Breaking Down the Wall

Essential Shifts for English Learners’ Success

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Dr. Margarita Espino Calderón is Professor Emerita/Senior Research Scientist at Johns Hopkins University. She has worked on numerous research and development projects focusing on reading for English learners funded by the U.S.D.O.E Institute of Education Sciences, the U.S. Department of Labor, and collaborated with Harvard and the Center for Applied Linguistics on a longitudinal study funded by the NICHD. The Carnegie Corporation of New York funded her five-year empirical study to develop Expediting Comprehension for English Language Learners (ExC-ELL), a comprehensive professional development model for math, science, social... More About Author

Maria G. Dove, Ed.D, is currently a Professor in the School of Education and Human Services at Molloy College, Rockville Centre, New York. Prior to working in higher education, she spent over thirty years as an English-as-a-second-language teacher in public schools and adult English language programs. She is well-known for her professional development work across the United States, focusing on culturally and linguistically diverse students. Dove's work has led her to publish books, articles, and chapters on collaborative teaching practices and instructional strategies for English learners. In collaboration with Andrea Honigsfeld, she has... More About Author

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. Dr. Staehr Fenner and SupportEd are dedicated to empowering multilingual learners (MLs) 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... More About Author

Margo Gottlieb, a staunch advocate for multilingual learners and their teachers, has always envisioned multilingualism and multiculturalismas cornerstones of education. As co-founder and lead developer of WIDA at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, over her career, Margo has been a language teacher, coordinator, bilingual facilitator, director of assessment and evaluation, and an international advisor. Having presented and keynoted across the United States and in 25 countries, she has worked with universities, organizations, governments, states, school districts, and schools in... More About Author

Andrea Honigsfeld, EdD, is a TESOL Professor in the School of Education and Human Services at Molloy College in Rockville Centre, New York. She teaches graduate courses in linguistics, TESOL methods, and cultural and linguistic diversity. Before her current position, she was an English-as-a-foreign-language teacher in Hungary (Grades 5-8 and adult) and an English-as-a-second-language teacher in New York City (Grades K-3 and adult). She also taught Hungarian at New York University. Andrea earned a doctoral fellowship at St. John's University in New York, where she conducted research on individualized instruction. She received a Fulbright... More About Author

Tonya Ward Singer, M.F.A., is a professional learning leader with a deep commitment to ensuring diverse learners excel with rigorous expectations. She consults nationally helping K-12 educators realize new possibilities in language and literacy learning to close opportunity gaps for ELs and students in poverty.  Tonya has taught at multiple grade levels as a classroom teacher, reading teacher, and EL specialist, and has extensive experience helping school leaders transform learning at scale.  Her choice work is supporting educators in launching and sustaining site-based, continuous inquiry around live lessons.  She has been... More About Author

Shawn Slakk is the CEO and Founder of ABCDSS Consulting Consortium and works with teachers, administrators, school & state agencies to offer strategies and supports for emergent bilinguals and their classmates both K-12 and adults. He is co-author and developer of new professional development sessions for all levels of educators, focusing on whole-school implementation, administrative support and coaching.  As a former Certified WIDA Trainer and Title III SIOP Coach, Shawn brings a wide understanding of a variety of strategies and how they relate to ELs, language acquisition and lesson delivery. He served as the... More About Author

Ivannia Soto, PhD , is a professor of education and the director of graduate programs at Whittier College, where she specializes in language acquisition, systemic reform for English language learners (ELLs), and urban education. She began her career in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), where she taught English and English language development to a population of 99.9% Latinos, who either were or had been multilingual learners. Before becoming a professor, Soto also served LAUSD as a literacy coach as well as district office and county office administrator. She has presented on literacy and language topics at various... More About Author

Dr. Debbie Zacarian, founder of Zacarian & Associates, provides professional development, strategic planning, and technical assistance for K-16 educators of culturally and linguistically diverse populations. She has served as an expert consultant for school districts, universities, associations, and organizations including the Massachusetts Parent Information Resource Center and Federation for Children with Special Needs.Debbie has worked with numerous state and local education agencies and written the language assistance programming policies for many rural, suburban, and urban districts.  Debbie served on the faculty of... More About Author