District leaders are often working to overcome a frequently cited barrier to starting and sustaining the programs that best serve Native and multilingual/English Learner students--the need for educators who reflect the population of students they serve. Many principals and district leaders have also experienced the challenge of retaining educators with the language and instructional skills to support the full academic language and literacy development of each student in their classroom. In this workshop, building, district, and state leaders will learn more about how a team approach and staffing data can be used to identify needs and plan the next steps to funds to recruit, induct, and retain educators for multilingual/English Learner, Dual Language, and Tribal Language Programs. Participants will be asked to engage with their own data and to plan for next steps they can take in their own practice, including how Title IIA and other ESEA funds can support their efforts.
Coleen Putaansuu worked at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction since 2006. In that time, she has worked in Title IA and Title IIA while collaborating with colleagues in other federal programs to help LEAs recruit and retain dual language teachers.