Diane Staehr Fenner, PhD, is the president of SupportEd (SupportEd.com), a woman-owned small business located in the Washington, DC, metro area that she founded in 2011. SupportEd 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 SupportEd, 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 PhD in Multilingual/Multicultural Education at George Mason University and her MAT in TESOL at the School for International Training. You can connect with her by email at Diane@SupportEd.com or on Twitter at @DStaehrFenner. Sydney Snyder, PhD, is a principal associate at SupportEd. In this role, Dr. Snyder coaches ML educators and develops and facilitates interactive professional development for teachers of MLs. She also works with the SupportEd team to offer technical assistance to school districts and educational organizations. Dr. Snyder has extensive instructional experience and has worked in the field of English language development for over 25 years. She started her teaching career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guinea, West Africa. This experience ignited her passion for language teaching, culturally responsive instruction, and ML advocacy. Dr. Snyder is coauthor of Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners: Tools for Equity and contributing author to Breaking Down the Monolingual Wall. She served as an English Teaching Fellow at Gadja Mada University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. She earned her PhD in Multilingual/ Multicultural Education at George Mason University and her MAT in TESOL at the School for International Training. You can connect with her by email at Sydney@SupportEd.com or on Twitter at @SydneySupportEd.
Equip yourself with the tools to champion equitable education for every multilingual learner Multilingual learners (MLs) are our fastest-growing student population, yet they often lack a voice in their own education. Without intentional advocacy, systemic barriers stand in the way of their potential. Navigating these challenges can feel overwhelming, but this approachable guide can help build a shared sense of responsibility across your entire school or district. Diane Staehr Fenner and Sydney C. Snyder explore how to foster effective instruction, fair assessments, and robust family partnerships, among other topics. This essential resource provides: A five-step advocacy framework to confidently identify and address the pressing issues facing your MLs The ML Advocacy Audit and hands-on activities to guide collaborative professional learning Real-world stories from educators successfully advocating for their students Updated research and brand-new chapters on newcomer students, professional learning, and equitable programming By actively disrupting inequities, you create a welcoming community where every child belongs. Discover how to advocate effectively so your students receive the joyful, empowering education they deserve.
Preface Introduction Chapter 1: Need for Advocacy for Multilingual Learners Chapter 2: Advocating for a Shared Sense of Responsibility for Educating MLs Chapter 3: Advocating for Effective Instruction of Multilingual Learners Chapter 4: Advocating for MLs in Assessment Chapter 5: Advocating for ML Newcomer Students Chapter 6: Advocating for Effective ML Family and School Partnerships Chapter 7: Advocating for MLs Through Professional Learning Chapter 8: Advocating for MLs' Access to Educational Opportunities Chapter 9: Next Steps in Advocating for Multilingual Learners