Click here to view on web

From the Executive Director

Dear Partners,

As we close out the 2023-24 school year, it’s important to pause and reflect on our collaborative work to support multilingual learners– celebrating their superpowers and creating joyful language-rich learning environments. Our partnerships with dedicated school districts, county offices, and educators across the state continue to grow. Together with advocacy partners and education champions, our unwavering efforts ensure English Learners and Dual Language Learners are prioritized and given the opportunities they deserve.

This last quarter, we celebrated significant milestones. Our new website now provides an enhanced platform for sharing valuable resources and tools, strengthening our support to educators and advocacy efforts. State and federal leaders and education champions joined us for school site visits to experience the transformative power of the EL Roadmap principles and the SEAL approach. Through the state funded EPiCC initiative, we have supported professional learning opportunities across California, enhancing the skills and knowledge of educators. We also celebrated the awarding of the Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Program grant from the California Department of Education in partnership with Azusa Unified School District, enabling our network of district partners to build their bilingual teacher pipelines. We are uplifting the beauty and importance of multilingualism with a special new partnership: Planet Word Museum in Washington, D.C., features a SEAL video in their new interactive exhibit about multilingualism.

As part of our mission and work, we are engaged in critical discussions, including how to support DLLs in transitional kindergarten and addressing the reading crisis. Our approaches and policies must foster comprehensive learning experiences, intertwining literacy with language development, curiosity, critical thinking, and a passion for exploration. That is what our diverse children need and deserve. I hope you’ll read my latest blog that focuses on how we can develop more inclusive and effective literacy programs.

In closing, I express my deep gratitude and appreciation for our talented team and dedicated education partners. Your expertise, courage, and dedication bring life and meaning to our vital mission. Thank you for your unwavering partnership, support and commitment.

In partnership,

Anya Hurwitz

Advocacy, Policy and Research

Beyond the Science of Reading.

There is a growing urgency and debate on how to tackle the “reading crisis”. However, a one-size-fits-all approach is not the solution—we know this from past experiences. In SEAL Executive Director Anya Hurwitz's latest blog post, she delves into the current discussions and explores how we can develop more inclusive and effective literacy programs. We invite you to read Anya's full blog post for a comprehensive look at these critical issues. Click here to read and share the blog with your networks, and join the conversation to ensure our sense of urgency is not a reactive over simplified answer but one that is holistic, responsive and aligned with our state’s commitment to multilingualism.

New Website. More Ways to Advocate.

SEAL's new website is designed to offer a more comprehensive and engaging experience for our stakeholders. Our revamped platform now includes an expanded Blogs/News section, Resources and Videos, and dedicated Practice, Research, and Policy pages. These improvements aim to reach a broader audience in support of multilingualism and our aligned missions. This is just the first step, and there is still more to come. We welcome your feedback and recommendations as we continue to refine the site. Please share it with your network!

English Learner Roadmap School Site Visits.

In April, SEAL organized its first policy and advocacy partner visit to highlight the transformative power of the EL Roadmap principles and SEAL approach. Twenty-two partners, including representatives from Sobrato Policy Partners, Central Valley Multilingual Consortium, Senator Marie Alvarado Gil's office, Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria's office, CDE Director of Multilingual Support Alesha Moreno-Ramirez, and Sobrato Philanthropies Senior Program Officer Karla Ruiz, attended the event. The group visited three schools in the Delhi Unified School District (DUSD), exploring TK, Kindergarten, and First Grade classrooms. Thank you to DUSD and all educators for welcoming onto your campuses and classrooms.

Federal and State Officials Visit DJUSD to Witness SEAL Partnership Success.

Late February, a delegation of state and federal officials visited SEAL partner Davis Joint Unified School District. Davis Joint Unified School District (DJUSD) Superintendent Matt Best welcomed U.S. Department of Education Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director, Office of English Language Acquisition, Montserrat Garibay and California Department of Education (CDE) Deputy Superintendent Sarah Neville Morgan and visited Marguerite Montgomery Elementary (MME) to learn first hand about the core elements of the school’s eight year partnership with SEAL. At MME, the SEAL model has helped to build community and uplift the assets of all students in an environment in which approximately 40 percent of students are native Spanish speakers. U.S Department of Education’s Assistant Deputy Secretary, Montserrat Garibay, observed, “It’s clear that the teachers are really invested in the SEAL program and to see it in action today is truly an inspiration.” For more information visit our SEAL Blog.

Welcome, New SEAL Board Members!

Julie Castro Abrams and Dr. Ryan J. Smith joined our Board of Directors as Trustees. Julie is the founder of How Women Lead, a network of 20,000 top women executives dedicated to promoting diverse women’s voices and propelling women’s leadership forward. Dr. Smith serves as the President and CEO of St. Joseph Center, a nonprofit in Los Angeles that provides resources and tools to become productive, stable and self-supporting members of the community.

Advocating for Equitable Policy.

SEAL is proud to partner with our mission-aligned education champions on the “EL Roadmap Policy Priorities: Advancing the Vision” to guide present and future policy, programs, and practices for English learners and dual language learners across the state. This year, our organizations have come together to elevate positive legislative proposals rooted in the EL Roadmap’s four principles to ensure English Learners and DLLs have what they need to succeed in school. Join us in advocating for the following CA state bills: 

• AB 1106 (Soria): PK-3 Early childhood specialist credential grant program 
• AB 1947 (Rivas, Luz D): Staff training days at state preschools Support Letter Samples
• AB 2071 (Carrillo, Juan D): Parent toolkit to support the EL Roadmap 
• AB 2074 (Muratsuchi & Alvarez, D): Statewide implementation plan for the EL Roadmap
• AB 2268 (Muratsuchi D): English language proficiency assessment in kindergarten
• AB 2845 (Rivas): State master plan for services for migrant children

CA Adopts New Guidance for Local Instruction Materials.

Recently, the State Board of Education rolled out new Guidance for Local Instructional Materials Adoptions. This comprehensive document is designed to assist local educational agencies (LEAs) throughout the instructional materials adoption process, offering valuable links to current legislation, sample timelines, support for diverse student groups, and key implementation considerations. Special thank you to all who contributed to this significant milestone, including the IQC members and our very own Director of Designs for Change, Charice Guerra, who serves as IQC Chair. READ MORE.

Join the Fall Pilot for TK-5 Language Arts Evaluation Guide!

UnboundEd is looking for district partners to participate in a fall pilot program to test a new guide for evaluating TK-5 Language Arts instructional materials. SEAL's Martha I. Martinez, along with Dr. Laurie Olsen and representatives from Californians Together, Center for Equity for English Learners, and various literacy experts, have provided invaluable feedback to ensure the guide meets the needs of California's diverse student population, including multilingual learners. As advocates for multilingual education, we encourage you to review the information and consider joining this important initiative. Your participation can help shape the future of instructional materials for our diverse communities. READ MORE.

Deadline to complete the form is June 10, 2024.

SEAL in the Field

Professional Development Convenings.

Each year, SEAL hosts various convenings to foster collaborative professional development for school district and local education agency partners from across the state. In April, our two-day dual language convening included a powerful keynote from dual language expert Alexandra Guilamo, interactive workshops and sharing of ideas, experiences and testimonios. The convening coincided with National Bilingual/Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month and what better way to celebrate than a room full of passionate educators. Everyone celebrated with matching t-shirts that read, “Multilingualism is a superpower!”

Exciting Grant Award to Support Bilingual Education.

We are thrilled to announce that Azusa Unified School District, in partnership with SEAL, has been awarded the Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Program grant from the California Department of Education! This prestigious grant will play a pivotal role in addressing the increasing demand for bilingual teachers in California. With 60% of children aged 0-5 speaking a language other than English at home, the need for qualified bilingual educators is more critical than ever. This funding will enable us to provide targeted professional development and bilingual authorization support for our network of district partners, ensuring they are well-equipped to support English Learners and Dual Language Learners. We eagerly anticipate working closely with the dedicated team at Azusa USD and the growing number of districts that partner with SEAL to build, strengthen, and grow their bilingual/dual language programs and better serve our diverse student population.

SEAL's Impactful Year with EPiCC Zones.

This past year, SEAL has proudly supported three of the four EPiCC zones across the state, contributing significantly to the EPiCC (English Learner Roadmap Power in Collaboration Across California) initiative. EPiCC offers professional learning opportunities for early educators, teachers, paraprofessionals, school leaders, and school counselors in public schools.Through our partnership with EPiCC, we are on track to complete 23 sessions this school year, spanning five different offerings. While most of these offerings are virtual, we also developed a one-day in-person ELD Institute that was a tremendous success. We are excited about the positive impact these sessions have had on enhancing the skills and knowledge of educators across California. To learn more sign in and visit California Educators Together.

Celebrating Educator Achievements

In April, we celebrated LAUSD educators' achievements through our PEARLL and PEARLL 2 programs in collaboration with LMU's Center for Equity for English Learners. Two cohorts, including new and upper-grade teachers, completed rigorous two-year training programs. Join us in congratulating their dedication and success!

Learn more.

New America Blog Highlights Concerns in Testing TK DLL students.

Sarah Jackson's insightful New America blog sheds light on the challenges surrounding the assessment of English proficiency in California's Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program. She interviews various CA school leaders including SEAL partners such as Oak Grove School District, Early Edge California and San Mateo County Office of Education and delves into the complexities arising from the clash between federal mandates required to assess and evaluate the English proficiency of students who speak a different language at home when enrolling in public schools and the practical and developmental realities of young TK students, particularly four-year-olds. READ the full article here.

Amplifying the Power of Multilingualism: SEAL's Recent Presentations 

In the last quarter, SEAL proudly participated in various conferences to amplify the power of multilingualism. Our team delivered several in-person and virtual presentations at events hosted by the California Association for Bilingual Education, the National Association for Bilingual Education, The Aspen Institute, New America, First 5 California, the Consortium for English Learner Success, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, and ASPIRA New York. We focused on innovative strategies, best practices and the latest research in the field, highlighting the importance of multilingualism in education. We are excited to announce a new section on our website where you can access these presentations and resources. If you missed any of the conferences or want to revisit the material, we invite you to explore the available content online.

Resources and Tools

Download Your FREE Resources Today!

SEAL.org |  @SEALedEquity | Subscribe to receive news and updates!