Annual Report 2024: Impact on Educators

California faces a significant shortage of bilingual teachers, with 53% of school districts currently reporting inadequate staffing and 86% expecting shortages that will impact future multilingual education initiatives. SEAL is addressing this challenge by supporting educators across all settings—bilingual and English-only classrooms—through its evidence- and research approach, targeted professional development, and strategic partnerships with districts and county offices. While expanding the bilingual educator workforce is one of SEAL’s focus areas, our work centers on equipping all teachers with the tools and strategies to support the success of every student, including multilingual learners.

At the heart of SEAL’s impact is our Full Model, a comprehensive, whole-school framework that fosters sustainable change for multilingual learners in early learning and K-6 settings. This model builds inclusive engagement, uniting teachers, coaches, principals, district leaders, and families to create a supportive environment. Through thematic units and continuous improvement, SEAL strengthens language, literacy, and learning across the curriculum. Educators work collaboratively in teams, guided by instructional coaches, to implement adaptable, high-impact practices that support multilingual students' evolving needs.
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Our suite of targeted professional learning offerings, Designs for Change, further supports educators with tailored solutions, including:

• Dual Language Teacher and Leadership Pedagogy Series: A two-year program designed to help dual language educators gain equity-focused, effective strategies to bolster bilingual instruction through hands-on support.
• Early Learning Series: A two to four day in-person professional development series, catered to dual language learners and their families in preschool and transitional kindergarten.
• Integrated and Designated ELD Institute: A two to four-day series which provides elementary teachers and leaders with tools, resources, and classroom practices for implementing ELD across all content areas.

In addition to our professional development programs, SEAL is a key partner in statewide initiatives aimed at building teacher capacity. Through partnerships like the English Learner Roadmap Power in Collaboration Across California (EPiCC/EL RISE) and the Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Program (BTPDP), SEAL provides innovative solutions to strengthen California’s educator workforce.

• EPiCC: In collaboration with multiple county offices of education, SEAL has facilitated impactful professional learning sessions, including virtual workshops and in-person English Language Development Institutes, to enhance educators’ ability to support multilingual learners.
• BTPDP: Working with Azusa Unified School District and others, SEAL helps educators earn bilingual certification and master bilingual pedagogy, preparing them to meet the diverse needs of California’s students.

Whether supporting bilingual educators and strengthening the bilingual teacher pipeline or equipping English-only educators to center multilingual learners, SEAL remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring that all students—especially multilingual learners—receive an inclusive and culturally responsive education.

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