Advocating for English Learners: A Guide for Educators

Embrace the future by ensuring English Learners have a voice in school.

English Learners (ELs) are the fastest-growing segment of the K–12 population.  But ELs and their families―who are in the process of learning English and navigating an often-unfamiliar education system―may not have a powerful enough voice to articulate their needs.  Consequently, all teachers and administrators must advocate for this all-important diverse group of students who will become tomorrow’s workforce. This book demystifies the techniques of advocacy for ELs, including:
 

• A shared sense of responsibility for EL success―Providing tools that every educator can use to ensure that ELs are effectively served.
• An overview for administrators―Influencing policy and fostering a culture that meets EL needs
• Advocacy for ELs’ success beyond Grade 12―Equipping ELs for life after graduation, from higher education to career decisions 

ELs will continue to grow in number, and leaving them and their families voiceless is simply not an option. No educator can miss this essential book.

"In many ways, the history of American Education is the history of a quest for equality.  Dr. Staehr Fenner lends a human face to the experience of English Learners and encourages us to think in terms of what attributes ELs bring to their learning experience and how others can benefit from their presence in the classroom. This book is a promising, uplifting, and much-needed call for action!"
― Rosa Aronson, Executive Director
TESOL International Association, Alexandria, VA


On-line book study–available now!
Author Staehr Fenner’s company, SupportEd, has created an on-demand LMS book study for readers of Advocating for English Learners A Guide for Educators. The self-paced book study works around your schedule and when you′re done, you’ll earn a certificate for 20 hours of PD. SupportEd can also customize the book study for specific district timelines, cohorts and/or needs upon request.

Diane Staehr Fenner, PhD, is the president of SupportEd (SupportEd.com), a woman-owned small business located in the Washington, DC, metro area that she founded in 2011. SupportEd is dedicated to empowering multilingual learners and their educators. Dr. Staehr Fenner leads her team to provide ML professional learning, coaching, and technical assistance to school districts, states, and organizations. Prior to forming SupportEd, Dr. Staehr Fenner was an English language development (ELD) teacher, dual language assessment teacher, and ELD assessment specialist in Fairfax County Public Schools, VA. She speaks German and Spanish and has taught in Berlin, Germany, and Veracruz, Mexico. Dr. Staehr Fenner grew up on a dairy farm in central New York and is a proud first- generation college graduate. She has written nine books on ML education (and counting), including coauthoring the bestselling Unlocking Multilingual Learners’ Potential: Strategies for Making Content Accessible and Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners: Tools for Equity. She is a frequent keynote speaker on ML education at conferences across North America. She earned her PhD in Multilingual/Multicultural Education at George Mason University and her MAT in TESOL at the School for International Training. You can connect with her by email at Diane@SupportEd.com.