Connecticut

Bonnie Nietupski is a Spanish teacher for Glastonbury Public Schools and the Advocacy and Outreach Coordinator for the Connecticut Council of Language Teachers. She has taught all levels of Spanish, including Elementary, High School, and University of Connecticut Early College Experience courses. She holds an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Connecticut, an M.A. in Spanish Language and Hispanic Cultures from Central Connecticut State University, and a B.A. in Latin American Studies and Spanish from the University of Connecticut. She is certified in Spanish, TESOL, and Social Studies. She is participating in the NECTFL Language Educators Advancing the Profession (LEAP) Academy and is a Fund for Teachers fellow. She gives professional development presentations on a variety of world language topics. As the CT COLT Advocacy and Outreach Coordinator, she is eager to collaborate with community-based heritage language schools.

Email: NietupskiB@ctcolt.org

Minnesota

Ayumi Stockman, Ed. S., & M.A. in ESL, is the World Languages Education Specialist at the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). Prior to joining the MDE in March 2020, she was the World Languages Specialist, Arabic and Chinese Extended Sequence Project coordinator, and Japanese and ESL teacher in the Minneapolis Public Schools for almost 20 years. During her time at the Minneapolis Public Schools, she supported teachers and programs of various languages including ASL, Arabic, Chinese, Native American languages, and heritage languages such as Hmong and Somali. Her expertise includes curriculum development, teacher professional development, instructional support, and equitable implementation of the Minnesota Bilingual Seals program.

Email: ayumi.stockman@state.mn.us

Virginia

Lisa A. Harris, Ph.D., iis the Coordinator for World Languages and International Education at the Virginia Department of Education. She has been in the education field for over 30 years, serving as a classroom teacher, middle school assistant principal, district coordinator for world languages, director for curriculum and instruction, and project manager for school improvement. In 2015, she was named State Supervisor of the Year by the National Council of State Supervisors for Languages (NCSSFL). Dr. Harris received a B.A. in Foreign Languages from Norfolk State University, a master’s degree in Administration and Supervision from the University of Virginia, and a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from Virginia Tech. She has conducted numerous trainings and professional development workshops in the field of world language education and serves on the advisory board for several national world language groups.

Email: lisa.harris@doe.virginia.gov

Washington

Ema Shirk is the Heritage and Dual Language Program Supervisor and Multilingual Education State Supervisor in the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), Washington state. She is a heritage and dual language specialist and an advocate for effective multilingual programing. Her work is focused on the development of sustainable PreK-12 programs that ensure access to all heritage learners. She is very interested in connecting community-based schools with public and private schools so that we can celebrate the learning that our students do together.

Email: ema.shirk@k12.wa.us