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    • Annual Voices Journal Submission Guidelines
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  • Annual Voices Journal 2026
  • 2026 Spring Weekly Voices
  • 2026 Winter Weekly Voices
    • Season’s Greetings from the NJTESOL/NJBE Executive Board
    • NJTESOL/NJBE Scholarships and Awards for your students and you!
    • AI-Powered, Integrated Unit Goals and Lesson Objectives for K-12 English Learners
    • AI as a Tool for Inclusive Bilingual Education
    • Raquel Sinai Newcomer Award Winning Essay
    • NJTESOL/NJBE Represented at the NJPSA/FEA Administrator’s Conference
    • Supporting Muslim Students During Ramadan: 4 Suggestions for Teachers to Consider
    • Seal of Biliteracy Scholarship Award Winner’s Essay
    • AI Tools in a ML Classroom
    • Reframing the Narrative: Why Are We Waiting to Value Home Languages?
    • Migrant Education Programs in New Jersey
  • About Us
    • Mission Statement
    • Executive Board
    • Membership Information
    • The Hotlist

Contact Us by Email

webmaster@njtesol-njbe.org
njtesol-njbe-voices
  • Home
    • Annual Voices Journal Submission Guidelines
    • Spring Conference Photos
  • Annual Voices Journal 2026
  • 2026 Spring Weekly Voices
  • 2026 Winter Weekly Voices
    • Season’s Greetings from the NJTESOL/NJBE Executive Board
    • NJTESOL/NJBE Scholarships and Awards for your students and you!
    • AI-Powered, Integrated Unit Goals and Lesson Objectives for K-12 English Learners
    • AI as a Tool for Inclusive Bilingual Education
    • Raquel Sinai Newcomer Award Winning Essay
    • NJTESOL/NJBE Represented at the NJPSA/FEA Administrator’s Conference
    • Supporting Muslim Students During Ramadan: 4 Suggestions for Teachers to Consider
    • Seal of Biliteracy Scholarship Award Winner’s Essay
    • AI Tools in a ML Classroom
    • Reframing the Narrative: Why Are We Waiting to Value Home Languages?
    • Migrant Education Programs in New Jersey
  • About Us
    • Mission Statement
    • Executive Board
    • Membership Information
    • The Hotlist

About Us

Mission Statement

NJTESOL/NJBE, Inc. is a not-for-profit professional and educational organization whose purposes are:

  1. To actively support the development of bilingual education and the teaching of English as a Second Language;
  2. To strengthen instruction at all levels;
  3. To disseminate educational information as related to professional development;
  4. To provide educational services such as workshops, conferences, and consulting assistance;
  5. To promote scholarship and foster research in first and second language acquisition and bilingual/bicultural studies; and
  6. To cooperate in appropriate ways with other groups having similar interests and concerns.

NJTESOL/NJBE Executive Board – 2025

Current, Incoming, and Outgoing Board Members

Elected Officers

President
LeighAnn Matthews, Bridgewater-Raritan Public Schools,

president@njtesol-njbe.org

Vice President/President-Elect
Maria Cecilia Vila Chave, Township of Ocean School District

vice-president@njtesol-njbe.org

Past-President
Michelle Land, Randolph Township Schools, past-president@njtesol-njbe.org

Secretary
Kathryn Tepedino, secretary@njtesol-njbe.org

Treasurer (Appointed)
Maria Jaume, Clifton Public Schools, treasurer@njtesol-njbe.org

Liaison
Abdul-Qawwee Shabazz, Jersey City Community Charter School, liaison@njtesol-njbe.org

Presidential Appointees

Socio-political Representative
Sonya Bertini, Vineland Public Schools, socio-political-rep@njtesol-njbe.org

WIDA Representative
Margaret Churchill, Closter/Tenakill Middle School, wida-rep@njtesol-njbe.org

Graduate Student Representative
Mary Callirgos, graduate-student-rep1@njtesol-njbe.org

Parent/Family Representative
Fernando Gasparoto, parent-rep@njtesol-njbe.org

Membership Chair
Joan Pujol, membership@njtesol-njbe.org

Social Media Coordinator
kiina dordoni, social-media@njtesol-njbe.org

Historian
TBA

Committees

Advocacy Sub-Committee, advocacy@njtesol-njbe.org Chair: Sonya Bertini, socio-political-rep@njtesol-njbe.org

Professional Development Committee, prof-development@njtesol-njbe.org Chair: Kathryn Tepedino, secretary@njtesol-njbe.org

Countering Anti-Black Racism Committee, cabr@njtesol-njbe.org Chair: kiina dordoni, social-media@njtesol-njbe.org

Parent Expo, parentexpo@njtesol-njbe.org Chair: Kathleen Fernandez, executive-director@njtesol-njbe.org

Elected Representatives

Representative-at-large
Mary Mansfield, Medford Township Public Schools, rep-at-large@njtesol-njbe.org

Special Interest Group Representatives

Bilingual/ESL Early childhood / Pre-K – K Representative
Veronica Murillo, Irvington Public Schools, early-ed-rep@njtesol-njbe.org

Bilingual Elementary 1-5 Representative
Kathleen Bowman, Hackettstown School District, bilingual-elementary-rep@njtesol-njbe.org

ESL Elementary 1-5 Representative
Jenna Maneri, Irvington Public Schools, esl-elementary-rep@njtesol-njbe.org

Bilingual/ESL Middle School 6-8 Representative
Amber Ingram, Irvington Public Schools, middle-sch-rep@njtesol-njbe.org

Bilingual Secondary Representative
Jessica Duran, bilingual-secondary-rep@njtesol-njbe.org

ESL Secondary Representative
Liz White, Ocean Schools, esl-secondary-rep@njtesol-njbe.org

Higher Education Representative
Leah Carmona, Bergen Community College, higher-ed-rep@njtesol-njbe.org

Teacher Education Representative
Alex Guzman , Kean University, teacher-ed-rep@njtesol-njbe.org

Adult Education Representative
Kimberly Sharkey, adult-ed-rep@njtesol-njbe.org

Special Education Representative
Aphrodite Dellaporta, special-ed-rep@njtesol-njbe.org

Supervisors Representative
Keith Perkins, Irvington, supervisors-rep@njtesol-njbe.org

Family/Community Action Representative
Nurka Nieves, family-community-rep@njtesol-njbe.org

Contractors

Executive Director
Kathleen Fernandez, executive-director@njtesol-njbe.org

Business Administrator
Gwen Franks, business-admin@njtesol-njbe.org

Technology Coordinator
Marilyn Pongracz, Bergen Community College, webmaster@njtesol-njbe.org

Conference Coordinator
Caia Schlessinger, Highland Park Public Schools, conference-coordinator@njtesol-njbe.org

Exhibitor Liaison
Tina Kern, Morristown Public Schools, exhibitor-liaison@njtesol-njbe.org

Technology Assistant
Dale Egan, Bergen Community College, tech-assistant@njtesol-njbe.org

If you wish to contact any of the above, use the stated e-mail address if provided to contact the individual directly. Alternatively, you may e-mail the webmaster at webmaster@njtesol-njbe.org who will direct your question to the appropriate party.

Membership

Is your membership up-to-date?

Your membership expiration date is included in the e-mail of the Voices newsletter, which is sent to you four times each year. Your renewal date is after your last name.

If you need to renew, go to:  https://njtesol-njbe.org  and click on “Membership.”  You can use the online form and pay with a credit card or PayPal account.  If you would prefer to pay by check or school purchase requisition, please print and mail one of the paper forms.  By renewing, you will be kept current and continue to receive Voices and any up-to-the-minute news.

E-mail Address:

Please be sure to send us your e-mail address; DO NOT USE a school e-mail; our communications to you will be sent to their SPAM folder. Use your home e-mail. Send your current home e-mail address to mmbr@njtesol-njbe.org

Moving? 

Remember to let us know your new address! Contact membership@njtesol-njbe.org or

NJTESOL/NJBE, Inc. /Membership
230 Ashland Avenue
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003

The Hotlist

njtesolbe-hot@lyris.dundee.net

If you are among the more than 900 NJTESOL/NJBE members participating in the Hotlist, you know that the Hotlist is communication, networking, problem-solving, and advice at your fingertips. With just a few clicks to open your e-mail, you can find information about state laws and standards, advice, best practices, material searches, testing questions, and advocacy.

As an organization, we would like to thank those who regularly provide carefully thought-out, researched replies to the many questions that members pose.

Hosted at dundee.net, we have been able to enjoy almost uninterrupted communication for years in spite of increased security by members’ e-mail providers.  To ensure that this continues, please do not send attachments or include images in any messages. However, the main cause of blocked messages is due to members reporting them as spam.  For this reason, if you decide that you do not want to participate, do not report messages as spam!  You can click the unsubscribe link or email tech1@njtesol-njbe.org to be removed from the list.

Please also be careful not to accidentally send a message to your spam folder.  If you do, your e-mail will be removed immediately, and it may be blocked.  If you think that this has happened, you can contact me to have your address put back on.

Marilyn Pongracz is our webmaster at tech1@njtesol-njbe.org.

NJTESOL/NJBE Voices Editorial Board

Executive Director
Kathleen Fernandez

President
LeighAnn Matthews, Bridgewater-Raritan Public Schools

Past-President
Michelle Land, Randolph Township Schools

Layout
Dale Egan, Bergen Community College

Technology
Marilyn Pongracz, Bergen Community College

NJTESOL/NJBE Home Page

Visit the home page, NJTESOL/NJBE
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