ACADEMIC YEAR 2024-2025
| Multistate Association for Bilingual Education, Northeast A nonprofit organization for educators, families, and policy makers. |
Board of Directors
MABE's Board of Directors consists of the Executive Board and Members-At-Large. You're invited to read our MABE By-Laws for more information. The Board Meeting Schedule and information about MABE's Committees can be found towards the bottom of this page. Click on the name of each individual to collapse more information, including email and socials. Parenthesized years are terms of service.
EXECUTIVE BOARD
President, Governance Committee Chair
Michael Gary, Ph.D. Student (2025-2027)
✉️ michaelgary@mabene.org Mike Gary (he/él) has served our multilingual learners and families as a teacher, district director, school-based coach, and assistant principal. In 2024 he returned to the classroom as an English Language Development (ELD) Teacher for Hudson Public Schools, MA at Quinn Middle School, where he applies his expertise directly in the classroom, supporting multilingual learners in developing their English proficiency while valuing their linguistic backgrounds. His approach fosters an environment where students feel empowered and connected to their learning. Mike’s work focuses on shaping inclusive educational environments that celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity, including assisting with converting TBE programs to DLBE and supporting the expansion of DLBE programs to middle school levels. He is actively involved in professional development initiatives, where he collaborates with educators to implement effective strategies for language instruction and cultural responsiveness. Mike was a contributor to the 2023 MA DESE Guidance for Implementing DLBE Programs and the Guidance for Implementing TBE Programs. He served as a reviewer of the WIDA 2020 ELD Framework and follow up Implementation Guide, and also contributed a story of practice to the WIDA Implementation Guide, Administrator’s Supplement. Mike has presented numerous times at virtual and in-person conferences, including WIDA and La Cosecha. He is proud to serve as MABE’s President and Governance Committee Chair.
Secretary
Martha Romero, M.A. (2024-2026)
✉️ mrplainville@gmail.com Martha Romero (she/ella) is a dedicated educator and leader in multilingual education. Her journey in education began in her birth country of Colombia, where she taught full-time while pursuing her first English class as a young adult. Motivated by a desire to explore new opportunities, she immigrated to the U.S., where she worked as an elementary Spanish teacher in Plainville Public Schools, MA. Furthering her education at Bridgewater State University, Martha transitioned into ESL instruction, bringing firsthand experience to her role. Over the past 10 years, she served as the ESL Content Instructional Leader at New Bedford High School, MA where she founded and established the SLIFE/Newcomer program. She recently became the Dual Language Manager of Educator Quality at the Gomes Elementary School in New Bedford. Her leadership extends to supervising a team of 20 teachers to address the needs of a student body where approximately two-thirds are current or former English learners. Martha’s work exemplifies the impact of culturally responsive education and the importance of supporting multilingual learners in achieving academic success. |
Vice-President
Rabia Hos, Ph.D. (2025-2026)
✉️ rabiahos@mabene.org As a first-generation college graduate and native Turkish speaker, Dr. Rabia Hos (she/her) is a passionate advocate for equitable education and multilingualism. With over 20 years of experience in education as a public school teacher and higher education, Rabia is a dedicated advocate for educational equity and access. She earned her doctorates in Teaching & Curriculum from the University of Rochester. Informed by her own experiences as an immigrant, her research centers on newcomer immigrants and refugees with interrupted formal education. An accomplished scholar, she has published widely on multilingual learners across global contexts and leads international initiatives to promote teacher education and cross-cultural understanding. Rabia is the Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies at Southern CT State University, where she leads initiatives focused on multilingual education, social justice, and global engagement. She previously served as Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director of TESOL/Bilingual and Dual Language Education at the University of Rhode Island. Rabia was selected by the U.S. Department of State as an English Language Specialist, leading a project in Lebanon to train educators and empower women in rural communities through English language learning. She secured funding from organizations such as RIDE, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the Nellie Mae Education Foundation. Additionally, she holds editorial roles for the European Journal of English Language Studies and the European Journal of Educational Research. Numerous honors include the Beatrice S. Demers Foreign Language Fellowship and a Global Teacher Education Fellow. |
BOARD MEMBERS-AT-LARGE
María Aybar, MPP, MBA (2024-2026)
✉️ maria.aybar@latinxcenter.org María Aybar (she/ella) is a leader, educator, and advocate dedicated to uplifting Latinx communities through policy, education, and cultural empowerment. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Lowell, MA, María brings a deeply personal perspective to her work, shaped by her experiences as an undocumented student navigating the U.S. education system. She is a Founding Member and Director of Operations at the Latinx Community Center for Empowerment (LCCE) in Lowell. Under her leadership, LCCE has expanded access to English-language classes, civic engagement initiatives, and cultural programming. She played a pivotal role in launching the Lowell Latinx Archive, a groundbreaking oral history and photography project that documents the contributions of Latinx residents and challenges dominant historical narratives. Academically, María holds dual master’s degrees in Public Policy and Business Administration with a focus on social impact from Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management. Her professional background includes roles as an Evaluation Associate Consultant for the Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color, a Rappaport Public Policy Fellow at the City of Boston’s Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development, and a Research Fellow at Harvard Law School’s Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice. María also serves as a Success Scholars coach at Middlesex Community College, mentoring BIPOC and LGBTQ+ students and advocating for undocumented learners. Further, she is in the UMass Lowell Greely Peace Scholar Advisory Board and MABE's Conference Committee Chair.
Katie Cardamone, M.Ed. (2025-2027)
✉️ katiecardamone@gmail.com Katie Cardamone (she/ella) is an experienced elementary educator, working 15 years as an elementary Spanish immersion teacher. After graduating with her bachelor's and master's degrees from Clark University, she lived and worked in Guatemala. She has served as the Program Coordinator for MABE and is now the Co-Founder and Program Director of Nuestro Mundo Public Charter School in RI. She is also a board member for RI Environmental Education Association (RIEEA). Katie is passionate about the key outcome of a strong, innovative DLBE program: empowering multilingual and multicultural learners to understand their importance as global citizens.
 Nicole King, Ph.D. (2024-2026)
✉️ nicole.king@uri.edu Dr. Nicole King (she/her) is an Assistant Professor of TESOL and Bilingual Education at the University of Rhode Island’s Feinstein College of Education. She received her Ph.D. in Teaching & Curriculum: Foreign, Second, & Multilingual Language Education from The Ohio State University. With a rich background as a former teacher of multilingual learners in the southern U.S. and Italy, she brings firsthand experience to her academic pursuits. Nicole’s research focuses on translingual and transmodal practices among multilingual students, families, communities, and educators. She aims to empower pre- and in-service teachers to implement equitable and sustaining practices in their teaching and advocacy. Her scholarly work critically examines the connections between research and practice within localized contexts and communities and investigates how to prepare teachers to create linguistically, culturally, and racially just learning environments. Her studies delve into the development of translanguaging repertoires in language teachers, the negotiation of language ideologies by multilingual students, and the reciprocal exchange of knowledge when adopting a community-as-pedagogy approach. Nicole’s contributions have been recognized through collaborative Fulbright DAI and Mother Cabrini Health Foundation grants. Her publications appear in esteemed journals such as TESOL Journal, System, Foreign Language Annals, and Language Teaching. She also co-edited the volume Developing Translanguaging Repertoires in Critical Teacher Education.
Liliana Smith, M.Ed. (2024-2026)
✉️ lilianasmith@mabene.org Liliana Smith (she/ella) is the Spanish Immersion Curriculum Coordinator at Wayland Public Schools, MA, where she has led the district’s innovative K-5 immersion program since its launch in 2018. With over 30 years of experience in bilingual education, Liliana brings a global perspective and deep pedagogical expertise to her role. At Wayland, Liliana champions a 90/10 one-way immersion model that fosters bilingualism, biliteracy, and cultural competency. She has spearheaded initiatives like the Pulsera Project, integrating service learning with cultural awareness to connect students with global communities. Her leadership continues to shape a generation of students who are linguistically and culturally empowered. Originally from Colombia, Liliana taught elementary and secondary Spanish for six years before moving to the U.S., where she spent 18 years teaching Spanish at Weston High School, MA. She has also served as a K-12 World Language Supervisor and Assistant Principal, and is a licensed PreK-12 educator. Her contributions to language education include authoring two books – Spanish for School Personnel and Spanish for Public Safety Personnel – and developing science curricula for the Colombian Ministry of Education, which are still used in public schools throughout the country. Liliana is a longtime consultant for the College Board’s AP Spanish Language and Culture program and has contributed and edited the textbook series Triángulo, Cumbre, and Ventanas. Additionally, she is MABE's Professional Development Committee Chair. |
Roberto Blanco Garcia (2025-2027)Roberto Blanco Garcia (he/él) is a visiting teacher from Mugardos, Spain. He is the second grade Dual Language Spanish teacher at the Dos Ríos Program in Natchaug Elementary in Windham Public Schools, CT. He has been at Windham PS, a pioneer in DLBE in CT, for four years. In Spain, he worked for about 15 years at a bilingual school where he taught various subjects in English. He presented with the Education Department of the Spanish Embassy in the USA about his experience as a visiting teacher at the Instituto Cervantes in New York. He is a member of the Natchaug School Government Council and was a member of the Andel School Council in Spain. He was also a founding member of the non-profit youth association Bezoucos, where he helped organize cultural activities. Prior to his involvement in the MABE Board, he volunteered in the MABE Conference Committee.
 Laura Hamman-Ortiz, Ph.D. (2024-2026)
✉️ laura.hammanortiz@uri.edu Dr. Laura Hamman-Ortiz (she/ella) began her career as a second grade and high school teacher in Texas and Chile and now works as a teacher educator and bilingual education researcher. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor of TESOL and Bilingual Education in the Feinstein College of Education at the University of Rhode Island. She is particularly interested in translanguaging pedagogy, student identity negotiation in bilingual learning spaces, the intersection of educational policy and practice, and the cultivation of equity-oriented dual language bilingual programs. Her work is ethnographic, classroom-based, discourse analytic, and partnership-oriented. At URI, she teaches courses related to second language acquisition, ESL/bilingual teaching methods, educational linguistics, and foundations for multilingual learner education. She is committed to promoting more critically-oriented, affirming, and inclusive learning spaces for multilingual students, particularly in/through bilingual education. Her scholarship has been featured in leading journals such as TESOL Quarterly, Language and Education, System, and the Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. She is a sought-after speaker and collaborator in the fields of bilingual education and educational linguistics. Additionally, she is an active board member at Nuestro Mundo Public Charter School, RI. With over 15 years of experience supporting multilingual learners and their educators across various U.S. states and abroad, she brings a wealth of practical and academic expertise to her roles, which includes MABE's Advocacy Committee Chair.
Joan Lachance, Ph.D. (2025-2027)
✉️ CloverSeedsEducation@gmail.com Dr. Joan Lachance (she/ella) is an Associate Professor and Program Director of Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte . With over two decades of experience and a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction, she specializes in dual language teacher preparation, academic literacy, and authentic assessment for multilingual learners. Joan’s scholarship includes more than 25 publications, including peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, curriculum guides, and technical reports. Her latest book “Collaboration and Co-Teaching for Dual Language Learners” was featured when she was a Keynote Speaker in MABE’s 2024 Conference. She co-authored the National Dual Language Education Teacher Preparation Standards and directs EMMA (Educators for a Multilingual Multicultural America). She has also contributed to major North Carolina educational initiatives, developing professional learning content for educators around the WIDA Standards and the SIOP Model. She is also the Founder and Educational Consultant for Clover Seeds Educational Consulting, where she serves others by supporting educators via professional development, coaching, and curriculum development – all to promote multilingualism. Joan collaborates with a K-8 school serving the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians to support dual language education and language preservation. Additionally, she is a key leader in Project SEMBRAR, a national mentorship program designed to increase the bilingual teacher workforce. Outside of academia, Joan advocates for the conservation of the Appalachian Trail.
Zhongfeng Tian (田中锋), Ph.D. (2025-2027)
✉️ zhongfeng.tian@rutgers.edu Dr. Zhongfeng Tian (he/他/佢) is an Associate Professor of Bilingual Education in the Department of Urban Education at Rutgers University-Newark. His work focuses on equitable Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) for Asian language communities. He holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Language, Literacy, and Culture from Boston College, and an M.Ed. in TESOL from Boston University. A multilingual speaker of Mandarin, English, and Cantonese, he brings transnational teaching experience across China, Cambodia, and the U.S. Theoretically grounded in translanguaging, Zhongfeng's research centers on collaborating with pre- and in-service teachers to create equitable, inclusive learning environments in ESL and DLBE classrooms. He also focuses on preparing culturally and linguistically responsive educators with strong social justice orientations. He co-leads anti-racist biliteracy initiatives in Mandarin-English DLBE programs in Massachusetts and beyond, working closely with bilingual teachers, school leaders, and families. Zhongfeng has published widely in the fields of ESL/bilingual education and teacher education. He has provided professional development on translanguaging pedagogies to school districts across the U.S. He currently serves as Associate Editor for the International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism and sits on the editorial boards of several leading journals, including TESOL Quarterly and the International Multilingual Research Journal. His work aims to amplify the voices of Asian, immigrant, and historically marginalized language communities within bilingual education. He is committed to building inclusive professional development pathways and advancing justice-oriented advocacy, outreach, and community-engaged bilingual education.
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Chrissy Bowman (2025-2027), M.A.Chrissy Bowman (she/ella) is an Education Specialist for the CREC Resource Group, specializing in assisting educators create and refine programs, policies, and practices that support multilingual learners while fostering language and academic growth. Chrissy’s 15+ years experience in the field, including nine years as a teacher and program coordinator in dual language and bilingual programs, coupled with her expertise gained from her degrees in Elementary Education, Spanish, and Bilingual/Multicultural Education, and TESOL, allow her to design and implement individualized coaching and professional learning experiences. She has a master's degree in TESOL/Bilingual Education with matching teacher certification endorsements and has taught at the university level. Her educational leadership experience spans 24 CT districts where she has facilitated over 40 professional development programs for K-12 educators. She is currently also the Membership Secretary for ConnTESOL and was the Chair in the Strategic Planning Committee at Fair Haven School in New Haven. Chrissy is passionate about supporting educators as they work to enhance the experiences of the multilingual learners in schools and champions equity for traditionally marginalized students, utilizing data for continuous program improvements and advocating for systemic changes that support multilingual learners.
 Violet Jiménez Sims, Ed.D. (2025-2027)
✉️ violetjimenezsims@gmail.com Dr. Violet Jiménez Sims (she/ella) is a Dominican-born U.S. immigrant, bilingual and bicultural woman, educator, and scholar. She is a first-generation college educated person (doctorates in Educational Leadership and Administration) that has spent over two decades challenging unwritten rules and coded language while working in every level of education from Pre-K through university public settings. Her career began as a Spanish and ESL teacher in New Britain and Manchester Public Schools, CT, followed by leadership roles in magnet school administration. Currently she is the Co-Owner of Sims Squared Consulting, the Managing Director of Academic Programming & Legislative Affairs at CT Teacher Residency Program and CREC Resource Group, and Adjunct Faculty at University of CT. She has taught courses like Power, Privilege, and Public Education, focusing on equity and inclusion in teacher preparation. Violet is a member and leader in numerous community organizations, including Vice President of the New Britain NAACP, President and Founder of Diaspora Multicultural Society, Inc., Grants Committee Member of the American Savings Foundation, and Board Member of the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain. She is 2024 PDK Distinguished Educator Fellow and a former member of the New Britain Board of Education. She draws from her experiences and research to center cultural sustainability and cultivate liberatory practices in public education and communities.
Paulina Mitropoulos, M.Ed., Grad. Cert. (2024-2026)
✉️ Paulina.mitrop@gmail.com Paulina Mitropoulos (she/ella/αυτή) is a seasoned educator and administrator with over 15 years of experience in multilingual learner education across Massachusetts. She is the Director of Multilingual Learner Education for Somerville Public Schools, MA where she leads district-wide initiatives to support linguistically and culturally diverse students. Her career began as an ESL teacher in Revere Public Schools, MA through Teach For America. She then held leadership roles including Director of ELL Services and Professional Development and Leader of Teaching and Learning at the Rafael Hernández PreK-8 Dual Language School at Boston Public Schools. In Somerville, Paulina previously served as Program Coordinator and Program and Assessment Specialist for Multilingual Learner Education. She is also an educational consultant for the English Learners Success Forum and has taught as adjunct faculty at Lesley University and UMass Boston. Paulina holds a Master of Education in Curriculum and Teaching and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Hispanic Language and Literature from Boston University. She also earned a Graduate Certificate in Bilingual Special Education from The George Washington University. She is trilingual in English, Greek, and Spanish and is currently learning Portuguese. Her work focuses on advancing equity, multilingualism, and academic achievement for multilingual learners through inclusive, research-based practices.  Nancy Uribe, M.A., C.A.G.S. (2025-2027)
✉️ nancyuribe@verizon.net Nancy Uribe (she/ella) is the ESL Coordinator for Lafayette School at Everett Public Schools, MA. Previously, she was a bilingual elementary school teacher in other MA districts. With over 25 years of experience in bilingual elementary education, Nancy has cultivated a deep understanding of the linguistic, academic, and social challenges faced by our young English language learners. Nancy has also been an Adjunct Professor at Salem State University for more than 10 years, where she is dedicated to empowering multilingual educators through innovative language instruction strategies and culturally responsive teaching. At Salem State, she develops and oversees ESL programming that supports students in acquiring the language proficiency and academic skills necessary for collegiate success. Nancy holds a master’s degree in Education and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Bilingual Education. She has a strong background in applied linguistics, which informs her student-centered approach and commitment to academic equity. Nancy regularly presents at regional conferences and contributes to initiatives that support linguistic diversity in academia. Her professional philosophy centers on the belief that every student, regardless of language background, deserves the tools and support to thrive academically and personally. She is a passionate advocate for bilingual education, for educational access, and believes in the transformative power of language learning to bridge cultures and expand opportunity.
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BOARD MEETING SCHEDULE 2024-25
Members are encouraged to join Board Meetings on Zoom. MABE members are encouraged to participate in any of these committees. Email the Board Chair of the Committee if you're interested in joining.
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