2024 Spring Conference Keynote Speakers

If you haven’t registered for the Spring Conference, there is still time! Get your registration in before capacity is reached!

Besides workshops for all interests every day, keynote and invited speakers offer valuable insights for reaching and teaching your students. Here are the keynotes’ presentations for each day. You will find their biographies on our website. You can also view the preliminary schedule for each day.

Wednesday – Dr. Ayanna Cooper

Keynote Address: The (Mis)Education of Multilingual Learners, Centering on Civil Rights
This year marks the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education and the 50th anniversary of Lau v. Nichols. While the population of multilingual students in U.S. schools has become more culturally and linguistically diverse, critical questions will be posed to help center on student civil rights.

Breakout Session: CUTE Language Data: Comprehensible, Usable, Timely, and Empowering
Got data? Too often data driven discussions are not as robust as they could be. This session will support the use of language data as part of leadership practices, instructional coaching, intentional teaching and student goal setting.

Thursday, Dr. Fernando Naiditch, Montclair State University

Keynote Address: Educating Global Citizens: Multilingual Education for Tomorrow
Multilingual education is a valuable tool for the enrichment of a nation. However, policies and implementation practices often operate within double standards. This presentation looks at the complex historical relationship with multilingual education and offers perspectives for future directions.

Breakout Session: Unlocking the Power of Multilingualism: Benefits and Strategies
Research on multilingual education has highlighted its potential in connecting communities and its socio-economic value. In this presentation, we will discuss the preparation of teachers, the implementation of programs and the strategies that can unlock the power of multilingualism.

Friday: Dr. Denise Furlong, Georgian Court

Keynote Address: Points of Access for Multilingual Learners
Multilingual learners bring value, diversity, and rich culture to school communities. Empowering them in finding their unique pathways (academically, socially, culturally, civically) is achieved through comprehensive and collaborative systems of support.

Breakout Session: Engage & Support Secondary Learners in Content Areas
Multilingual learners at the secondary level must have access to grade-level, age-relevant instruction. To facilitate this, educators must collaborate with colleagues and community stakeholders in creating points of access and systems of support that meet the unique needs of MLs.

See below for our invited speakers’ workshops.