*This letter was originally published on May 30th, 2019.
Dear Commissioner Infante-Green:
(español abajo)
As a strong supporter of multilingual learners, we are honored to welcome you to Rhode Island. We are a coalition of organizations dedicated to creating an educational environment where all students are building on their rich linguistic and cultural strengths. We look forward to working with you and we offer these brief reflections about our vision for a multilingual Rhode Island.
First and foremost, we envision a Rhode Island public school system where all students have access to dual language programs and the opportunity to learn in multiple languages -- spoken, signed, and classical -- from pre-K to college. We envision a future where every English speaking child learns a second language from preschool on, and every English learner learns English while attaining full literacy in their native language. We hope to see a Rhode Island that is the first truly multilingual state.
We are following your leadership and will continue to support educational leaders and lawmakers to strengthen their own commitment to culturally sustaining pedagogies and educational equity. We believe that this transformational moment in our state’s history demands innovative ideas. We imagine a pipeline for preparing a multilingual teacher workforce drawing from our local communities and the native countries of our students and a sustainable coordination of professional development and resource cultivation across districts. We believe this must involve a network of community-based organizations generated by youth, parents and more that promote diverse identities and new economic opportunities at the cross section between local and global markets.
Rhode Island will be the pioneer for a fully multilingual education system that encourages students to enter leading career fields as global citizens and, to more importantly, tap into the fundamentals of human empathy and deepen our intercultural understanding. We offer these ideas as the beginning of a dialogue that seeks to collaborate and guide the Rhode Island Department of Education to serve and draw from the wealth of linguistic and educational knowledge inherent in our communities and abroad so every student can take on the global challenges of the 21st century and beyond.
We can do this all -- in the little state of Rhode Island.
Estimada Comisionada Infante-Green:
Como defensores firmes de los estudiantes multilingües, nos sentimos honrados de darle la bienvenida a Rhode Island. Somos una coalición de organizaciones dedicadas a crear un entorno educativo en el que todos los estudiantes puedan desarrollar su fortalezas lingüísticas y riqueza cultural. Esperamos trabajar con usted y ofrecerle estas breves reflexiones sobre nuestra visión de un Rhode Island multilingüe.
Antes que nada, imaginamos un sistema educativo público en Rhode Island donde todos los estudiantes tengan acceso a programas de lenguaje dual y la oportunidad de aprender en varios idiomas en forma hablada, de señas y clásica, desde preescolar hasta la universidad. Imaginamos un futuro en el cual todos los niños de habla inglesa aprendan un segundo idioma desde la etapa preescolar, y en el que cada estudiante aprendiendo inglés pueda al mismo tiempo obtener una alfabetización completa en su idioma nativo. Esperamos ver un Rhode Island que sea el primer estado verdaderamente multilingüe.
Continuaremos apoyando su liderazgo e incentivando a líderes educativos y a legisladores para que fortalezcan su propio compromiso con las pedagogías culturales sostenidas y la equidad educativa. Creemos que este momento de transformación en la historia de nuestro estado exige ideas innovadoras. Imaginamos un plan para preparar una fuerza de trabajo docente multilingüe que salga de nuestras comunidades locales y de los países nativos de nuestros estudiantes, y una coordinación sostenible de desarrollo profesional y cultivacion de recursos en los distritos del estado. Creemos que esto debe involucrar una red de organizaciones comunitarias generadas por jóvenes, padres y demás que promuevan diversas identidades y nuevas oportunidades económicas en la intersección entre los mercados locales y globales.
Rhode Island será el pionero de un sistema educativo totalmente multilingüe que aliente a los estudiantes a ingresar a los campos profesionales más importantes como ciudadanos globales y, lo que es más importante, aprovechar los fundamentos de la empatía humana y profundizar nuestra comprensión intercultural. Ofrecemos estas ideas como el inicio de un diálogo que busca colaborar y guiar al Departamento de Educación de Rhode Island para servir y aprovechar la riqueza del conocimiento lingüístico y educativo inherente en nuestras comunidades y en el extranjero para que cada estudiante pueda asumir los desafíos globales del siglo XXI y más allá.
Podemos hacer todo esto, en el pequeño estado de Rhode Island.
Sinceramente/Yours,
Erin L. Papa, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, World Languages Education
Rhode Island College
Veronika Kot, Esq.
Education Law Attorney
Rhode Island Legal Services
Christopher Sanacore, M.A.
Checkmate Consulting Group
Christopher McLaughlin
Touring Professional
Amy Maslyn
Director
New Era Enrichment Academy
Adriana Neira
Student
University of Rhode Island
Becky Klassen
Spanish Teacher/Assistant Professor, Henry Barnard School
Rhode Island College
Brad Hevenor
Parent of DLI Student, Peace Dale Elementary School
Rachel Dahl
South Kingstown DLI Program
Beth Voilette
Green Building Consultant
Sustainable Design Consulting
Christian Andrade
Andrew Corsini
President
Supfina Machine Company, Inc.
Jeff Foye
Parent of DLI Student, Peace Dale Elementary School
Adrienne Jones Daly
Parent of DLI Student, Peace Dale Elementary School
Michaela McCaughey
Spanish Teacher & Dual Enrollment Coordinator
TAPA: Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts
Melissa Jenkins Ph.D.
Medical Director
BrainworksRI
Sigrid Berka, Ph.D.
Executive Director, International Engineering Program (IEP)
University of Rhode Island
Nancy Maguire Heath
Director
RI School for the Deaf
Alexis Robbins
Artistic Director/Choreographer
kamrDANCE
Debra Rodgers
Clinician
The Providence Center
Michelangelo la Luna
Professor
University of Rhode Island
Abdelnasser Hussein
Head of School
Islamic School of Rhode Island
Catherine Hidalgo
Parks and Recreation Coordinator
City of Central Falls
Bryant A. Estrada
Mathematics Teacher
Blackstone Academy Charter School
Tracey Giron
Director of Parks & Recreation & Community Services
City of Central Falls
Astrid Gabriel
Karey Bouvier
ESL teacher
Providence Public School Department
Eliesel Morales
Video Producer
Steer Digital Media
Laurilim Rosado Martinez
Presidente
Mujeres Positivas
Elizabeth A Morais
Professor of Spanish and Portuguese
Community College of RI
Britney Dias
Karen Papa
Classroom Volunteer, DLI Kindergarten
Peace Dale Elementary, South Kingstown
Dorca M. Paulino
Diversity Director
Rhode Island Supreme Court
Stephanie Olarte
Founder/ Executive Director
Caneiwalk
LeAnne Spino-Seijas
Assistant Professor of Spanish, Proficiency Coordinator
The University of Rhode Island
Eileen Daly
DLI kindergarten teacher
Peace Dale Elementary School
John P. Boyle, CPA
Audit Semi-Senior
CBIZ/MHM
Jesús de la Torre
DLI Spanish Kindergarten Teacher
Peace Dale Elementary School
Peter Jones
Family Therapist
Clinical and Support Options inc.
Yasmine Lima
Victoria Rodriguez
Community Organizer
Janet Smith
Classroom Volunteer
Peace Dale Elementary School DLI Program
Shirley X. Moore
Parent of DLI Student at Nathanael Greene Elementary
Founder of Be Moore Interpreting
Yasmin Peña
DLI Spanish Immersion Teacher
South Kingstown School District
Jess Evora
Founder
RANJAnow.org
Sol Hernandez
DLI Grade 1 Spanish teacher
South Kingstown High School
Jessica Vega
Councilwoman
Central Falls City Council
Nathan Carpenter
Chair
Rhode Island Progressive Democrats of America
María Rivera
President
Central Falls City Council
Daniella Magana
Central Falls Resident
Katie Nerstheimer
English Learner Teacher and DLI parent
South Kingstown School Department
Marcela Betancur
Executive Director
Latino Policy Institute
Rep. Karen Alzate
City of Pawtucket
Gabrielle Porcaro
DLI Grade 2 Teacher
Peace Dale Elementary School
Melanie Petrichko
Kindergarten DLI Teacher- English
WKES, South Kingstown School District
Yamil Baez
Terri McKinney
First Grade DLI teacher
Peace Dale Elementary
Keith Catone
Executive Director
Center for Youth & Community Leadership in Education (CYCLE)
Katherine Lang
South Kingstown, RI
Rachel Toncelli
Assistant Professor, TESOL Program
Rhode Island College
Andrea
Teacher, BVP
Valerie Maier-Speredelozzi, PhD
Associate Professor, Engineering and DLI Parent
University of Rhode Island
Dalila Torres
Third Grade Spanish Teacher
Peace Dale Elementary
Rabia Hos
Assistant Professor, TESOL and Dual Language Education
University of Rhode Island
Nilson DaSilva
Spanish and Portuguese Teacher
Central Falls High School
Kristin Tisdale
Teacher of Spanish/DLI Parent West Kingston Elementary
Portsmouth Schools