Stay Connected With Us This Summer

As many of you are winding down your year’s work and planning to be away over the summer months, remember you can always keep up-to-date with Agency and statewide happenings through our social media! Be sure to “follow” and “like” (and Share!) the following sites to stay updated with the latest news and information.

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Come be Inspired at the 13th Annual Our Kids Summer Institute

Registration is open for the 13th Annual Our Kids Summer Institute for educators and administrators of English Learners, June 13-14, 2017 at Waukee High School in Waukee. Network with other educational professionals, discover new strategies for working with English language learners in Iowa and meet national and local experts to enrich practices for increasing EL achievement.

Featured speakers include:

• Trudy Arriaga, Ed.D. - Administrator leader and advocate for ELs, first female superintendent of Ventura Unified School District where she began as a bilingual paraeducator
• Fern Westernoff, Ph.D. - Speech language pathologist who earned her doctorate in ELL and merged two areas of expertise to inform her work in Toronto, the world’s largest K-12 EL population
• Amy Hewett-Olatunde, Ed.D. - Minnesota’s 2015 Teacher of the Year
• Major Sean Quinlan - Retired Major United States Marine Corp, ROTC Instructor at Des Moines’ North High School and former football coach featured with his team on ESPN during the 2017 Super Bowl and,
• Our amazing students!

Sessions will focus on:

• Serving English Learners with Disabilities
• Newcomer Considerations
• Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices
• ELs and Literacy Support
• Enhancing EL Instruction through Home Language Connections
• High Yield Strategies for ELs
• Successful District Programs
• First-person student voices

Registration
Registration is $150 and includes lunch, snacks, Go To Strategies, OELA Newcomer Toolkit and OELA English Learner Toolkit. Seating is limited to the first 500 registrants on a first-come, first-served basis. Bring a team! We hope to see you there!

Register by June 4 at this link

Note for Teachers and Administrators in the Heartland AEA area: Title III will refund the cost of registration ($150), plus an honorarium of $200 (totaling $350) to off-contract individuals for full attendance and participation. Claim forms will be available at the event.

Note for districts implementing Corrective Action Plans (CAP) for English Learners: Districts are required to send a team in accordance with the Technical Assistance Requirement under Title III. Contact your AEA Title III Consultant for additional information and financial support.

New Professional Learning Opportunity Offers Additional Preparation for Teachers of English Learners

The University of Iowa Baker Teacher Leader Center & Heartland AEA have developed a professional learning opportunity in response to a growing need by in-service teachers and teacher leaders to receive additional preparation in serving an increasing EL population.

The In-service Teacher Leadership of English Learners Program is open to 40 interested in-service teachers or teacher leaders (non-ESOL endorsed and might not prefer the full ESL endorsement) who are currently serving ELs in their classrooms, while potentially feeling underprepared to meet the linguistic, cultural and academic needs of their students.

The program uses a blended approach of six face-to-face workshops, field experiences and additional learning opportunities. The first workshop begins on Sept. 7, 2017 and the program ends at the Our Kids Summer Institute in mid-June 2018. Participants successfully completing the program will receive the following benefits/incentives:

• Five licensure renewal credits
• A credential verifying enhanced EL expertise
• Reimbursement of all program, online and conference registration and textbook expenses, plus a $400 individual honorarium

For detailed program information and to register online, visit the University of Iowa Baker Teacher Leader Center.

Any questions contact Heartland AEA ESL/Diversity Consultants Janet E. Hiatt, Ph.D., at jhiatt@heartlandaea.org or Stephaney Jones-Vo, M.A. (TESL), at sjonesvo@heartlandaea.org.