LEADER NETWORK

WHO: For DLBE program, school, and district leaders and administrators, such as principals, assistant principals, district leaders, and department heads.

WHAT: Participants will focus on deconstructing and finding solutions for agreed-upon common issues in the field.

WHEN: Virtual | Wednesdays, 9-10:30am (90 minutes) | 7 meetings | September 25, 2024; October 30, 2024; November 27, 2024; December 18, 2024; January 22, 2025; February 26, 2025; March 26, 2025

• The expectation is for participants to attend all sessions in the Network.

• Registration closes Wednesday, September 18, 2024. (Registrations after this date will include a late registration fee.)

FACILITATOR: Susan McGilvray-Rivet, Retired Educator, MA & MABE Consultant

Learn more about MABE's Networks here. 

__________________________________________________

MABE Policies: 

• Registration Policy: Please contact megburns@mabene.org and lauraperez-handler@mabene.org for group registrations (registrations for a group of individuals from a district/school). 
• Payment Policy: MABE must receive payment or Purchase Order numbers by the date registration closes. Late registrations subject to additional charge.
• Cancellation & Refund Policy: Event registrations are transferable up to 1 week (7 days) before the event starts. Cancellation refunds of payments will be subject to a 10% reduction of the registration fee, refundable up to 1 week (7 days) before the event starts. 

SPECIAL EDUCATION NETWORK

WHO: For DLBE special educators, including support staff, teachers, and leaders who support support bilingual special education students. 

WHAT: Participants will focus on problems of practice.

WHEN: Virtual | Tuesdays, 4-5:15pm | 6 meetings | October 22, 2024; November 19, 2024; December 10, 2024; January 14, 2025; February 25, 2025; March 25, 2025

• The expectation is for participants to attend all sessions in the Network.
• Registration closes Tuesday, October 15.  (Registrations after this date will include a late registration fee.)
  

FACILITATORS: Phyllis Hardy and Lusa Lo, with support from Bilingual Special Educators Pat Landurand and Maria Wilson-Portuondo.

Learn more about MABE's Networks here. 

__________________________________________________

MABE Policies: 

• Registration Policy: Please contact megburns@mabene.org and lauraperez-handler@mabene.org for group registrations (registrations for a group of individuals from a district/school). 
• Payment Policy: MABE must receive payment or Purchase Order numbers by the date registration closes. Late registrations subject to additional charge.
• Cancellation & Refund Policy: Event registrations are transferable up to 1 week (7 days) before the event starts. Cancellation refunds of payments will be subject to a 10% reduction of the registration fee, refundable up to 1 week (7 days) before the event starts. 

ELEMENTARY TEACHER NETWORK

WHO: For DLBE elementary level teaching staff.

WHAT: Participants will focus on translanguaging and oracy strategies.

WHEN: Virtual | Wednesdays, 4:15-5:30pm (75 minutes) | 8 meetings | October 23, 2024; November 6, 2024; November 20, 2024; February 12, 2025; February 26, 2025; March 12, 2025; March 26, 2025; Last Session TBD

• The expectation is for participants to attend all sessions in the Network.

• DEADLINE EXTENDED: Registration closes Wednesday, October 16, 2024.  (Registrations after this date will include a late registration fee.)

FACILITATOR: Elissa Washburn, Dual Language Bilingual Educator, MA & MABE Consultant

Learn more about MABE's Networks here. 

__________________________________________________

MABE Policies: 

• Registration Policy: Please contact megburns@mabene.org and lauraperez-handler@mabene.org for group registrations (registrations for a group of individuals from a district/school). 
• Payment Policy: MABE must receive payment or Purchase Order numbers by the date registration closes. Late registrations subject to additional charge.
• Cancellation & Refund Policy: Event registrations are transferable up to 1 week (7 days) before the event starts. Cancellation refunds of payments will be subject to a 10% reduction of the registration fee, refundable up to 1 week (7 days) before the event starts. 

COACH NETWORK

WHO: For DLBE coach staff.

WHAT: Participants will focus on problems of practice.

WHEN: Virtual | Tuesdays, 4-5:30am (90 minutes) | 6 meetings | October 29, 2024; November 12, 2024; January 7, 2025; January 21, 2025; February 11, 2025; Last Session TBA

• The expectation is for participants to attend all sessions in the Network.
• DEADLINE EXTENDED: Registration closes Tuesday, October 22, 2024.  (Registrations after this date will include a late registration fee.)
  

FACILITATOR: Amy Finsmith, Supervisor of Multilingual Education in Windham, CT & MABE Consultant

Learn more about MABE's Networks here. 

__________________________________________________

MABE Policies: 

• Registration Policy: Please contact megburns@mabene.org and lauraperez-handler@mabene.org for group registrations (registrations for a group of individuals from a district/school). 
• Payment Policy: MABE must receive payment or Purchase Order numbers by the date registration closes. Late registrations subject to additional charge.
• Cancellation & Refund Policy: Event registrations are transferable up to 1 week (7 days) before the event starts. Cancellation refunds of payments will be subject to a 10% reduction of the registration fee, refundable up to 1 week (7 days) before the event starts. 

BILINGUAL EDUCATION RESEARCH NETWORK

WHAT: This virtual Network showcases Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) research occurring across our New England region and beyond. The research featured in these webinars is closely connected to and has clear implications for DLBE practice.

WHO: Free to MABE members in good standing (with no outstanding balances). Members can register at any time. Commitment to attending all sessions is not required. If you are not a member, join us to register. 

UPCOMING SESSION: 

WHEN:

• Monday, February 3 | 4-5:30pm 
  Assessment of Cultural Acquisition in the Heritage Language Learning Classroom
  Carlos Trindade, World Languages Teacher (Brazilian Portuguese), Researcher, and Teacher Trainer at Martha's Vineyard Regional High School, Martha's Vineyard Public Schools, MAHeritage learners are often included in the same framework as world language learners, even though they require different dimensions of learning. Trindade's study proposes a different framework for heritage learners advocating for cultural acquisition assessments. For heritage learners, culture and language walk hand in hand, and cultural teaching and learning has to be structured, planned and thought in detail. And it is critical to be able to measure the amount of cultural understanding students acquire. 

• Monday, March 24 | 4-5:30pm
  Sociocultural Competence
  Elizabeth Howard, Associate Professor, University of CT & Co-CEO, Dual Language Connections 
  Description Coming Soon! 
  
  
• Monday, April 7 | 4-5:30pm
  Translanguaging Pedagogy in DLBE
  Laura Hamann-Ortiz, TESOL and Bilingual Education Assistant Professor, University of Rhode Island, RI 
  Sarah Hesson, Educational Studies Department Associate Professor, Rhode Island College, RI 
  Description Coming Soon! 
  
  
• Monday, May 5 | 4-5:30pm
  Lessons Learned from Five Years of CAL Dual Language Education Program Reviews
  Igone Arteagoitia, Research Assistant, Center for Applied Linguistics, DC 
  CAL has engaged in reviews of DLBE in districts and schools across the U.S. using The Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education (Howard et al., 2018) as a framework to investigate programs, policies, and instruction reflecting on the seven strands outlined in the publication. This presentation will report on key themes related to commonalities of need found across programs. This research focuses on exploring how DLBE programs can improve their program effectiveness in meeting the three pillars by learning from challenges other districts have faced.
  

Past sessions: 

• Monday, November 4 | 4:15-5:30pm 
  Latin@ Elementary Student Sense of Belonging in a Spanish-English Dual Language Program 
  Lily Fleming, Graduate Student, Boston College, MA
  Annie Homza, Faculty Advisor, Boston College, MA
  While prior research has documented factors contributing to a sense of belonging in middle school two-way bilingual education programs (deJong et al., 2023), there is limited research at the elementary level. This study  explored the experiences of Latin@ students in grades 3-6 to identify factors that contribute to their sense of belonging in school, potentially mitigating the observed decrease in belonging.

• Monday, December 2 | 4-5:30pm
  Special Education Teachers’ Perspectives within a Dual Language Community
  Beth Llorca, Stonehill College, MA
  Special education in DLBE programs is an area which is under-researched and under-supported within DLBE programs. With this case study, participants will view the perceived role of a veteran DLBE special educator within an established DLBE program.

• Monday, January 13 | 4-5:30pm 
  Leyendo con Ms. López inspirado en Pura Belpré - Elevating Spanish Outside the Classroom
  Yokaira López-Tifa, PhD Candidate, UMass Amherst, MA
  Drawing inspiration from the pioneering work of Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian in New York City to create an educational space where learners could see reflections of afro-caribbean culture, López-Tifa explores a groundbreaking initiative aimed to address a critical gap in DLBE by providing Kindergarten students a rare exposure to fluent academic Spanish outside the classroom setting. This research focuses on the potential to bridge the gap between classroom language instruction and real-world language application.
  

Thank you to MABE's Advocacy Committee (Chair: Laura Hamman-Ortiz) for their help in organizing this network. 

Learn more about MABE's Networks here. 

__________________________________________________

MABE Policies: 

• Membership Policy: Learn more about your MABE Member Benefits. 
• Registration Policy: Please contact megburns@mabene.org and lauraperez-handler@mabene.org for group registrations (registrations for a group of individuals from a district/school). 

SECONDARY TEACHER NETWORK

Previously “Middle School Teacher Network,” now expanded to include DLBE high school educators.

WHO: For DLBE middle and high school level teaching staff.

WHAT: Participants will focus on vocabulary development, bridging, and strategies (structured conversations and the password strategy).

WHEN: Virtual | Mondays, 4:00-5:15pm (75 minutes) | 6 meetings | 

New Dates: November 18, 2024; December 9, 2024; January 27, 2025; February 10, 2025, March 3, 2025, April 7, 2025

• The expectation is for participants to attend all sessions in the Network.

• DEADLINE EXTENDED: Registration closes Monday, November 11, 2024.  (Registrations after this date will include a late registration fee.)

FACILITATOR: Vionette Matos, Teacher at Amigos School in Cambridge, MA & MABE Consultant

Learn more about MABE's Networks here. 

__________________________________________________

MABE Policies: 

• Registration Policy: Please contact megburns@mabene.org and lauraperez-handler@mabene.org for group registrations (registrations for a group of individuals from a district/school). 
• Payment Policy: MABE must receive payment or Purchase Order numbers by the date registration closes. Late registrations subject to additional charge.
• Cancellation & Refund Policy: Event registrations are transferable up to 1 week (7 days) before the event starts. Cancellation refunds of payments will be subject to a 10% reduction of the registration fee, refundable up to 1 week (7 days) before the event starts. 

School Visits are rewarding and valuable pre-conference events that create the opportunity for educators to observe and learn what a Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) program or school looks like in practice. Multiple schools in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island are opening their doors to you on Monday-Friday, February 3-7 and Monday-Wednesday, February 10-12, 2025.  

• Cost is $50 per School Visit. 
• We ask that you take the opportunity to visit multiple programs, and we request that each district take up no more than two visit spots at a particular site per day. Please create the opportunity for your district's visitors to debrief with each other afterwards, so that multiple people can learn from the visit even if they are unable to attend. Thank you for your understanding as we work to distribute visits equitably.
• Registration closes Friday, January 17, 2025.
• Please note that there are full-day, part-day, and after school option visit options - plan to stay for the duration of the time you register for. 
• Please note sites are accepting different total of number of visitors - some slots will fill up faster than others. 
• School Visits Schedule: 

Learn more about #MABE2025.

__________________________________________________

MABE Policies: 

• Registration Policy: Please contact megburns@mabene.org for group registrations (registrations for a group of individuals from a district/school). 
• Payment Policy: MABE must receive payment or Purchase Order numbers by the date registration closes. 
• Cancellation & Refund Policy: Event registrations are transferable up to 1 week (7 days) before the event starts. Cancellation refunds of payments will be subject to a 10% reduction of the registration fee, refundable up to 1 week (7 days) before the event starts. 

TOPIC: This Pre-Conference Advocacy Roundtable, “Voices Unidas: Leaders for Successful Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE),” follows the guiding question: “What does supportive leadership mean for DLBE?” With an advocacy lens, we will explore the need for Professional Learning for building leaders, district leaders, and state leaders. The roundtable will highlight the need for supportive leadership to ensure program success, especially as programs expand and grow. To help us focus on the importance of supportive leadership, speaker Marjorie Ringler and a panel of seasoned DLBE leaders in our region will set the stage for a discussion of policy implications. 

We encourage leaders to extend this invitation to any interested colleagues.

UPDATE GOALS: The goals of the Roundtable are to provide you with an opportunity to:

A - D - V - O - C - A - T - E

• Address the current challenges, opportunities, and recommendations regarding DLBE leadership
• Disseminate the value of DLBE programs for students, educators, families, and communities
• Visualize and understand the unique components of DLBE leadership
• Organize productive solutions to DLBE leadership challenges
• Commit to sustaining and growing leaders with DLBE expertise
• Affirm our communities of multilingual learners and educators
• Take action by joining a network of support that cultivates DLBE programs and leaders
• Evaluate the current state of DLBE leadership

Please RSVP by March 6, 2025. 

WHERE: Virtual, Link to follow registration 

PANELISTS: 

• Marjorie Ringler, DLI Administration Certificate, Professor and Chair, East Carolina University, NC

• Kimberly Komocar, Principal, Young Woods Elementary, Providence Public Schools, RI

• Sonia Walmsley, Executive Director of Educational Access and Pathways, New Bedford Public Schools, MA

• Amanda Campbell, Deputy Director of Multilingual Education, Lynn Public Schools, MA

• Dania Vasquez, Headmaster, Margarita Muñiz Academy, Boston Public Schools, MA

• Ayda Parra-Rojas, Dual Language Specialist, Windham Public Schools, CT

AGENDA: Review the agenda

ABOUT: MABE's Pre-Conference Advocacy Roundtable is a no-cost virtual event for invited guests and interested parties including school and district leaders, state education agencies, legislators, higher education institutions, and community organizations from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Maine. By making connections and creating opportunities for collaboration among many partners, we will be able to move forward together in creating the most equitable education and language learning programs for our students, especially those in underserved groups. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT #MABE2025.

Please email MABE with any questions. 

WHY: MABE's Dual Language Education Annual Conference is an ideal opportunity for you to reach out to educators from across the region. We have over 3,000 members and contacts nationally and internationally, the majority of which are from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. We serve a variety of educators, including school administrators, teachers, coaches, special educators, higher education professionals, and state education agency employees. Last year we had almost 500 registrants from 10 states, and offered more than 65 sessions. This year, we are hoping to reach even more educators. Please consider how you can support our organization to the benefit of yours. 

WHO: Any company, agency, or organization seeking to support MABE and Dual Language Bilingual Education. 

WHEN: In-person on Saturday, March 8, 2023, 7:30am-4:00pm

WHERE: UMass Center at Springfield, Tower Square, 1500 Main St, Springfield, MA

HOW: Check out our Sponsor Menu below to see which opportunity to support each other works best for you, then register here. 

• QUESTIONS: Contact Phyllis Hardy, Executive Director, with any questions. We appreciate your support and consideration, and look forward to collaborating with you this academic year!
• Payment Policy (Please note:  American Express cards are not accepted)

Learn more about #MABE2025.

• When? Saturday, March 8,  2025, 7:30am-4:00pm 
• Where? UMass Center at Springfield, Tower Square, 1500 Main St, Springfield, MA 
  - We encourage carpooling or public transportation, such as train to help us go green.
• Registration Closes: February 14, 2025 
• Late Registration Period: February 15–March 6, 2025, subject to late fee 

• Sponsors: View Sponsor Menu and register here. 

• Scholarship Application 

• Conference FAQs 

• Hospitality: MABE has reserved group rate booking with local hotels. Both have access to Tower Square and are walking distance to the Conference spaces.  
  - Marriott Springfield Hotel: BOOK HERE By Friday, February 07, 2025
  - Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel: BOOK HERE By Monday, February 10, 2025

• Conference Schedule: Coming to Sched App on February 2025

• Conference Shirt: MABE invites you to come to the conference with your own #MABE2025 shirt! Get it here. 

• Conference Theme: Voices United: Advocating for Bilingualism 

• Conference Keynote: Kate Menken 

Learn more about #MABE2025.

• Registration Policy: Please contact megburns@mabene.org for group registrations (registrations for a group of 4 or more individuals from a district/school). 
• Payment Policy: MABE must receive payment or Purchase Order numbers by the date registration closes (send to elissawashburn@mabene.org). Sorry, American Express cards not accepted. 
• Cancellation & Refund Policy: Event registrations are transferable up to 1 week (7 days) before the event starts. Cancellation refunds of payments will be subject to a 10% reduction of the registration fee, refundable up to 1 week (7 days) before the event starts.