Dear SEAL Partners,

As we commence another complicated school year amidst the COVID19 pandemic, we’re taking a moment to express our deep appreciation to our educators for your continued commitment to ALL students and to educational equity — keeping the focus on your dual language/English learner (DLL/EL) students and families. This is a critical moment for equity-minded leadership in California schools, as families of DLL/EL households have undergone so much throughout the pandemic. We must acknowledge the sacrifices that DLL/EL families have made to ensure that their children are safe and healthy as they continue their educational journey.

And though school and district teams worked tirelessly throughout the summer to plan for a smooth start to this new school year, the rise of the Delta variant has proven reopening more complex than last spring’s. Nonetheless, you have continued to uphold DLL/EL students and families, while working to make every moment a safe, welcoming, and rich learning experience for all students.

At SEAL, we remain committed to asset-based approaches to teaching that are culturally and linguistically responsive and affirming because we know that is what is needed for children to thrive in school. Our research-based model informs our approach to transforming school systems. Our values compel us to embrace engaging, joyful child development and learning where biliteracy is seen as an asset, and home language development along with English is integrated into the curriculum.

We are devoted to supporting you, our partners, to ensure your classrooms are grounded in this research-based, equity-driven learning, especially in the face of the growing challenges on school campuses as you protect the health of your students and the entire school community. We are a resource that you can turn to for support throughout the school year.

Let’s continue to build upon the important work that we have done for young children to continue engaging in joyful, language-rich learning.
In partnership,

Dr. Anya Hurwitz

New Policy Brief Published!

Invest in PD for early learning educators

August was an exciting month! SEAL released the Dual Language Learner (DLL) Grant Policy Brief. The policy brief finds teachers of the state’s youngest children are hungry for strategies to help them support students who are multilingual. SEAL continues to make the case that strengthening the capacity of early childhood educators to support DLLs is crucial to the long-term success of California’s youth. The DLL Grant Brief is an extension of SEAL’s ongoing work and confirms that investing in professional development deepens teacher’s understanding of and increases their use of effective instructional practices.

Findings from Building an Effective Early Childhood Workforce: The Need for Professional Development for Educators of Dual Language Learners show California should prioritize investment in teacher development! Here’s what we learned:

Others agree! California needs to prioritize investments in high-quality teacher development so that early childhood educators can adequately support their DLL students! Check out SEAL’s published blogs: One co-written in partnership with Advancement Project California and the other written by Sarah Jackson for New America.

• Advancement Project Blog
• New America Blog

Up Next…

This fall SEAL is scheduled to release a set of briefs about our most recent multi-year external evaluation study of the replication of the SEAL model. We are also finalizing a research brief on the 2018 National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) report, English Learners in STEM Subjects: Transforming Classrooms, Schools and Lives, which we’re aiming to release in late 2021.

SEAL in the Field!

Even though it was summer break, SEAL staff was hard at work. Check out highlights from the last several months as we prepared to return to school:

Participation at the U.S. Department of Education’s Early Learning Roundtable

SEAL Executive Director, Dr. Anya Hurwitz, was one of 11 early education leaders invited to speak at a U.S. Department of Education’s Early Learning Roundtable with Secretary of Education, Dr. Miguel Cardona! The conversation took place June 15th and ranged from the need for deep partnerships to foster interagency initiatives, to the importance of socio-emotional learning and dual-language approaches. We are excited to continue this important and necessary conversation!

SEAL Summer School was a Success!

SEAL summer school extended learning sessions proved to be fruitful and engaging! Interesting, rich, and joyfully crafted units designed to accelerate learning, sparked curiosity and kept our youngest learners busy! Check out some of the fun and creative ways Davis Joint Unified School District first graders learned about insects this summer!

SEAL is launching a new Online Resource Library!

We are thrilled to announce our brand new ONLINE Resource Library! In response to so many requests, all your favorite SEAL resources are now available at your fingertips at seal.org. The library will generate an email that will be sent to all SEAL educators at your site(s) asking them to choose a password and log in. In order to minimize any issues with this transition to more digitally robust tools, we put together a few safeguards to make sure teachers get into the new library with as little trouble as possible. We are excited to continue providing valuable and accessible resources!

More updates coming soon…

Media Highlights!

• SEAL collaborated with Californians Together on an EdSource commentary in June. The article addresses equity challenges faced by English Learners and the importance of doubling down on effective practices in the classroom — not just focusing on interventions and foundational skills! Districts should focus on finding California’s missing kindergarteners, especially English learners
• Our very own SEAL Coach Coordinator, Marna Ledesma, was quoted by EdSource in August. “We wanted to make sure that when students came back, they were given every opportunity to be in classrooms where it wasn’t going to be the teacher who was going to be talking all the time.”
• SEAL was also quoted in an Ed Source article written by Zaidee Stavely about the urgent need for more bilingual educators in California. “There’s only so far we can go with a 2030 vision if we don’t have teachers who can staff the classrooms,” said Anya Hurwitz, executive director of Sobrato Early Academic Language.

New faces at SEAL!

Join us in welcoming our newest additions to the staff!

Jennifer Clinkscales, Program Specialist

Jennifer comes to SEAL from Fillmore Unified School District with the unique experience of being trained TK-3 and 4-5 grades. Some fun facts about her: she has previously attended 7 Prince concerts throughout her life! We are ecstatic to have her and she has already shown to be a valuable member of the team! Welcome, Jennifer!

Erin Magill Peleti, Program Specialist

Before joining SEAL Erin taught 5th and 6th grade in Oak Grove School District for 7 years. She was part of the 4-5 Grade SEAL launch in Oak Grove and was a Demo Site teacher! Some fun facts about Erin are that her freshman year dorm at UC Berkeley was the same building that once housed the California School for the Deaf, where her grandparents met. Welcome, Erin!

Don’t forget to follow us on social media for regular updates! Follow SEAL on Facebook.

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dear SEAL Partners,

As this extraordinary school year comes to a close, we at SEAL are filled with so much awe and respect for how hard our educator partners have worked, continuing to prioritize the needs of Dual Language/English Learners, along with all their most vulnerable students. Thank you!

And as we begin looking ahead to the next post-pandemic phases, we all must ask ourselves– how can we channel the lessons we’ve learned and the implications of the last year and a half, to create real opportunities to redesign and reimagine what public education can and should be? As we move more fully to in-person learning this summer and next fall, we must keep equity at the forefront of our efforts. How can we seize the opportunities for transformation, to address the long-standing opportunity gaps that have been especially prevalent for Dual Language/English Learner communities during the pandemic?

To that end, the SEAL team has been hard at work developing high-quality resources and tools meant to support returning students and families. These resources are among the many efforts happening at SEAL as we continue to expand our organization, working to create the most powerful learning environments and systems where children engage together in rigorous, joyful, content, and language-rich learning.

I wish you all some rest and rejuvenation after this long and complicated school year, you deserve it!

In partnership,
Dr. Anya Hurwitz

SEAL in the Field!

The 2021 spring semester proved to be extremely busy for the SEAL team. We are proud to share some of the highlights of the last several months:

• The SEAL team had an active March! We facilitated three sessions on “Making Language Visible, Tangible & Comprehensible” which was attended by 151 early educators. One participant said, “Thank you for all the new, wonderful, and meaningful information you are providing. This helps teach with intentionality and so grateful that your team has created such wonderful tools, skills, and resources to guide us through this journey.”
• In April, the SEAL team presented at the Capital Region Inaugural 2021 Virtual Multilingual-English Learner Leadership Symposium. The event focused on developing capacity for teacher, site, and central office leaders in support of more effectively meeting the needs of all language learners in their classrooms, schools, and districts.
• SEAL staff completed session 4 of our ELD Institute, and delivered the first one to Sacramento and Yolo County Offices of Education as a part of the EL RISE! project (CDE funded EWIG). Participants made it clear that the SEAL #dreamteam absolutely rocked it!
• In June we released our SEAL “Welcoming & Affirming Community Toolkits” for use in summer and fall classrooms. These Toolkits are designed to centralize the needs of English Learners by providing rigorous language-based instructional units that attend to both the socio-emotional needs of students and prioritize strong family partnerships. There are resources for administrators to use with their staff and the full school community.

Up Next…

• SEAL will be growing within the LA region through a generous three-year investment from the Ballmer Group that is anchoring this expansion effort! Over the next three years, four cohorts of preschool/TK teachers and one cohort of Kinder through 3rd-grade schools will be trained in the SEAL model. We are so excited to grow our reach in LA, and we will announce the district and preschool program partners in the near future.
• SEAL is in the process of rolling out six Teacher Preparation Learning Cycles (TPLCs). The TPLCs leverage SEAL’s proven professional development model in an effort to ensure that new teachers are prepared to meet the needs of English/Multilingual Learners on day one. The Cycles are designed to construct coherent learning experiences for teacher candidates by bridging the gap that often exists between university preparation and the student-teaching experience.

SEAL media highlights!

Since the beginning of the year, SEAL has worked in collaboration with New America to publish articles on current issues pertaining to English Learners in early education. Our final blog in the 3-part series highlights how critical family outreach is to the success of our young English Learners as they return to in-person instruction. Now more than ever it is imperative to advocate for culturally and linguistically relevant content and uplift the educators that are engaging in this meaningful work. Check out all three blogs below:

Family Outreach is a Key Pillar of Support as English Learners Transition Back to In-person Instruction Amid Pandemic Concerns

May 26, 2021

Districts leaders look beyond the pandemic as they prioritize dual language programs and resources for English learners

April 8, 2021

Teachers Lean on Each Other to Rise Above and Beyond During Pandemic to Support Dual Language Learners

Jan. 27, 2021

Other media highlights!

• EdSource recently quoted SEAL Executive Director, Dr. Anya Hurwitz in their article on bilingual programming. Our district partners, Newark Unified and LAUSD are also featured. SEAL has been working extensively with Newark Unified to support the launch of its new dual language immersion program.
• SEAL Executive Director spoke to EdSource on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2021-22 revised budget for K-12 and early education.
• SEAL is featured in a New America article about utilizing COVID relief funding to support English Learners. Check out the “do’s” and “don’ts” of maximizing their ability to boost ELs’ learning.
• Check out Californians Together‘s great article, “Expanded Learning Opportunity Grants: Recommendations for Making them Work for English Learners.” SEAL is highlighted!
• Our latest EdSource commentary, titled ‘Districts should focus on finding California’s missing kindergarteners, especially English learners‘ was co-authored by Martha Hernandez from Californians Together and SEAL Executive Director, Dr. Anya Hurwitz. It addresses equity challenges faced by English learners and the importance of doubling down on effective practices in the classroom — not just focusing on interventions and foundational skills. Check out the 4 essential elements of an equity-focused approach to supporting English learners in the classroom as cited by EdSource below:

4 Essential Elements of an Equity-focused Approach to Supporting English Learners in the Classroom

New faces at SEAL!

Feliza I. Ortiz-Licon, Ed.D, Trustee

Robert Cramer, Systems and Data Support Manager

• Previously worked at Valley Montessori School as their IT Manager/Director of Technology.
• A United States Air Force Veteran who has traveled to 25 countries.
• Once snowboarded in the Alps from Austria to Switzerland and back.
• Made it on American Idol twice!

Paula Motas, Production Manager

• Previously worked as an event planner for a technological company in the San Francisco Bay Area.
• Has skydived and rappelled 10 stories down into a cave
• Once swam with sharks!

Don’t forget to follow us on social media for regular updates! Follow SEAL on Facebook.

SEAL stands with our Asian Americans and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities as targeted violence has escalated throughout the pandemic. The STOP APPI Hate Reporting Center documented 2,808 anti-Asian hate incidents in 2020, and over 700 of these occurred in the Bay Area alone, SEAL’s home region. These acts of hate are rooted in ignorance and biases that have been heightened by the ongoing global pandemic.

As previously stated in our Black Lives Matter statement, we can and must do better. We will continue to advocate on behalf of our diverse student populations, and especially our most vulnerable community members. In California, AAPI students account for the second-largest demographic of Dual Language/English Learners. We call upon policymakers and leaders to support these communities, particularly the victims and families affected by these incidents. This is a stark reminder that urgent action must be taken to protect our AAPI community from hate, discrimination, and violence. Only through the power of community care can that be accomplished.

We are inspired by and join the diverse coalitions that have come together to stand in solidarity with the AAPI community. SEAL’s mission– all Dual Language/English Learner students in California learn, thrive and lead– requires this collective commitment to creating a safe and inclusive society.

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Friends and Partners,

As we move further into 2021, we at SEAL are reflecting and taking stock of all that has happened over the last year, and looking forward to where we are headed. There is no question that we are still in the thick of this pandemic, and all the related and preexisting social strife, but we also see hope on the horizon. SEAL is ever more committed to serving our English Learner/Dual Language Learner students along with their teachers, families, and school communities. While we fully acknowledge the disproportionately negative impacts being experienced by the communities we serve, we also continue to reimagine how we can, should, and must redesign our educational practices and school systems if we truly intend to work towards an equitable and just society. We thank you for your partnership and shared dedication to SEAL’s mission- that all English Learners/Dual Language Learners in California learn, thrive and lead.

In solidarity,

Anya Hurwitz
Executive Director
SEAL

SEAL in the Field!

• We had approximately 900 participants at our virtual ELD Institute for Tulare County Office of Education which we led as a part of the EL RISE! Project. We completed 7 out of 21 ELD Institute sessions that we are leading throughout the state this school year, along with many other professional learning opportunities for counties participating in EL RISE!
• Thanks to a new CDE Dual Language Learner Professional Development grant, SEAL has launched a new virtual PD series to support Dual Language Learners throughout the pandemic and we are reaching preschool educators throughout the state working tirelessly to support their DLL students and families.
• SEAL facilitated a successful ‘History of Bilingual Education’ webinar series in October. One participant said of the webinar, “It’s been amazing to have this opportunity and to be given this knowledge so I can be an even better and more effective advocate for our students.” You can access some of the resources from this series here.
• We were honored to present at the Best Results for English Learners Conference hosted by CA Region VII in November. Charice Guerra and Jen McNeil presented the Critical Condition for English Learners in Distance Learning. We had 100+ participants!
• Program Manager, Heather Skibbins, led a workshop in early November at La Cosecha for 50+ educators from around the country! She explored how to develop students’ metalinguistic awareness through transfer strategies, lessons, and moments and provided teachers with the practical skills to develop student biliteracy through understanding the relationship between their two languages.
• November was a busy month! SEAL Director of Innovation and Strategy, Jennifer Diehl, presented at the Oak Grove Board Meeting our new work to support teacher preparation programs alongside her colleagues as part of the SJSU Lurie College of Education Teacher Residency Program!
• Program Coordinator & District Relations Administrator, Charice Guerra, presented with CABE for Project BEST! Ivannia Soto facilitated and Charice presented ‘Critical Condition for English Learners in Distance Learning.’ Project BEST is training for administrators serving bilingual programs! Check them out too!

SEAL media highlights!

SEAL has had an eventful fall and winter in the media! We have been featured in a number of publications, including most recently at New America in the first part of an article series that highlights some of our amazing SEAL educators! So many teachers within the SEAL network are rising above and beyond to support DLL/ELs during the pandemic! Check out some of our other media highlights as well:

• Teachers lean on each other to rise above and beyond during pandemic to support Dual Language Learners – New America
• Anya Hurwitz, Executive Director of Sobrato Early Academic Language, is quoted in an Ed Source article about California’s new Master Plan for Early Learning and Care is also featured in a separate article that discusses the Governor’s budget. Hurwitz articulates the importance of continuing to expand investments in dual language programs and asset-based, culturally and linguistically responsive learning that builds an equity-focused, multilingual education system.
• SEAL’s ‘Return To School Toolkit’ is featured in EdSource’s Top Dual Immersion Resources list!

“I noticed a huge change in some of my introverted students, I’m really proud of the community we built.”
-Sarah Henderson Martinez (New America blog)

Publication Announcement!

We are so excited to announce the long-awaited important publication, “Improving Education for Multilingual and English Learner Students: Research to Practice.” The chapter on dual language programs and pedagogy was written by our very own Laurie Olsen, Carla Herrera, Martha Martinez and Heather Skibbins. Check it out!

Building a storytelling framework

As part of our continued efforts to build a storytelling culture at SEAL, we’ve begun the process of creating a virtual story bank! Check out this video from one of our very own Program Managers. Laura Hernandez shares her journey from being a teacher struggling to serve her ELs, to being a SEAL Coach/Facilitator leading SEAL implementation at her school site, to now being one of our expert SEAL team members!

Don’t forget to follow us on social media for regular updates! Follow SEAL on Facebook.

Improving Multilingual and English Learner Education: Research to Practice

Dear SEAL family,

We are thrilled to announce that SEAL contributed to California Department of Education’s recently published guide for California educators, Improving Multilingual and English Learner Education: Research to Practice. This publication is an important resource for implementing practices and programs aligned to the most current research underlying the California English Learner Roadmap policy. The need for this actionable guidance on implementation of recent research on best practices that address educational equity for DLL/EL students is evermore urgent.

Here is a list of the full contents of this important publication:

• Introduction: Improving Multilingual Education: Accelerate Learning. By Veronica Aguila, Marcela Rodriguez, and Gina Garcia-Smith
  Chapter 1: The Power and Promise of California’s Multilingual Learners. By Molly Faulkner-Bond, Pamela Spycher, Laurie Olsen and Patricia Gandara
• Chapter 2: Asset-Based Pedagogy: Student, Family and Community Engagement for Academic and Social-Emotional Learning of Multilingual Students. By Francesa Lopez, Raju DeSai and Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales
• Chapter 3: Multilingual Programs and Pedagogy: What Teachers and Administrators Need to Know and Do. By Laurie Olsen, with Carla Herrera, Martha Martinez and Heather Skibbins
• Chapter 4: Early Learning and Care for Multilingual and Dual Language Learners Ages Zero to Five. By Linda Espinosa and Jennifer Crandell
• Chapter 5: Content Instruction with Integrated and Designated ELD in the Elementary Grades. By Mary Schleppegrell and Alison Bailey
• Chapter 6: Content and Language Instruction in Middle and High School: Promoting Educational Equity and Achievement. By Pamela Spycher, Diane August and Maria Gonzalez-Howard
• Chapter 7: Creating Schools and Systems that Support Asset-Based, High Quality Instruction for Multilingual Learners. By Maria Santos and Megan Hopkins

Read CDE Publication

Our contribution in Chapter 3, “Multilingual Programs and Pedagogy: What Teachers and Administrators Need to Know and Do,” is written by SEAL founder Dr. Laurie Olsen, in collaboration with SEAL staff Dr. Martha Martinez, Heather Skibbins and Carla Herrera, and it draws in part from the innovative work of the SEAL Bilingual Working Group and partnerships with SEAL schools. SEAL’s original pilot design drew heavily on CDE’s previous publication, Improving Education for English Learners: Research-based Approaches, published in 2010. We are excited to continue being a part of the greater effort to cultivate school and district-wide learning systems and cultures that uplift and prioritize our DLL/EL students.

During unprecedented moments like these, our commitment to supporting DLL/EL students, educators and families has only been reinforced. We look forward to continuing to do this necessary and important work in partnership with you!

In Solidarity,
The SEAL Team

Equity means focusing first on those who are most underserved, committing ourselves not only to inclusive, but to anti-racist schools and classrooms. It is not an accident that communities of color are disproportionately affected by the novel Coronavirus. It is not an accident that Black men and women are dying at the hands of police. It is not an accident that over the last 40 years, the rise in school discipline and police in school is inextricably intertwined with the rise of mass incarceration.

We must do better. As an organization that cares passionately about the physical, emotional, and mental health of children and communities, we take up an extra charge to be relentless in the face of oppression. This is our promise to you.

Our Promise