823-822 Literacy Practices to Support Multilingual Learners

Schedule:

• October 3, 2024: 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
• December 5, 2024: 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
• February 20, 2025: 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
• April 10, 2025: 11:00 am - 12:30 pm

Location: Virtual

Price: $495 for non-Title III Consortium Members.

Content Questions: Audrey Lesondak (audrey.lesondak@cesa2.org)

Registration Questions: Kayla Noggle (kayla.noggle@cesa2.org)

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About this Event: In light of ACT 20, teachers of multilingual students will have the opportunity to network with one another to support their students in dual language or English-centered classrooms. Network members will share their approaches, tools, and practices for explicit teaching, resource curation, navigating screeners and assessments with multilingual students, and communicating with families.

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Our Presenters:

Audrey Lesondak is CESA 2's Senior Director in the Language and Culture Center of Excellence. Audrey served for eight years as a consultant at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). Her work focused on designing and implementing policy, guidance, and practices to support multilingual learners. Specific endeavors include co-creating the EL Policy Handbook, developing Wisconsin's ESEA Title III plan, administering the ACCESS for ELLs assessment and data systems, managing bilingual and EL formula and discretionary grant programs, and supporting the WIDA English language development standards initiatives. Audrey’s commitment is to create positive, just, and inclusive learning opportunities for multilingual learners and their families.

Gretchen Lettau is a consultant in the Language and Culture Center of Excellence supporting the areas of Language Acquisition, English Learners, and Dual Language Education. Gretchen has worked as a teacher and coordinator for 20 years with culturally and linguistically diverse populations. She comes to CESA 2 after working in the Menasha Joint School District as a high school history, ESL and Bilingual teacher, and coordinator for the EL and Bilingual Programs. Throughout her career, Gretchen has collaborated with school districts in the areas of best practices, EL Co-teaching methods, academic language development, literacy and language practices when implementing workshop models, program reviews, and professional learning. Gretchen has a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction, and holds administrative licenses for the principalship and director of curriculum and instruction.

Fran Veguilla is a transformational leader, committed to equitable practices that help eliminate barriers for our more marginalized students and their families, so that they can fulfill their true potential. Fran has over 15 years of experience as a classroom teacher, bilingual/EL teacher, mentor, instructional coach, PLC facilitator, and advocate for change. Fran holds a Master’s degree in Bilingual Education from Rockford University and an Educational Leadership degree from Edgewood College. She is a collaborative leader who envisions schools and programs where diversity, inclusivism, and culture are seen, valued and celebrated.

Ruslana Westerlund, Ed.D., is a Ukrainian-born educational consultant at CESA 2 specializing in using the WIDA Standards for equity through rigorous and culturally relevant teaching, providing access to disciplinary genres for all students, and designing equitable instructional practices for English Learners. She is driven by the vision to transform schools where all teachers are equipped with the knowledge to meet the needs of English Learners at both systems and classroom levels. Her unique area of expertise and research is writing in the disciplines through an apprenticeship pedagogy called the Teaching and Learning Cycle.

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