Toward a Bilingual Future for English Learners

Bilingual education has been proven to support all students’ second language acquisition, literacy development, and academic achievement. The benefits of bilingual education hold particular promise for the 5.3 million students identified as English learners (ELs) in the U.S. Yet, many EL students lack access to programs that support their development towards becoming bilingual and biliterate. With the shrinking federal role, states and school districts have an opportunity to lead in implementing asset-based approaches to EL education, including expanding bilingual education. 

Please join SEAL and New America for a webinar on June 25, 2025 from 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm EDT where we will reflect on the evolution of English learner education in the U.S., unravel misconceptions about language education, and refresh attendees on the benefits of bilingual education for ELs.

The webinar will feature a panel discussion with bilingual education researchers and a moderated conversation with a school system leader about how they have utilized bilingual education to advance academic success for their students. These conversations will elevate effective practices and policies, highlight challenges and solutions, and emphasize the continued need to invest in bilingual education.

School District Conversation
Moderator: Tara García Mathewson, Investigative Education Reporter for CalMatters and The Markup

Featured School District: Azusa Unified School District

• Norma Camacho, Assistant Superintendent K-12, Azusa Unified School District

Panel Discussion
Moderator: Martha I.Martinez, PhD., Head of Research & Evaluation at SEAL

• Ilana Umansky, PhD., Associate Professor, College of Education, Education Policy and Leadership, Quantitative Research Methods in Education at the University of Oregon
• Kate Menken, Ed.D., Professor of Linguistics and Research Fellow at the Research Institute for the Study of Language in an Urban Society, Queens College, CUNY
• Christine Montecillo Leider, PhD., Assistant Professor, Multilingual Learner Education at UMass Lowell
• Magaly Lavadenz, PhD., Endowed Professor of Moral and Ethical Leadership and Founding Executive Director of the Center for Equity for English Learners, Loyola Marymount University