The individuals below are the State Representatives working with the Coalition. If you work with schools in one of these states, please contact them and let them know you are out there and that you would like to connect.
Connecticut
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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
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Idaho
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Danyelle Quincy Davis holds a BA in French/German and an MAEd from the University of Nebraska and an EdS from Boise State University in Idaho. She has been a French teacher at Sage International School of Boise since it opened in 2010. Danyelle serves on the board of her own state organization, IATLC (Idaho Association of Teachers of Language and Culture), as well as NNELL (National Network for Early Language Learning), where she recently became President elect. She is a LILL Cohort 4 graduate and represents Idaho as an associate member to NCSSFL. Danyelle believes strongly in the power of organizations like NNELL and The Coalition to connect teachers, strengthen practice, facilitate leadership development and promote broad synergistic collaboration across learning environments for the benefit of all learners. She lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband of 20+ years (Randy) and her children (Graeme and Claire).
Email: danyelle.davis@sageintl.org
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Minnesota
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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
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Virginia
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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
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Washington
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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
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Roles of State Representatives
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Connect and engage with the community-based heritage language schools and school leaders in their state – getting schools documented in the survey and on the map, encouraging them to participate in the conference, forwarding the Coalition newsletter to them and encouraging them to sign up
- Develop an email that they send out to schools and school leaders in their state
- Help community-based schools connect with public schools – to help students earn competency-based credits, Seal of Biliteracy
- Connect community-based school teachers with the language-specific professional organization that is appropriate for their language and focus (e.g., AATSP, NNELL) and with the state language organization
- Disseminate information about heritage language education among the community-based heritage language schools
- Participate in the Coalition’s annual conference – The next one is Friday and Saturday, October 4 and 5, 2024
- Participate in other Coalition activities, as possible – and lead some, if they are led to do that
- Engage in other initiatives that they believe are important
Become a State Representative
Coalition State Representatives seek to engage with all of the community-based heritage language programs in their state and connect them with other language groups within their state and across the country, and with the national effort, the Coalition. They serve as a liaison between the language community in their state and the work of the Coalition, so that we work together effectively.
If you are interested in becoming a State Representative, contact Joy Peyton, joy@peytons.us