(Formerly English Learner Advisory Council)
Members
|
Heather Garcia Assistant ELL Director Lewiston Public Schools |
April Perkins Director of Multilingual Programs South Portland Public Schools |
Regina Clement ESOL Teacher/Coordinator Westbrook |
|
Jennifer Rawlings Multilingual Learner Teacher Saco Public Schools |
Rebecca Carey ESOL Consultant Maine DOE |
Christina Tideswell Assistant ELL Director Lewiston Public Schools |
|
Jane Armstrong Assistant Director of Language Development for Multilingual Programming Portland Public Schools |
Carlos Gómez Director of Language Development Portland Public Schools |
Deborah Howard Teacher of the Deaf, ESOL, Curriculum & Instruction MSAD 51 (Cumberland, North Yarmouth) |
|
Christopher Indorf Assistant Superintendent Biddeford and Dayton School Departments |
Jessica Inch ESOL Teacher Augusta School Department |
Robin Fleck ESOL Consultant ME DOE
|
|
Elena Smith ESOL Teacher and Specialist RSU 12, Sheepscot Valley, and Wiscasset Schools |
Sheanna Zimmermann English Language Teacher/District EL Coordinator South Portland School Department |
Cristina Perez ESOL Teacher Coordinator MSAD 37 |
|
Don Bishop ESOL Coordinator Brunswick School Department |
Kathy Dorko EL Teacher MSAD 54 |
Cheryl Keeney ELL Teacher Ellsworth School Department |
|
Dr. Alec Lapidus Associate Professor, Co-Chair of Department of Literacy, Language, and Culture University of Southern Maine |
Lysa McLemore ELL Director Lewiston Public Schools |
Melissa Hodgkins ELL Coordinator Auburn School Department |
|
Dr. Clara Jean Howard Assistant Professor, Secondary and English Learner Education University of Maine at Farmington |
Josephine Bizimana Parent |
Mufalo Chitam Executive Director Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition |
Membership Policy
Roles and Responsibilities
Maine Department of Education (DOE) will provide leadership to the Multilingual Learner Advisory Council (MLAC) by scheduling meetings, establishing agendas, facilitating discussions, and ensuring the MLAC’s views are communicated to Maine DOE.
MLAC members will provide advice to the Maine DOE on its activities and policies related to English learner education. Members commit to attending two annual meetings, on the first Friday of every December and the last Friday in June. 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 MLAC Members
The MLAC includes two membership types: permanent and non-permanent (maximum service of two years). Total membership will not exceed 25.
Permanent Members
Each Maine school administrative unit (SAU) that currently receives a Title III grant under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act will have representation on the MLAC according to ML enrollment count. SAUs are responsible for selecting the educators who will represent them. No application to the Maine DOE is necessary. It is recommended to select members who can commit to at least two years.
If a district no longer receives a Title III grant, MLAC membership will continue for two years. If during the two-year period the district remains ineligible for Title III, automatic membership will be discontinued, but individual members may apply to continue to participate if they desire.
| Number of Students who are Multilingual Learners | Number of Permanent MLAC Members |
|---|---|
| Fewer than 500 | 1 |
| 500-1000 | 2 |
| 1000 or more | 3 |
There will be additional permanent members to represent each of Maine’s superintendent regions with no current Title III districts. These members will be selected by the Maine DOE on the basis of leadership and experience, as expressed in a statement of interest. The following criteria will be used to assist in membership determinations.
| Selection Criteria for Regional Permanent Members | |
|---|---|
| Leadership | Administrative role Professional organization membership Presentations/professional development offered PLC facilitation Advocacy |
| Experience | Total years in field Language learning experience Level of education in TESOL |
Non-Permanent Members
Additional members may represent perspectives from:
- Institutions of Higher Learning
- Migrant Education
- Non-profit community organizations serving immigrants and refugees
- Family members of students who are multilingual learners
- Former multilingual learners (graduates)
- Retired ESOL educators
Potential non-permanent members must be nominated by permanent members and complete an application. If you are interested in becoming a non-permanent member contact your local MLAC member to indicate your wish to be nominated. Permanent MLAC members will vote by majority rule to confirm non-permanent members through an online forum. Confirmation of non-permanent members will be completed by May 1st every other year. New non-permanent members will attend an orientation in June, TBD.