Advocating for English Learners: A Guide for Educators

We are very proud to announce the publication of Diane Staehr Fenner's new book! Advocating for English Learners: A Guide for Educators (Corwin 2013) features a foreword by John Segota of TESOL and is unlike anything that has been published in the ELL field so far - much like her work here on our Common Core blog. Diane has compiled useful tools, guidelines, and recommendations for educators working with ELLs, as well activities that can be used in professional development or pre-service settings. Topics include advocacy through collaboration, instruction, assessment, and family engagement, as well as ideas for administrators.

Not only does Diane's book pave the way for working more effectively on behalf of ELLs, it helps educators understand and own their role as advocates - an essential piece in the Common Core puzzle, as we have talked about in our previous posts about the role of ELL educators in the CCSS. We'd love to hear what you think about the book if you have a chance to see it!

Note: Diane and John also collaborated on an article for Colorín Colorado last year about standards that impact English language learners, which includes information about professional standards as well as the Common Core.

Related Resource

From the NEA: All In! How to Advocate for English Language Learners

The National Education Association's ELL advocacy guide, All In! How Educators Can Advocate for English Language Learners, offers strategies, resources, and step-by-step instructions for navigating the real-life issues educators encounter every day.

The guide, to which Diane and guest blogger Sydney Snyder had the opportunity to contribute, also features general educators and ELL educators who tell stories about the students who inspired them to act. Do you have a story to tell? Add your voice to the voices of educators from around the country. Become a resource by sharing your story and lessons learned.