FEATURED NEWS

April 27, 2021 | JNCL Newsroom

The President’s $1.8 trillion American Families Plan makes a significant investment in K-12 and higher education. To pay for this bill, Biden’s plan proposes to increase the top tax rate on the wealthiest Americans from 37% to 39.6% and end capital income tax breaks and loopholes for the nation’s highest earners. This package would likely have to move on a budget reconciliation bill to have any chance of clearing the Senate and may move separately from the previously proposed infrastructure bill. 

Key points:

  •  $9 billion investment in America’s K-12 teachers. Specifically, it would:
  • “Double scholarships for future teachers from $4,000 to $8,000 per year while earning their degree, strengthening the program, and expanding it to early childhood educator.”
  • $2.8 billion for Grow Your Own programs and year-long, paid teacher residency programs, which have a greater impact on student outcomes, teacher retention, and are more likely to enroll teacher candidates of color
  • $400 million for teacher preparation at HBCUs, TCUs and MSIs
  • $900 million for special education teachers
  • $1.6 billion “to provide educators with opportunities to obtain additional certifications in high-demand areas like special education, bilingual education, and certifications that improve teacher performance. This funding will support over 100,000 educators, with priority for public school teachers with at least two years of experience at schools with a significant portion of low-income students or significant teacher shortages.”
  • $2 billion “to support programs that leverage teachers as leaders, such as high-quality mentorship programs for new teachers and teachers of color.”

April 29, 2021 | JNCL Newsroom

U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), vice chairman of the Committee, introduced the Durbin Feeling Native American Languages Act of 2021. This bipartisan legislation marks the 30th anniversary of the Native American Languages Act by ensuring federal efforts meet the goal of respecting and supporting the use of Native languages.

“Congress made a commitment to promote and protect the rights of Native Americans to use their languages over three decades ago when it enacted the Native American Languages Act of 1990,” said Chairman Schatz. “The Durbin Feeling Native American Languages Act will ensure we are living up to that commitment. Our bill will make the federal government more accountable by setting clear goals and asking for direct input from Native communities about how federal resources can be more effectively used to support and revitalize Native languages.”


April 5, 2021 | New America (blog)

In February the Office of English Language Acquisition and the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans teamed up to bring attention to students that are often overlooked—Black English learners (ELs). The event, Celebrating the Diversity of the Black Student: Supporting the Black English Language Learner, featured key leaders in this space focused on the challenges Black ELs face today, how they are being supported in the K-12 system, and the important role families and community members can play in ensuring these students are being served equitably. In order to understand these dynamics, however, it is important to understand where these students come from, where they reside, the languages they speak, and most importantly, how these various experiences coalesce to shape how the education system interacts with the intersecting identities of Black English learners.

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As the inaugural initiative of the Lead with Languages Scholarship Fund, this award provides merit-based scholarships to graduating high school seniors committed to pursuing the language teaching profession in languages other than English.

The program provides recipients with an award of $1,500 per academic year. Scholarships may be renewed three times following the initial award, for a cumulative total of $6,000 per recipient.

Upon graduation and entry into the teaching field, Lead with Languages Teacher Scholars will also receive 1-year complimentary ACTFL membership, which includes access to the ACTFL Mentorship Program aimed at early-career language teachers.
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Date: July 16-21, 2021

This year’s theme: The Socially Just World Language Classroom: Social-Emotional Learning and Framework-Aligned Practices

The 32nd annual CLTA-CWLP Summer Seminar will be July 16-21 this year. Given that we are still under COVID restrictions, the seminar will be virtual. We are working on a fabulous list of Keynote speakers, to be announced once they are finalized.

As for past seminars, we will offer diverse strands. Participants will meet in the morning for a keynote address, followed by time in strands. Strand examples:

Strand A – Equitable Practices for Social Justice: High-Leverage Framework-Aligned Instructional Practices. The facilitators for this strand are Christine Lanphère and Nicole Naditz.

Strand B – Globally Competent Teacher Practices in the Socially Just World Language Classroom. The facilitators for this strand are Ryan Bosson and Helga Fasciano.

Strand C – Project-Based Language Learning: A Pathway for Wellness in the Socially Just Classroom. The facilitators for this strand are Luz Griselda Ramírez and Anna Chavez.
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FRIDAY, APRIL 30th, 2021 ISSUE
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