Hayley R. Weddle, assistant professor in the School of Education, wants to ensure that all educators and leaders are well prepared to support multilingual learners. To achieve this goal, she co-leads a national research/practice partnership focused on multilingual learner policy change that includes six researchers and 30 state education department leaders across 28 different states.
In education, multilingual learners often are viewed through a deficit lens and can be underestimated, but they and their families bring many assets to their schools and communities. The key is creating a system that not only includes multilingual learners but recognizes their assets and supports their educational needs.
The national partnership convenes every three weeks to develop guidelines and professional learning materials while also thinking about the policies that would help the vision for equitable education to become a reality. Because the group includes members from across the country, each person has a different perspective, allowing for tailored approaches for specific contexts rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
“Every multilingual learner deserves not just access to but positive experiences within high-quality learning environments,” says Weddle. “My vision is for every multilingual learner to have access to public education that builds on their strengths. With enough collaboration and persistence, I believe we can get there.”