October 26 2020

An exciting Announcement:

Good morning Colleagues,

I wanted to share some exciting new developments in World Languages.

I have partnered with SupportEd, an educational consulting team that focuses on language learning, strategic planning, and professional development, as well as English Learner advocacy to assist in the development of a World Languages Strategic Plan and PD Plan.

During the 2018-2019 school year, I had the privilege of working with Dr. Diane Staehr Fenner, President of SupportEd and Teddi Predaris, Senior Consultant to develop an English Learner Master Plan for JCPS.

We brought a Work Group of over 75 JCPS staff, community partners, and parents together to identify key priorities and action steps to enhance the ESL Department.

For this World Language Strategic Planning Work, we will be working with Teddi Predaris. Please see Teddi’s bio below.

Teddi Predaris is a Senior Consultant at SupportEd, and has over forty years of experience in language education. During the 2018-19 school year, she worked with Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) to support them in developing an English Learner (EL) Master Plan for the district. Teddi has worked with school districts across the country, including Los Angeles Unified School District and Syracuse City School District, to provide technical assistance to assist them in enhancing and expanding their dual language programs. Teddi has also provided research support to a recent comprehensive United States Department of Education study on dual language program implementation and policy in partnership with the American Institutes for Research. As director of the Office of Language Acquisition and Title I in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), Virginia, Teddi developed, implemented, and supervised successful Dual Language Immersion, World Languages, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), and Title I and Title III programs. During her twenty-four-year tenure in FCPS, she doubled the number of dual language programs in the district, and students in dual language programs outperformed students not in dual language programs annually on state assessments in language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Teddi has served as an expert panel member on numerous language education projects for the U.S. Department of Education. Prior to her tenure in Fairfax, she was the assistant director of the national information center on English learner education, the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA – formerly the National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education). She also served as a professional development provider on language education to school districts in Mid-Atlantic states while working at regional multifunctional support centers. Teddi has taught ESOL and Spanish in the US and abroad and holds a B.A. from Duke University in Spanish and Secondary Education, an M.S. in Applied Linguistics from Georgetown University, and an M.A. from Middlebury College in Spanish Language, Literature and Culture.

To do this collaborative World Languages strategic planning, I would like to bring together a World Languages Work Group that represents the following:

Ø Elementary, Middle and High

Ø A variety of languages

Ø Different types of World Language Programs, like Dual Language

Some potential Work Group Topics include the following:

Ø A JCPS Seal of Biliteracy

Ø Review of the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education

o A side note – although this guide specifically states Dual Language Programs, this research-based Guide is applicable for World Language Programs

Ø Prioritization of the CAL Strands for JCPS World Language Strategic Plan

Details for the Work Group include the following:

Ø meet once a week, starting the week of November 9^th, 2020

Ø from 4:00 – 5:30

Ø until Winter Break (6 weeks), with the possibility of extending into 2^nd semester if needed

Ø PD Credit will be available – I am working on district stipend – more info to come

We will share the ideas generated from the Work Group back to the entire World Languages Community to seek feedback and next steps to collaboratively move forward to enhance our World Language Programs.

The goal will be to develop a plan with action steps to implement in the 21-22 school year.

Work Group

If you would like to be considered for this Work Group please complete the following Google Form here.

Contribute Ideas

Please complete this Google Form to share your ideas for the Work Group to consider.

My best,

Eli