projects involving numerous stakeholders. I also incorporate the values of collaboration and equity to draw on the strengths and voices of all involved and to break down the divides that exist in our profession (e.g., research/practice, K-12/postsecondary, language/content). For example, I am currently leading CARLA’s three-year social justice project, which involves collaboration with 15 colleagues at various ranks, languages, institutions, and experience levels and which will create a range of deliverables (e.g., curricular units, bibliography, webinars, text database). The project thus has many moving parts and multiple deadlines, and as we near completion the project’s first year, we have met all proposed deadlines, stayed on budget, and revised aspects of the project based on input from all participants.

Ten years ago, I had a disorienting dilemma involving a student of color that has transformed the way I view my role as a language educator. This transformation first involved redefining what it means to help students by attending to their individual needs rather than solely on course requirements. Over time, this definition has expanded to focus on social justice and anti-racism through the use of critical pedagogies such as the multiliteracies framework. This focus is realized in multiple ways. In the classroom, I bring diverse voices to topics such as identity, immigration, and language variation, and I honor the cultural diversity of my students by creating a safe and collaborative classroom environment in which all can share their opinions. In my research, I use the multiliteracies framework to explore how teachers learn their craft and to inform professional development resources and experiences that marry research and practice. In my work as CARLA director, I use my privileged position to empower teachers and teacher educators who represent marginalized voices and perspectives. I committed to using my position in this way at the 2020 新mg官网电子游戏 Assembly of Delegates, where I was inspired by a talk on radical listening. Since that time, under my leadership CARLA has incorporated more BIPIC voices into our bi-weekly Speaker Series and involved more teachers of less commonly taught languages in our programs. This diversity, equity, and inclusion work is ongoing, however, and I am committed to continued change and growth both personally and professionally.

One of the biggest challenges facing language education today is the growing divide between K-12 and postsecondary educators, which I witness at the 新mg官网电子游戏 convention and in the professional development work I carry out. I find this divide troubling because both “camps” care equally about languages, quality instruction, and student success. Yet there are fundamental misunderstandings about the work we do in these contexts: For instance, many K-12 colleagues think postsecondary educators prioritize literary study over proficiency development and many postsecondary colleagues think K-12 educators simply play games and recite verb conjugations. This divide is also evident in the value each group places on research versus classroom practice when, in fact, the best research informs classroom practice and vice versa. This challenge is connected to two pillars of 新mg官网电子游戏’s strategic plan: Research and Professional Development.

My passion for these pillars is evident in my publication record, my service on 新mg官网电子游戏’s Research and Assessment Committee and Research Briefs Task Force, and the research-informed professional development that is the cornerstone of the work I lead at CARLA. One potential solution this challenge is for 新mg官网电子游戏 to create K-12/postsecondary professional development teams who provide guidance on how the World-Readiness Standards and Can-Do Statements can be integrated at the postsecondary level across a four-year undergraduate curriculum (Professional Development pillar). The teams could also research the outcomes of these efforts, focusing on the flexibility of 新mg官网电子游戏’s products across contexts and on the benefits of integrating language and literary-cultural content at all curricular levels (Research pillar).

Board Member – K-12 Candidates

Adrienne Brandenburg

Candidate for K-12 Board Member
Adrienne Brandenburg

Adrienne Brandenburg is a high school Spanish and Spanish for Heritage Speakers in Fort Collins, Colorado. She majored in Spanish in Microbiology at Colorado State University and graduated in 2005. She continued her education at CSU and earned her Master’s in Spanish and her Master’s in Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language in 2009. She started her career in public education teaching high school Spanish in the Twin Cities area. She then returned to Fort Collins in 2012 to teach at Poudre High School, where she helped develop the Spanish for Heritage Speakers program starting in 2013. The program has grown to over 150 students in four different levels, including options for college credit and the Seal of Biliteracy.

Adrienne also transitioned to comprehensible input based instruction and proficiency based assessments while at Poudre High School, where she helped her district team implement these changes. She has led several professional development sessions in her district, and she currently serves as the World Language Department Leader for Poudre High School.

Adrienne consistently attends and presents at several local, regional, and national conferences. In 2019 she joined the Spanish for Heritage Speakers Special Interest Group in 新mg官网电子游戏, and in 2021 she was named the Chair. In addition to her work with 新mg官网电子游戏, she seeks out informal opportunities to offer networking and professional development opportunities for teachers of Spanish heritage speakers. The past few years, she has organized the Heritage Teacher Summit, bringing together a series of heritage teacher voices from the classroom to offer a unique professional development option to heritage teachers.

Adrienne’s continuous work with heritage Spanish speakers and her advocacy for her heritage program inspired her to deepen her commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Her commitment and her depth of knowledge in the area of DEI have grown greatly over the past few years. She continues to seek out opportunities to engage in (un)learning and to be accountable in community. Professionally, Adrienne has become more active in her school community, joining her district’s Staff Equity Coalition and serving as a leader on the district’s DEI Professional Development team. As part of her work with this team, she has co facilitated various DEI book studies and attended antiracist anti bias facilitator training. She is committed to the lifelong work of recognizing and dismantling systems of oppression, in herself, in her classroom, and in her community.

Personal Statement

I have served in many different capacities as a leader. Within my own school, I am currently serving as the World Language Department Leader and responsible for not only budgets and scheduling but also helping our team work collaboratively toward common goals in community; before I was in this role, I served as a mentor for new teachers in our department. In our district, I have led many different professional development opportunities in the areas of world language (heritage, non-heritage, and ELLs) and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

With regard to serving our profession, I am currently the Chair of the Spanish for Heritage Learners Special Interest Group at 新mg官网电子游戏. I also serve our professional community in various informal capacities, including presenting at various local and national conferences on heritage and equity topics, offering heritage-specific professional development opportunities in a variety of formats (including my own annual workshop as well as organizing the “Heritage Teacher Summit” where teachers can access quality, affordable PD from a variety of voices every summer), writing a blog about teaching heritage learners, and co-moderating an online professional learning network for heritage teachers.

I feel very fortunate to have had such a variety of leadership experiences, in both formal and informal contexts. I believe what I’ve learned in each of these experiences will serve me well on the 新mg官网电子游戏 Board of Directors.

Dismantling white supremacy and pursuing collective liberation are the driving force in both my personal and professional life. A huge part of my professional life includes working with heritage learners and supporting heritage teachers, so I continue to push back against racism and linguistic oppression in this arena in both my own classroom and with colleagues. I am also a member of many online world language communities where I publicly ask questions and call for change often, even when it’s unpopular and uncomfortable.

I am a member of my district’s Staff Equity Coalition and have been a leader on our district’s DEI professional development team. I developed and co-facilitated two book studies this year on EDI topics and I also attended a “Racial Equity Facilitator Training” this year in anticipation of facilitating classes for our district.

I also believe in using my leverage to create change. A few years ago I was invited as a workshop presenter for the heritage strand at MCTLC, and I realized that all of us invited were white women. The next year when I was invited back, and saw it had happened again, I reached out to the president (Megan Budke) and we brainstormed a way to go forward. This year as I attended MCTLC, and as I heard of their presentation at 新mg官网电子游戏’s Assembly of Delegates, I was astounded by the difference one small conversation can make.

I think one of the biggest challenges facing the language education profession today is not unique to us. It is the question of how can we go forward in a way where we are actively anti-racist, actively anti-biased, actively dismantling white supremacy? How can we go forward in a way where we are actively evaluating how racism and bias is operating in our organization, where we are actively seeking to include more voices and more perspectives all the time, and where we are actively evaluating our complicity in perpetuating white supremacy, colonialism, and linguistic imperialism? I am most excited about the commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in 新mg官网电子游戏’s strategic plan, because it represents a commitment to what matters and shows what 新mg官网电子游戏 truly values. It is the “what,” the “why” we’re here. And I’m so passionate about hearing the next answer...the “how.” How will we do that? How will we get there? The reason I’m interested in applying for the Board of Directors is because I feel like I might have something to contribute to that discussion about how we can start or continue what we’re doing to bring greater results. I am excited to use my voice to advocate for the inclusion of those marginalized voices and for the dismantling of systems where oppression is happening. I am looking for ways I can use my voice for this exact purpose.

Mark Pearsall

Candidate for K-12 Board Member
Mark Pearsall

新mg官网电子游戏 Biographical Statement Mark Pearsall has taught Latin at Glastonbury High School in Connecticut for 27 years. Hired to teach Latin, he also taught Spanish while the Latin enrollments were low. Classical languages now flourish at GHS and he now also teaches Ancient Greek, which he introduced to the district as the recipient of the Phinney Fellowship awarded by the Classical Association of New England (CANE).

Mark grew up and attended public schools in Lowell, MA. He studied Latin and French in high school before receiving his BA in Latin and Classical Humanities from UMass, Amherst. He attended Acadia University in Athens, Greece during that time and then went to Madrid, Spain where he learned to speak Spanish. Upon return to the US, he earned his MAT in Classics at Boston University before being hired in Glastonbury. He later received his PhD in Medieval Studies from UConn, where he also is an adjunct instructor in Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies.

In Glastonbury, Mark learned that language teaching is a profession that extends far beyond the classroom: professional development, service, advocacy, and outreach are all essential elements of the work. This led Mark to join 新mg官网电子游戏 as well as other local, regional, and national language organizations. He began attending conferences and networking but soon volunteered and eventually became a leading figure in ClassConn, CANE, ACL (American Classical League) to name a few. His biggest accomplishments with these groups involve making connections between them and sharing ideas and information among them. For example, Mark has been the delegate from CANE to 新mg官网电子游戏 for more than two decades. He is the representative from ClassConn to CANE, and he is on the Board of Governors of ACL. In addition, he has been involved in the writing of ALIRA (新mg官网电子游戏’s Latin Interpretive Reading Assessment) since its inception. He is a leading voice promoting inclusion and active participation for Classics with 新mg官网电子游戏.

Mark is fully committed to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. In Glastonbury, Mark is a founding member and regular contributor to the Social Justice Collaboration, which provides resources and collaborates with teachers to incorporate Social Justice curriculum and instructional practices in their classes. On a structural level, Mark has been the Professional Rights and Responsibilities Chair for his local education association. He has advocated for teachers’ rights in the workspace and recently received an advocacy award from the Connecticut Education Association for his efforts.

Personal Statement

I believe in professional service. I learned its value from my mentors as a beginning teacher. They encouraged me to become involved from my first year in professional communities and leadership roles. This gave me a deep understanding of curriculum, teaching, professional development, and the needs of teachers and students. I have served on and led curriculum and professional development committees in my school and district for decades. I am a co-author of our Professional Development and Evaluation plan. After years of student trips, I established an exchange program for our Latin students. I have led students on those exchanges as their chaperon as well. Our language department is in constant communication with the community through outreach programs and I have long been the voice of Classics in town.

Beyond the district, I have been a leader in Classics nationally. I am a regular presenter at CANE, ACL, and 新mg官网电子游戏. I have served twice as President for the Classical Association of CT. I have been their delegate to CT COLT and also to the Classical Association of New England (CANE). This led me to be president of CANE and, because of my earnest commitment that modern language methods are essential for the teaching of classical languages, I have been the delegate from CANE to 新mg官网电子游戏 for two decades. I am now an At-Large Member of the American Classical League and gotten more involved in national language issues. I would like to continue that work through 新mg官网电子游戏.

I am fully committed to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. I have been an outspoken advocate for EDI for a long time. In Glastonbury, I was involved in support for LGBT+ students and promoting awareness and inclusion. I am a founding member and regular contributor to the Social Justice Collaboration for teachers. We provide resources and collaborate with teachers to incorporate Social Justice curriculum and instructional practices in their classes. On a structural level, I have been the Professional Rights and Responsibilities Chair for our local education association. I have advocated for teachers’ rights in the workspace and recently received an advocacy award from the Connecticut Education Association for my efforts.

As a classics professional, I have used my privilege to promote and incorporate EDI principles in the organizations with which I am associated. I have participated in training with ACL through a hired consultant who showed us how to develop and employ an equity lens in our organization. I have used that training both with ACL and by bringing the information to CANE and encouraging more EDI initiatives in New England. Recently CANE established an EDI committee and incorporated a minority scholarship as well as run a full year of programming, including at the Annual Meeting, based on EDI and Social Justice issues. I have been an organizer and presenter for some of these events. As an executive officer of ClassConn, I helped establish a relationship to support Yales University's prison educational program for teaching Classics to inmates.

This is the most difficult question to answer on this form. I say that because I love the current Strategic Plan and am passionate about all of its elements. I think each element is integral to the others and it is impossible to work on any one without simultaneously addressing them all. Currently I feel most capable of addressing Teacher Retention and Recruitment. I believe there is a crisis in the field of teaching in general and especially with language teachers. My career path thus far has provided me with a lot of experience in working to recruit and retain teachers, often through other elements of the Strategic Plan, like advocacy and outreach, professional development, or EDI, all of which are dependent on solid research and implementation. I vividly remember the presentation at the 2017 Assembly of Delegates when Richard Ingersoll from UPenn presented the shocking statistics of teacher turnover and what actions were necessary to reverse the trend. A major reason I present workshops, attend conferences, and volunteer to visit schools to give professional development is to try to retain those teachers who might otherwise be driven away through lack of support and encouragement. And while much of my EDI work is for students in the classroom, it is also to help recruit and support new teachers who need to see themselves as potential educators rather than excluded from the system. We must coordinate our efforts and then vigorously implement a cohesive plan to accomplish this.

Kathy Shelton

Candidate for K-12 Board Member
Kathy Shelton

Kathleen Shelton has devoted her entire professional life to K-12 world language education. Kathy first became a language fanatic as a young girl, after hearing her Italian grandmother urge her to “Mangia! Mangia!” while piling mountains of homemade gnocchi onto her dinner plate. This early excitement for new languages never wavered, eventually propelling Kathy to teach high school French for 22 years, as well as English as a Second Language courses as a college instructor. Kathy continues to serve students and teachers through her current position as an Education Program Specialist for K-12 World Languages and Cultures at the Ohio Department of Education.

An accomplished and passionate educator who believes that language learning opportunities must be equitable and accessible for all students, Kathy uses her experience and expertise to advance the professional skills of language teachers around the country. She has delivered hundreds of workshops at the state, regional and national level on topics such as standards implementation, assessment, proficiency, literacy, inclusive teaching practices and Universal Design for Learning. She also has led workshops on intercultural communication and competence at the annual conferences for 新mg官网电子游戏, Central States and the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages and has served as the keynote speaker and featured presenter at language conferences throughout the Midwest.

Through her state-level position, Kathy oversees the development of the Ohio World Language Model Curriculum, a dynamic repository of world language resources used by teachers around the world. Kathy served as the co-chair of the 2017 NCSSFL-新mg官网电子游戏 national task force for the Language Can-Do Statements and on the committee for the Intercultural Can-Do Statements. She holds leadership positions with the Ohio Foreign Language Association and the National Council of State Supervisors for Languages and has contributed articles to state language publications, CASLS InterCom journal, The 新mg官网电子游戏 Language Educator and an upcoming book on disrupted learning during the pandemic.

A lifelong Ohio resident, Kathy earned a B.A. in French from the University of Toledo and an M.A. in French Language and Literature from The Ohio State University. She resides with her family and numerous pets in Westerville, Ohio. When she isn’t advocating for language learning for all, she can be found cheering on The Ohio State Buckeyes football team or chasing new bird species around the country to add to her life list.

Personal Statement

Service leadership is the core of my professional philosophy and my service at the Ohio Department of Education makes me uniquely qualified to advance the 新mg官网电子游戏 mission. In 8 years at the Department, I have led hundreds of workshops nationwide, serving thousands of language educators as they strive to embed intercultural and proficiency-based practices into their instruction. Additionally, I oversee the design of our Ohio world language model curriculum—an extensive collection of dynamic resources for language learning that are used by educators throughout the world. I have a strong history of creating high-quality resources and professional support that have an immediate and lasting effect on educators and learners. I will bring this same intentionality and integrity to my service and duties with 新mg官网电子游戏.

Being an executive board member for NCSSFL afforded me the privilege of being the co-chair for the 2017 revision of the Communication Can-Do Statements and serving on the committee for the creation of the Intercultural Can-Do Statements. The knowledge and leadership skills that I gained through two years of working closely with 新mg官网电子游戏 and NCSSFL experts, the ensuing workshops I co-hosted with 新mg官网电子游戏 leaders and the impact of the Can-Do Statements on language learning have enhanced my scope of work in Ohio and my ability to support language educators nationally. My experience working with 新mg官网电子游戏 gave me deeper insight and appreciation for the positive outreach I could have while serving with 新mg官网电子游戏 and is a key reason for my desire to serve on the board.

My goal will always be to support equitable access to quality instruction and equitable outcomes for every student. In my role as a state-level world language specialist, the switch to remote learning this past year allowed me to support thousands of language teachers in a more inclusive way as we addressed the inequities in access to learning during the pandemic. I organized a progressive series of virtual meetups to guide teachers in redefining language learning, in which we modeled practices for making learning accessible for all students by incorporating social-emotional skills, culturally responsive teaching, intercultural communication and Universal Design for Learning. Over 15 months, I posted recordings and materials from 57 live virtual meetups. Feedback from teachers around the country indicated the value of these resources in their shift to more inclusive language instruction.

Additionally, I led a book study for our office on Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain, by Zaretta Hammond. This included live discussions, relevant resources and reflection topics, and a culminating plan to address the inequitable access to education faced by Ohio students during 15 months of disrupted learning. I am now leading our office’s plan for a professional learning series for educators across content areas, with themes of rethinking intervention and using high quality instructional materials.

Sessions will focus on building student relationships and engagement; teaching grade level content with appropriate support to advance learning for all students; promoting student agency and self-directed learning; and understanding, monitoring and meeting the needs of all students.

An immense challenge to our profession is the language teacher shortage. This national crisis has led to the elimination of innumerable language programs at a time when effective intercultural communication skills are critical domestically and globally. Supporting beginning and veteran teachers is a crucial part of my work at the Ohio Department of Education, but I also realize there needs to be a simultaneous focus on teacher retention and teacher recruitment to tackle this shortage. This is the pillar of the 新mg官网电子游戏 Strategic Plan that I am most passionate about and where I will provide leadership as a board member.

I am involved with Ohio’s Educators Rising program and have seen firsthand the excitement and passion that students bring when investigating a teaching career. I am working to create a cohort of Ohio world language teachers who would be interested in establishing an Educators Rising program in their district to encourage more students to pursue a language teaching career. A key part of the support for this cohort will be 新mg官网电子游戏’s resources for Educators Rising programs. I am hopeful that having access to 新mg官网电子游戏’s high-quality modules will incentivize more teachers to establish a program and will allow me to offer assistance and encouragement to teachers at a higher level than I could do on my own. As an 新mg官网电子游戏 board member, my experience establishing an Educators Rising cohort in Ohio would be a model that I would seek to build upon in other states.

Jon Valentine

Candidate for K-12 Board Member
Jon Valentine

Dr. Jon Valentine is the Director of World Languages and Dual Language Immersion (DLI) for Gwinnett County Public Schools in Suwanee, GA, where he oversees program development and supports teachers and leaders in world languages programs k-12 in eight languages (Spanish, French, Latin, German, Mandarin, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish for Heritage Speakers and Spanish for Native Speakers), as well as elementary and middle school DLI programs in Spanish, French, and Korean.

Jon has worked with teacher leaders to develop common final exams, instructional calendars, and other world languages curriculum supports to ensure student success in an increasingly transient school system. Additionally, he has overseen development of comprehensive world languages and DLI professional development programs that provide support for all teachers and leaders, but especially those who are new to teaching or leading world languages or DLI teachers. Additionally, Jon has led development of a comprehensive student content and language assessment program in DLI that ensures students achieve determined content and language objectives concurrently.

Recognizing the need for future world languages and DLI teachers, Jon and his team have collaborated with Career and Technical Education (CTE) on a DLI/World Language teacher pipeline project, reaching out to middle and high school students to recruit them for future teaching positions, matching them with area universities, and guiding them to positions back in the district. As a result, the district currently averages six language-proficient future teachers placed in our district per year.

Prior to his tenure with Gwinnett, Jon served as Program Manager for Languages and Global Initiatives at the Georgia Department of Education where he spearheaded development of the Georgia Workforce Development Initiative, a multi-agency, k12, and higher education partnership linking partners in business and industry with world languages classrooms in Georgia and abroad. He also helped write legislation to provide the first-ever statewide funding for DLI school development in Georgia history.

He is a certified-advanced speaker of German and taught middle and high school German in Fulton County, Georgia, where he was recognized for building the largest middle school program in the state through a strong focus on program recruitment. Jon received his Doctorate in Education from University of Wyoming, Laramie; his M.A. in Applied Linguistics from Georgia State University, Atlanta; and Bachelor’s degrees in Education, International Studies, and German from Miami University, Oxford. He serves on multiple world languages and DLI organizational boards. 乔恩在亚特兰大已经生活了23年.

Personal Statement

I’ve been fortunate in my 21 year career in public education to support a wide variety of partners in our field. Through this work and these experiences, I have learned the importance of building and maintaining trusting relationships with other leaders. Trust is key in relationships. I find that it’s not enough to simply show up during celebratory events, a leader should seek to understand deeply the goals, dreams, and hard work of partner organizations, from consulates to state-level language advocacy organizations, listen to understand, and find ways to optimize work and follow through on promises.

Beginning with my time as a middle school German teacher I served on the school’s parent advisory board. As I grew in my career and during my time at the Georgia Department of Education I helped found and then served on the board of the Georgia Foundation for Public Education, working with regional consulates to provide financial support for language-specific projects such as short-term French student career-based internships abroad. During my tenure at the GaDOE, I was a member of NCSSFL and served as the organizations Treasurer while also serving as GaDOE representative on the board of the Foreign Language Association of Georgia (FLAG). From 2015 – 2017 I served on the 新mg官网电子游戏 Finance Committee board, providing guidance on investments.

Building partnerships and leading at the building, state, and district level have provided me with the ability to develop relationships with and advocate for leaders and organizations at all levels in our field.

I recently completed a year-long tenure on my district’s Educational Equity Team. Our team received training on equity, diversity, and inclusion best-practices and spent the year reviewing district policies and procedures then presenting recommendations to our board and superintendent.

As similar initiatives are being repeated by districts, schools, and states across the nation it is vital that classroom teachers are made part of these discussions at all level. Every great teacher knows the importance of meeting students where they are without judgement, building trust, and educating the whole child. As schools endeavor to meaningfully implement equity, diversity and inclusion practices into teaching it will be vital that the conversation is a two-way street between leaders and educators. I contend that world languages teachers perform this work on an even higher level! Personally, I have been part of the Atlanta Rainbow Trout Water Polo team, an LGBTQ+ adult master’s level team for over twenty years, serving on the board as team director or tournament coordinator for the past decade. Sporting has historically been one of the least accepting venues for inclusion and most members of this community have a negative history with sport in high school or college; most choose to remain closeted during these years. Our organization advocates for diversity in sports and is a safe space for LGBTQ+ players and straight allies. In addition, the team raises money for Lost-n-Found Youth, a charity and home for LGBTQ+ youth who have been abandoned by their families or run away.

I have been a member of 新mg官网电子游戏 for nearly two decades. I have been excited over the past decade or so to watch 新mg官网电子游戏 refine focus to meet the needs of all partners in language education, as evidenced in this strategic plan. Research promotes strong ties between researchers and practioners not just in higher education but at the pre-k and k-12 levels as well. I love that 新mg官网电子游戏 has leveraged technology and created a space for current classroom teachers to deliver quality Professional Development not just during conference season, but year round. I strongly support the importance of Outreach and Advocacy. There is no replacement for building and maintaining relationships with partners and developing synergies to support students and teachers. By extension, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion ensure that all work values and meets partners where they are. The part of the plan about which I am most passionate is Teacher Recruitment and Retention.

Teaching is a noble and wonderful profession, but it is also one that faces challenges that make attracting new teachers sometimes difficult. I believe that the most pressing two challenges facing our profession weakening teacher pipeline and the rapid and sometimes terrifying changes our brothers and sisters in higher education are undergoing as programs are closed and tenure is cut. I believe that by highlighting strong partnerships between k-12 and higher education we can demonstrate to decision makers the need to bolster rather than cut programs and ensure a future pipeline of motivated, well-trained teachers.

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Board Election

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President-Elect Candidates

Akash Patel

Thomas Sauer

Board Member – Higher Education Candidates

Krishauna Hines-Gaither

Kaishan Kong

Hamsa Mahafza

Kate Paesani

Board Member – K-12 Candidates

Adrienne Brandenburg

Mark Pearsall

Kathy Shelton

Jon Valentine