Culture & Language

ALAS to Host Free Webinar Highlighting Dual-Language Initiatives at 2 Standout Districts

• By Kristal Kuykendall
• 04/07/22

The Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents will host a free webinar at 4 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 13, for schools and districts interested in learning about the benefits of emphasizing bilingual dual-language education.

The webinar, “Culture Shift: Leading a Language Centered District,” will feature presentations from Blanca De La Sierra, executive director of teaching and learning for Irving (Texas) Independent School District, and Jacqueline Rodriguez, director of ESOL/Migrant Programs at Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, according to a news release. The webinar is co-hosted by Imagine Learning.

De La Sierra is a former teacher, interventionist, coach, principal, and director of BIL/ESL; she received her undergraduate and master’s degrees at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and is currently a doctoral student focused on school improvement at the University of Texas at Tyler.

In her role at KCKPS, Rodriguez dedicates her time to integrating language learning into classrooms to provide inclusion and equity for all students. She was previously a Spanish teacher and director of the Blue Valley Chinese STARTALK Immersion Academy summer program; she also works as an advocate for teachers of color.

“More than 5 million students in the United States are English Language Learners, and as that number continues to grow it’s critical that we embrace best practices as we teach English, and also recognize and celebrate their bilingualism,” said ALAS Executive Director Maria Armstrong. “Irving ISD and Kansas City Public Schools are both great examples of innovative, forward-thinking districts that have prioritized bilingual, dual-language education initiatives and made language one of their strongest assets.”

Register for the webinar at Bit.ly/ALAS-ImagineLearning.

Learn more about ALAS at ALASedu.org.