Save the date for #MABE2025! MABE is already preparing for our Dual Language Bilingual Education Annual Conference, set to take place Saturday, March 8, 2025 in the UMass Amherst Center at Springfield. We are also planning for our Pre-Conference School visits and our Pre-Conference Advocacy Roundtable early in 2025. Stay tuned for more information coming soon!

Registration deadline for MABE's DLBE Leader Network is this Wednesday, September 18!   REGISTER NOW For DLBE program, school, and district leaders/administrators, such as principals, assistant principals, district leaders, and department heads. Participants will focus on deconstructing and finding solutions for agreed-upon common issues in the field.

Email us for group registrations. 

Learn about our Dual Language Bilingual Education Networks.

Email us for group registrations.  Learn about our Dual Language Bilingual Education Networks.

What do your colleagues have to say about our DLBE Networks?

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

Last year's reviews:

MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER NETWORK 

"I appreciated being able to hear the perspective of someone who is still doing this work currently, and who has a deep understanding of DLE. There was a 'realness' to the sessions and also a willingness to experiment with some of the more theoretical ideas that I found really refreshing and validating."

LEADER NETWORK

"Being a part of this network was instrumental for me as I am a first-year DL leader. I learned from MABE representatives and district leaders that went through the process of establishing successful DL programs. I learned so much about DL pedagogy as well, which I was then able to give PD on for DL teachers, paras, and other building administrators." 

COACH NETWORK 

"This work helped me understand the pillars of DLE and also deepened my knowledge of collaborating with visiting teachers and new teachers to DLE! I loved working with peers in breakout rooms, being able to hear, share, and get new ideas. I gained ideas about new implementation strategies that I applied right away." 

SPECIAL EDUCATION NETWORK  

"There is so much validation and learning happening when I get to hear thoughtful, experienced people navigate the issues that I see in my own space. It so often feels like I'm on an island. It's nice to hear from colleagues who are wrestling with the same issues." 

ELEMENTARY TEACHER NETWORK 

"Every session was a new learning experience. I think being in a group of DL educators and sharing ideas and ways to implement and provide a better service to our MLLs was the best. Definitely going to help me support my students more and will enhance my professional practice." 

Email us for group registrations. 

Learn about our Dual Language Bilingual Education Networks. 

A message from MABE's President, Michael Gary Hello, ¡Bienvenidos a / Bem Vindos a / Welcome to School Year 2024-25! Let’s take a moment to reflect on all that we have accomplished in these 50 years together for our multilingual learners. Every single one of us that works in this field, no matter our role(s), is a leader and learner, a changemaker and a policymaker for, and on behalf of, our students. We have a lot to celebrate and even more to work toward to reach for our vision of equity in education. I am unbelievably proud to serve for these next two years as MABE’s President. This is a humbling experience. I have served our multilingual learners and families first as a teacher, then as a district director, a school-based coach, and an assistant principal. This year, I have returned to the classroom as an English Language Development (ELD) Teacher. As your MABE President, I serve you. Our Board of Directors and staff serve you. We are stewards of our mission and vision so that we can all collaborate together so the next 50 years will truly change the world for our students. MABE is extremely excited to offer our members a rich agenda of events, activities, and services:

MABE’s 50th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION MABE is turning 50 years old! You are cordially invited to register for MABE’s 50th Birthday Celebration. Come honor bilingual education’s past, present, and future with us! Dance to live music from the Hartt Salsa All-Stars, memorialize history, and enjoy cocktails and appetizers on Friday, November 22, 2024 in Mechanics Hall, Worcester, MA. Sponsors accepted.

REGISTER AND SPONSOR #MABE50

DUAL LANGUAGE BILINGUAL EDUCATION NETWORKS  You’re invited to our Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) Networks for Leaders, Elementary Teachers, Middle School Teachers, Coaches, and Special Educators. We welcome your participation in these networks where you can work with colleagues to build systems of support that sustain effective, research-driven DLBE programs.  Our special topic network this year is Bilingual Research, free to members in good standing. This network will feature local research, and any members interested in learning more about DLBE research and how it can impact DLBE programs are welcome to register.

REGISTER FOR NETWORKS

DUAL LANGUAGE BILINGUAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE We are already preparing for our annual conference, set to take place Saturday, March 8, 2025 in the UMass Amherst Center at Springfield. We are also planning for our Pre-Conference School visits and our Pre-Conference Advocacy Roundtable early in 2025.

CHANGES TO MABE

• New Board of Directors for 24-25

• Meg Burns is the New Director of Professional Learning. We are happy to announce that Dr. Meg Burns is MABE’s new full-time Director of Professional Learning. Meg has been involved with MABE since 2016 as a Board Member, President, and collaborator. Meg brings expertise in language acquisition, early language and literacy development, biliteracy instruction, whiteness studies, culturally responsive pedagogy, family and community engagement, and qualitative research methods. Born and raised in MA, Meg learned Spanish as a second language and taught 1st grade in a public DLBE school. She holds a BA from Vassar College, an MA in Applied Linguistics from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and a PhD in Educational Equity and Cultural Diversity from the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she delivered Literacy Squared PD nationwide. Meg is the co-developer of LibrosforLanguage.org and has been a member of the MA BESE’s ELL/Bilingual Education Advisory Council. Most recently, she served as Associate Professor of TESOL and Bilingual Education at Lesley University and conducted research in local DLBE schools.
  
  

• Doug Hardy is retiring. Thank you, Doug, for your work as MABE’s Fiscal Administrative Assistant for 3 years! He is looking forward to spending more time traveling and gardening.

Additionally, MABE continues to offer Consulting Services and help with advocacy. Feel free to contact our Executive Director, Phyllis Hardy, with any questions about Consulting or Advocacy.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you need us. 

Michael Gary
MABE President (2024-2026) 

Contact: Phyllis Hardy, MABE Executive Director 

PRESS RELEASE 

MABE Partners With DLNeM on National Professional Development Grant
Project SEMBRAR To Support Multilingual Educators in MA, RI, CT, NM 

Ashland, MA (September 6, 2024) — The Multistate Association for Bilingual Education, Northeast (MABE) has been awarded a highly competitive grant to collaborate with Dual Language Education of New Mexico (DLeNM) and Educators for a Multilingual Multicultural America (EMMA) on Project SEMBRAR (Sustaining Equity through Mentorship for Bilingual Teacher Recruitment and Retention).  This grant is part of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Professional Development (NPD) program, the Biden-Harris Administration’s $11 million initiative to “support the recruitment and retention of bilingual and multilingual educators,” said the U.S. Department of Education’s Press Office. 

Project SEMBRAR is a Grow-Your-Own (GYO) model that aims to increase the number of certified bilingual and Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) teachers, creating new supportive pathways for both pre- and in-service educators in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Mexico. Through Project SEMBRAR, MABE will further its mission of identifying, promoting, and disseminating research-based programs and practices that support multilingualism and multiculturalism for educational success. Anchored in the National Dual Language Education Teacher Preparation “EMMA” Standards (Guerrero & Lachance, 2018), Project SEMBRAR will employ mentorship and Professional Development (PD) as key levers of change to recruit, support, and retain bilingual teachers. 

“MABE is energized and inspired by the opportunity to collaborate with DLeNM to support the multilingual teacher pipeline through Project SEMBRAR,” said MABE’s Executive Director, Phyllis Hardy. “Our innovative mentorship model creates the conditions for bilingual teachers to be better supported and for experienced bilingual teachers to advance their PD by becoming mentors. Importantly, the project not only addresses the bilingual teacher shortage but also launches the EMMA Standards, which propels our field forward by outlining and defining the competencies that make a quality bilingual teacher. We are honored to have been granted this opportunity and are ready to start work with our partners to continue supporting bilingual educators, and therefore, our English learners.”

DLeNM’s Executive Director, Michael Rodríguez, said, “This grant will help us strengthen efforts to effectively recruit and retain bilingual educators, ensuring that all students have access to the high-quality DLBE programs they deserve.” 

MABE’s involvement in this prestigious consortium is a significant milestone in the organization’s ongoing commitment to inclusive educational practices, and addresses a critical need to equitably serve diverse educational landscapes and the growing number of multilingual learners in DLBE programs.  

For more information about MABE, please visit mabene.org.

   

View PDF Press Release here. 

Join us at MABE's DLBE Special Education Network! 

This year, participants will focus on creating their Special Education Guidelines for Multilingual Learners, with a focus on guidelines for assessment. 

Registration closes Tuesday, October 15, 2024.

Email us for group registrations.  Learn about our Dual Language Bilingual Education Networks.

MABE is turning 50 years! You are cordially invited to register for MABE’s 50th Birthday Celebration. Come honor bilingual education’s past, present, and future with us! Dance to live music from The Hartt Salsa All-Stars, memorialize history, & enjoy appetizers on Friday, November 22, 2024 at 5:30pm in Mechanics Hall, Worcester, MA. Cash bar open. To honor the past, we will present Lifetime Achievement Awards to honor individuals who influenced our Dual Language Bilingual Education landscape.

Share this celebration with past members and partners! Learn more about becoming a sponsor here.

Join us at MABE's DLBE Elementary Teacher Network! 

This year, participants will focus on translanguaging and oracy strategies. 

Registration closes Wednesday, October 2, 2024.

Email us for group registrations.  Learn about our Dual Language Bilingual Education Networks.

Protect National Language Education Program Funding

The House and Senate Appropriations Committees have now approved separate versions of FY2025 education and defense funding, and they remain very far apart on spending levels. Let's educate Congress on the value and importance of these critical language education programs!

LEARN MORE AND TAKE ACTION

The House bill’s proposed elimination of Title II-A and Title III would remove all specially directed funding for the more than 5 million English Learners in this country and delete the federal government’s largest investment in professional development for K-12 teachers and school leaders. Similarly, the Senate’s proposed $5 million cut to WLARA would significantly pare back federal investments in innovative world language programs at military-connected public schools. But we have time to push back on these devastating budget cuts!

Check out our advocacy pages for each state to stay up-to-date with our Advocacy efforts: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island.

Email us with any advocacy news.

Join us at MABE's DLBE Coach Network! 

This year, participants will focus on problems of practice and on "dualificando" their coaching toolbox. 

Registration closes Tuesday, October 1, 2024. 

Email us for group registrations.  Learn about our Dual Language Bilingual Education Networks.