Membership Policy
Current Members
AATF Representative: Nathalie Gorey, AATF-Maine President, French Teacher at Mt Ararat High School, RSU 75
AATG Representative: Deborah Backman, German Teacher at Cony Middle and High School, Augusta School Department
AATSP Representative: None
FLAME Representative: Elena Sullivan, ESOL Coordinator, Augusta School Department
FLAME World Languages Teacher of the Year: Julie Speno, Spanish Teacher, Camden-Rockport Elementary School
Maine Classical Association Representative: Ross Shaler, Latin Teacher at Freeport High School, RSU 5; FLAME Representative, Maine Classical Association
University of Maine System Representatives: Claire Holman, Lecturer/Dual Enrollment Coordinator, French & Spanish at the University of Southern Maine and Zachary Rockwell Ludington, Assistant Professor of Spanish, University of Maine
Kalynda Beal, French Teacher/World Languages Department Chair at Kennebunk High School, RSU 21
Margaret Boyle, Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies, Bowdoin College
Chia-ju Phoebe Hsieh, Chinese Teacher/International Student Advisor at Thornton Academy
Karina Beadling, Spanish Teacher at Mt. View High School, RSU 3
Jing Zhang, President of Bangor Chinese (Language) School
Tatiana Lera, Spanish Teacher at Brunswick Junior High School, Brunswick School Department
Annemarie Orth, Spanish Teacher at Casco Bay High School, Portland Public Schools
Roles and Responsibilities
Maine Department of Education (DOE) will provide leadership to the World Languages Advisory Council (WLAC) by scheduling meetings, establishing agendas, facilitating discussions, and ensuring the WLAC’s views are communicated to relevant Maine DOE staff.
WLAC members will provide advice to the Maine DOE on its activities and policies related to World Languages education. Members commit to attending two annual meetings, on the first Friday of November and May. In addition, throughout the year there will be opportunities to provide feedback and advice via email and/or phone on specific activities and policies as they arise.
Selection of WLAC Members
The WLAC includes two membership types: permanent and non-permanent. Total membership will not exceed 15.
Permanent Members
Permanent members include a representative from each of Maine’s statewide professional organizations for language educators, as listed below, and up to two representatives from the University of Maine System. Each organization’s designee may change at the discretion of the organization, and the Department should be notified promptly of any changes.
American Association of Teachers of French (AATF)
American Association of Teachers of German (AATG)
American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP)*
Foreign Language Association of Maine (FLAME)
Maine Classical Association
*not currently operating in Maine
The FLAME World Languages Teacher of the Year will also be offered a position on the WLAC each year.
Non-Permanent Members
Non-permanent members will serve a two-year term, at the end of which they may elect to reapply. However, priority may be given to new participants. Non-permanent members represent perspectives from:
- Institutions of higher education
- Teachers of less-commonly taught languages
- Teachers of indigenous languages
- Retired world languages teachers
- Schools with diverse program types
- Language/culture-based organizations
- Maine’s superintendent regions
Beginning in school year 2022-23, applications for non-permanent members will be accepted from September 1st to October 1st each year, to be announced through the Maine DOE Newsroom and Language Educators Newsletter. Permanent WLAC members will vote by majority to confirm non-permanent members through an online forum. Confirmation of non-permanent members will be completed by October 15th. Following their confirmation, new non-permanent members will attend an orientation in November, TBD.