Embrace the future by ensuring English Learners have a voice in school.
English Learners (ELs) are the fastest-growing segment of the K–12 population. Therefore, educators must provide a voice for their needs. This book demystifies the techniques of advocacy for ELs, including:
• A shared sense of responsibility for EL success–Providing tools that every educator can use to ensure that ELs are effectively served • An overview for administrators–Influencing policy and fostering a culture that meets EL needs • Advocacy for ELs’ success beyond Grade 12–Equipping ELs for life after graduation, from higher education to career decisions
Diane Staehr Fenner, Ph D, is the president of Support Ed (Support Ed.com), a woman-owned small business located in the Washington, DC, metro area that she founded in 2011. Support Ed is dedicated to empowering multilingual learners and their educators. Dr. Staehr Fenner leads her team to provide ML professional development, coaching, technical assistance, and curriculum and assessment support to school districts, states, organizations, and the U.S. Department of Education. Prior to forming Support Ed, Dr. Staehr Fenner was an English language development (ELD) teacher, dual language assessment teacher, and ELD assessment specialist in Fairfax County Public Schools, VA. She speaks German and Spanish and has taught in Berlin, Germany, and Veracruz, Mexico. Dr. Staehr Fenner grew up on a dairy farm in central New York and is a proud first- generation college graduate. She has written eight books on ML education (and counting), including coauthoring Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners: Tools for Equity and authoring Advocating for English Learners: A Guide for Educators. She is a frequent keynote speaker on ML education at conferences across North America. She earned her Ph D in Multilingual/Multicultural Education at George Mason Universityand her MAT in TESOL at the School for International Training. You can connect with her by email at Diane@Support Ed.com or on Twitter at @DStaehr Fenner.
PrefaceAcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorIntroduction1. Need for Advocacy for English Learners2. Creating a Shared Sense of Responsibility for Teaching English Learners3. How ESL Teachers Can Collaborate to Expand Advocacy Efforts for ELs4. Advocacy Overview for School and District Administrators5. Increasing EL Families' Involvement Through Building Their Advocacy Capacity6. Advocacy Through Effective Instruction of ELs7. Advocating for ELs in Assessment8. Advocacy for ELs' Success Beyond Grade 12Index