December 2023 • Issue 74 • California Association for Bilingual Education

Important Upcoming Dates in this Newsletter:

December 7—CABE Membership Reception, Sacramento Parent and Paraeducator Conference. RSVP

December 8—Parent and Paraeducator Regional Conference in Sacramento

December 15—Deadline to apply for the Alma Flor Ada Award for Social Justice

January 11 & 18—ELDTA Module 4: ELPAC 2.0- High-Leverage Strategies for English Learner Success (Speaking and Listening Domains) 

January 12—Deadline to register for the CABE 2024 Multicultural Traditional Dress Fashion Show

January 16—CABE 2024 Early Bird Registration Deadline

January 16—Deadline to Register for the HS/MS Mariachi Festival-Competition

January 27—DLTA Module 5: El desarrollo del español académico para maestros de doble idioma | Academic Spanish Language Development for Dual Language Teachers (Presented in Spanish)

January 27—31a Jornada Pedagógica Internacional para la Educación Plurilingüe

As we look forward to CABE 2024 in Anaheim, we also take a look back at "Testimonios" conversations from CABE 2023 in Long Beach. These videos* feature inspiring narratives, in-depth interviews, and remarkable experiences shared by the bilingual education community. We believe that highlighting these stories can foster a deeper connection within our field and inspire one another in our respective journeys. This video series was filmed and produced in collaboration with Summit K12, a CABE 2023 and CABE 2024 sponsor. We hope you enjoy these recently published videos from the CABE TV 2023 playlist on YouTube!

Marissa Allan shares her journey from cross-border multilingual student to Sr. Director of Multilingual Education at SDUSD and discusses how CABE has impacted her career.

Aranzazu García discusses the critical planning period when opening or expanding bilingual programs and the importance of competing in a world that is plurilingual.

Dr. Colón-Muñiz was the President and later Interim Executive Director of CABE during the Prop 227 era and in this video, she describes the challenges that multilingual programs faced during that time and the role that CABE later played in passing Prop 58.

Velma Wilson encourages us to be bold with intentionality and to continue advocating and supporting multilingual education by any means necessary.

*The opinions shared herein do not necessarily reflect those of CABE or Summit K12.

CABE

Legislative Advocate Report

by Jennifer Baker

• Economic Reductions and Gaps Emerging
• Assembly Announces New Committee Leadership

CABE is thrilled to congratulate our statewide EWIG ELAP EPICC partners for the two-year grant that will help continue and expand the work of EWIG 1.0 MCAP (that sunsetted in June 2023) in implementing the EL Roadmap Policy. For three years (2020-2023), CABE and the five COEs carried forward the work of MCAP to implement the English Learner Roadmap.

We are grateful to continue this impactful work with our new grantees from the four zones: Sacramento County Office of Education, Los Angeles County Office of Education, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, and the Orange County Department of Education. This work together will support the 1.1 million multilingual students we serve by building educator capacity across the state to meet the four principles of the English Learner Roadmap.

Questions about EPICC? Please contact Dr. Alma Castro at alma@gocabe.org.

CABE CEO and Director of Multilingual Programs—Keynote Speakers for the 3rd Annual SBCSS State Seal of Biliteracy Ceremonies

The State Seal of Biliteracy was established in 2012 to encourage students’ language maintenance and the opportunity for them to learn more languages. This is the eleventh year that students in California have earned the State Seal of Biliteracy. The California Department of Education has created resources to help schools implement the program: https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/er/sealofbiliteracy.asp

Under the leadership of County Superintendent Ted Alejandre, the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS) is leading the way in recognizing students for their multilingual talents. For three years now, SBCSS has hosted fall ceremonies inviting students and families to celebrate the bilingual genius of students. This year over 2,460 students received the Seal of Biliteracy in over 16 languages: Spanish, French, Arabic, Vietnamese, Latin, Mandarin, Korean, Tagalog, Bengali, German, Romanian, Russian, Indonesian, Telugu, American Sign Language, and Japanese.

Angélica Hurtado, SBCSS Program Manager and CABE Board Region IV Representative, leads a team to plan and carry out yearly SBCSS Seal of Biliteracy Ceremonies, gathering student data from each district. School liaisons and school administration play a key role in coordinating the information needed, indicating if students meet or are on track to meet the State Seal of Biliteracy requirements. Angélica says, “I’m grateful to our county superintendent for his support and vision. Taking action and celebrating our students’ greatest asset—their language—will affirm for them the importance of being multilingual and how it will open doors for them to compete globally in college and in the workforce. It’s an honor to celebrate our students!”

This year, CABE CEO, Dr. Edgar Lampkin, and CABE Director of Multilingual Programs, Dr. Alma Castro, provided a keynote at the SBCSS ceremonies, which celebrated over 2,460 students receiving the State Seal of Biliteracy! Dr Lampkin reminded recipients, "You are not just bilingual; you are bridge builders. You are future diplomats, global entrepreneurs, cultural ambassadors, and peacemakers. You have the tools to break down walls, forge connections, and create a more inclusive, diverse, and harmonious world."

Dr. Castro shared this message with students, “You have embraced your family roots, and through your language, you pay homage to your ancestors by bridging language and culture. Your rich experiences at home and in your community have aided you in building a strong identity. Continue to promote the value of multilingualism by being living testimonies of dual language programs, by advocating for the Seal of Biliteracy to be present at every school nationwide, and by adding your family stories in our school books.”

CABE Congratulates SBCSS Superintendent Ted Alejandre, Angélica Hurtado, and the entire team for their leadership in recognizing students at the COE level and giving biliteracy recipients the advantage of being able to note this linguistic talent on their college or career applications.  

Gricelda Pérez Villegas, the second oldest of four children, was born in Ecuandureo, Michoacán, Mexico, where she lived with her father, Gonzalo Pérez, a taxi driver, her mother, Gricelda Villegas, a housewife, her older brother, Gonzalo, and two younger sisters, Gabriela and Adriana Berenice. She attended religious schools where she also learned crafts and embroidery. She went to elementary school in her pueblito, but she traveled to the nearest city to attend preparatoria (middle school and high school), where she began learning English.

Later she studied at the Universidad del Valle de Atemajac, Plantel

La Piedad in Michoacán, where she obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and a Diploma in Family Support and Counseling. After graduating, she worked at the Colegio de Bachilleres of the same State at the Ecuandureo Campus, teaching Law, Literature, and Social Sciences. In 2007, Colegio de Bachilleres sent her to California to direct their Virtual Baccalaureate system. It was that same year when she collaborated for the first time with CABE to teach the virtual high school program through Plazas Comunitarias. In 2014, Gricelda was invited by CEO Dr. María Quezada to work for CABE.

In addition to serving Plaza Comunitaria programs, she serves as a liaison with CABE's international partners, such as the Mexican Consulates in California, the Spanish Consulate in LA, and the Baja California State Educational System, particularly at regional and annual conferences, and special events. Gricelda also teaches workshops on adult education, and others focused on topics of great importance to immigrant families, such as Project 2Inspire, and topics arising from various CABE grants, such as PROMESA, MCAP, and Newcomers, among others.

Through the IME BECAS program, funds granted by the Government of Mexico, she has created curricula and taught workshops. When asked why she works for CABE, Gricelda explains: "I love serving our community. Through my work, I have witnessed the positive impact we can have on others; working with meaning involves feeling that our actions and contributions have a greater purpose. Finding meaning in what we do helps us feel like we are contributing to the world and drives us to give our best."

In her free time, Gricelda enjoys being in nature, riding her bike and hiking, especially in the mountains. She loves spending time with her family: her husband, Alejandro Gaona; her three children, Alan (30), Alex (26) and Renata (15); her two grandchildren, Tristin (7) and Abraham Diego (2); and her dog, Bobo, a German Shepard and Husky mix.

You are invited to the CABE Riverside Chapter #6 General Meeting. This is an amazing bilingual advocacy organization supporting students, parents, families, educators, and the community. Consider becoming a member to receive CABE state benefits including free/discounted events and info on the latest bilingual education legislation!

Click below to view the flyer and RSVP.

Letter from US Secretary of Education

U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona affirms school districts’ responsibilities to serve immigrant students, announces the recently updated 2023 Newcomer Toolkit, and shares federal resources that may support such students. 

If you have questions about this letter or the guidance and resources it addresses, please email the California Department of Education Language Policy and Leadership Office at LPLO@cde.ca.gov.

La Jornada Pedagógica—January 27th

Now Available on the CEI Website!

The Community Engagement Initiative is launching a comprehensive training series to strengthen community involvement in education. These learning modules will provide in-depth training to foster meaningful engagement between students, families, communities, and educational partners.

The training series was developed in collaboration with esteemed partners, including the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, San Diego County Office of Education, Eskolta School Research & Design, University of San Diego, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, Families In Schools, California Association for Bilingual Educators, WestEd, Dr. Jennifer Edic-Bryant, Inform2Inspire, and the California Community Schools Partnership Program.

The goal is to equip key school staff with the knowledge, skills, and commitment to enhance their community and family engagement strategies. By participating in these trainings, local education agencies and staff will gain best-practice insights into effectively engaging with students, families, and communities.

Contact the editor: Laurie Miles, Communications Coordinator, laurie@gocabe.org