And Justice for ELs is a resource every school leader must read right away—for that matter, keep within arm’s reach because you’re certain to refer to it constantly. Ayanna Cooper, a former U.S. Department of State English Language Specialist, has “been there, done that” and is now prepared to share with you how best to translate today’s federal mandates into actionable steps for ensuring the civil rights of our nation’s multilingual learners.
Because it is impossible to provide specific advice or guidance for every possible situation, Ayanna focuses on the “need-to knows” for making informed decisions within your own building:
• Eight questions you must ask—and how to obtain answers—before planning English language development services
• The most common EL program models, with special emphasis on scheduling, along with specific challenges and appropriate staffing
• The why and how of evaluating English language education, regardless of the evaluation tool, and ways to facilitate conversations with teachers before and after observation
• How to determine the type of professional learning that will have the greatest impact in your unique context
• Recommendations for establishing productive relationships with linguistically diverse families and communities
• Just about every tool you could possibly need, including a glossary of acronyms, useful advocacy organizations, and templates for supporting professional learning
But what you’ll love most is the way Ayanna “keeps it real.” Every chapter is framed around a “What Would You Do?” scenario, for which she ultimately provides an answer(s) as well as guiding questions to help you think through the issues. Take a look for yourself. We know you’ll agree that And Justice for ELs is without question a one-of-a-kind resource.
“And Justice for ELs is an excellent guide for practitioners who seek to provide their English learners with high-quality instruction in all subject areas. Too often such students are relegated an education that marginalizes them academically and fails to develop their native language skills. We can and must do a better job for these students, and in this book Ayanna Cooper shows us how.”
~Pedro A. Noguera