Californians Together

Are you a California teacher who sees opportunities to better meet the needs of your multilingual students? Or do you happen to know one? Applications and nominations to EBCAN Cohort 5 are open now through April 21st. Please help us spread the word about this amazing opportunity to leverage teacher leadership to bring equity and access to English learners throughout California. For more information visit www.teachplus.org/CA #teacherleadership #multilinguallearners #englishlearners

From the classroom to the California State Board of Education, Shelly Spiegel-Coleman has been one of the strongest advocates for #EnglishLearners and their families that our field has ever seen. We are proud to honor her this #WomensHistoryMonth. Last month, Shelly was inducted into the #Multilingual Education Hall of Fame at NABE (National Association for Bilingual Education), and we are incredibly proud of her accomplishment. Shelly used her acceptance speech to shine a light on the hard work of the Californians Together staff. In our latest blog post, we show our appreciation to Shelly. Read more from Californians Together Communications Associate David Gonzalez: https://buff.ly/Cn9oSKZ

UPDATE: It's finally happened—I'm now published in print! I am proud to grace the pages of the 50th anniversary edition of Multilingual Educator from California Association for Bilingual Education - CABE. I'm very grateful to Californians Together for recognizing the importance of narrative change as a strategy for improving education policy and practice for #MultilingualLearners. Looking forward to seeing many of you at the CABE conference next week! I'll be there with my media pass. ?? https://lnkd.in/gQ8y3v4q

Join the Consortium for #MutilingualLearner Success (co-chaired by CalTog & Alliance for a Better Community) for Voices of Hope—an event honoring schools and leaders advancing multilingual learner success. Register today: buff.ly/oLi4aCf

This is not just an education issue—it is a civil rights issue. Read our full statement on cuts to the U.S. Department of Education and the Office of English Language Acquisition :

NEW: Californians Together Executive Director Martha Hernandez talked to Tara Garcia Mathewson about the importance of new grants for expanding #bilingual education programs and meeting the California's ambitious language goals. More from CalMatters:

Californians Together unequivocally condemns the deliberate dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and the outright eradication of the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA). This is not merely a bureaucratic adjustment—it is a ruthless attack on the educational rights of English/multilingual learners (ELsMLs) and other historically marginalized students. Stripping away these essential federal protections will have devastating, long-term consequences, further deepening systemic inequities, deepening the persistent achievement gaps and leaving millions of children without the resources they need to succeed. We Must Act Now Go to:?https://5calls.org/. Input your zip code to pull up your representatives. Aides log calls by issue daily and pass that to their representative. Takes 1-2 minutes per call, 2 senators and 1 representative. Call daily. Voicemails usually fill up at 30 seconds to 1 min mark. Sample call script: *Amend as needed to fit your local and state contexts* “Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I am a [teacher/parent/community member] from [City, State]. I’m calling to urge [Senator/Representative] [Last Name] to?protect the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) in the U.S. Department of Education. OELA is the only federal office dedicated to supporting English learners, and it is?established by law under Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The recent dismantling of OELA will cause irreparable harm to English Learner students who are a federally protected group under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974 (EEOA), their families, and teachers nationwide. [option to further elaborate if time allows] Top 3 Reasons to Protect OELA: ??Supports Students & Families:?Over 5 million English learners rely on OELA-funded programs to succeed academically. ??Empowers Teachers & Schools:?OELA provides essential funding, professional development, and research to help educators implement effective practices for English Learners. ??Strengthens the Economy & Workforce:?English learners are the future of our workforce. Investing in their success ensures a more competitive workforce and stronger communities. I urge [Senator/Representative] [Last Name] to uphold the commitments made under federal law and oppose any efforts to eliminate or weaken OELA. Thank you for your time and for supporting students, families, and teachers. ?

TOMORROW: Join Educators for Excellence and ImmSchools for a Zoom training for #educators on supporting and protecting #immigrant students in the classroom and beyond. Register now:

Teach Plus is looking for 15 #California P/K-12 educators ready to lead on behalf of emergent #MultilingualLearners and their families. Apply or nominate a teacher at www.teachplus.org/CA

Most, if not all, the staff at the office of English language acquisition was eliminated in the U.S. Department of Education's recent reduction in force. That office helps states, districts, and teachers meet the federal education rights of English learners and immigrant students. Learn more about the cuts across offices here: https://lnkd.in/eDgA_2di