This collaborative professional learning session focuses on High Leverage Practice 14: Cognitive and Metacognitive Strategies. Participants will examine how educational professionals (including special education and ESL teachers) can strengthen instructional decision-making to build student independence through self-study and teacher-as-researcher approaches. Educators will engage with practical examples, reflective tools, and research-informed strategies that support students in taking greater ownership of their learning. All teachers are welcome to attend.

Please open the pdf file below to view and register

Building Learner Independence.pdf

Two key bills are up tomorrow in the Senate Public Education Subcommittee tomorrow afternoon: SB 685 (codifies existing federal civil rights obligations regarding language access in public schools) and SB 491(privacy and other protections for immigrant youth in schools).  Unfortunately remote testimony is unlikely based on the subcommittee meetings held so far, but please let us know if you can join us in Richmond tomorrow.  

Here are the bills:  SB 685 https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB685

                                  SB 491https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB491

We would love stories/anecdotes (the blog post did not result in any) if folks have time to share them here. These can be anonymous but help us with our testimony and with talking to legislators. 

Amy Walters

Associate Director of Clinics

Legal Aid Justice Center

302-593-7653 (cell)

Proposed 2026 legislation impacting VATESOL Teachers and Students: 

• Student Protections to ensure that all children in Virginia have equal access to public education by: 

• Codifying the constitutional right to education regardless of immigration status 

• Establishing uniform procedures for law enforcement access to schools 

• Protecting student privacy and preventing discriminatory practices 

• Providing enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance 

• Clarifying that Virginia’s Human Rights Act covers students in schools 

• Meaningful Language Access Provisions for Students and Families  

• Codification of funding add-ons for high-need students including English Language Learners 

• Increasing funding add-ons for high-need students 

From funding to protecting students, here are three ways to make an impact on Virginia’s budget and legislation this winter. 

1. Take 3 minutes to anonymously share your experiences as a teacher or the experiences of your students and their families.  Hearts and minds (and legislators!) are persuaded by stories, and we need to hear from you – both the good and the bad. Do you have a student who has succeeded because of the resources you were able to offer? Are you underfunded and/or short-staffed? Have your students suffered from discriminatory harassment? Has attendance dropped since January 2025? We are seeking individual stories and specific anecdotes from teachers about their experiences and the experiences of their students to assist in our advocacy efforts. 

 Tell us you story link: https://tinyurl.com/tellus2026

1. Follow relevant bills through the General Assembly, write your legislators, and provide public comment (written, virtual, or in-person) when the bill is in sub-committee.  Legal Aid Justice Center will work with VATESOL to share information on proposed legislation that will impact your teaching and your students.  There is little advanced notice, but you can work with the Legal Aid Justice Center to draft a brief statement or letter before session begins on January 14. 

1. Include your students in the legislative process: 

• Legal Aid Justice Center and/or the Youth Advocacy Clinic from UVA Law are happy to present on civic engagement generally or specific proposed legislation, and we can facilitate student and teacher advocacy. 

• You can develop public comment as a class or small group 

• Submit it in writing 

• Have it read by an advocate in-person 

• Testify virtually 

• Bring yourself and/or your students to the General Assembly 

• FundOurSchools’ Lobby Day is February 3; Register here 

• VACALOA also is hosting a Lobby Day on February 3 

For more information or questions, reach out to Amy Walters at the Legal Aid Justice Center: amyw@justice4all.org. 

 

1. Follow relevant bills through the General Assembly, write your legislators, and provide public comment (written, virtual, or in-person) when the bill is in sub-committee.  Legal Aid Justice Center will work with VATESOL to share information on proposed legislation that will impact your teaching and your students.  There is little advanced notice, but you can work with the Legal Aid Justice Center to draft a brief statement or letter before session begins on January 14. 

2. Include your students in the legislative process: 

• Legal Aid Justice Center and/or the Youth Advocacy Clinic from UVA Law are happy to present on civic engagement generally or specific proposed legislation, and we can facilitate student and teacher advocacy. 

• You can develop public comment as a class or small group 

• Submit it in writing 

• Have it read by an advocate in-person 

• Testify virtually 

• Bring yourself and/or your students to the General Assembly 

• FundOurSchools’ Lobby Day is February 3; Register here 

• VACALOA also is hosting a Lobby Day on February 3 

For more information or questions, reach out to Amy Walters at the Legal Aid Justice Center: amyw@justice4all.org. 

1. 
   

For more information or questions, reach out to Amy Walters at the Legal Aid Justice Center: amyw@justice4all.org. 

 

• Meaningful Language Access Provisions for Students and Families  

• Codification of funding add-ons for high-need students including English Language Learners 

• Increasing funding add-ons for high-need students 

From funding to protecting students, here are three ways to make an impact on Virginia’s budget and legislation this winter. 

1. Take 3 minutes to anonymously share your experiences as a teacher or the experiences of your students and their families.  Hearts and minds (and legislators!) are persuaded by stories, and we need to hear from you – both the good and the bad. Do you have a student who has succeeded because of the resources you were able to offer? Are you underfunded and/or short-staffed? Have your students suffered from discriminatory harassment? Has attendance dropped since January 2025? We are seeking individual stories and specific anecdotes from teachers about their experiences and the experiences of their students to assist in our advocacy efforts. 

Survey Link: https://forms.office.com/r/ztXnEL5Zjf

For more information or questions, reach out to Amy Walters at the Legal Aid Justice Center: amyw@justice4all.org. 

 

Proposed 2026 legislation impacting VATESOL Teachers and Students: 

• Student Protections to ensure that all children in Virginia have equal access to public education by: 

• Codifying the constitutional right to education regardless of immigration status 

• Establishing uniform procedures for law enforcement access to schools 

• Protecting student privacy and preventing discriminatory practices 

• Providing enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance 

• Clarifying that Virginia’s Human Rights Act covers students in schools

• For more information or questions, reach out to Amy Walters at the Legal Aid Justice Center: amyw@justice4all.org. 

 

The Satchel is a web application designed to streamline the alignment of the WIDA English Language Development Standards with the Virginia Standards of Learning for English, History and Social Science, Mathematics, and Science.  

 

This format provides educators and leaders readily accessible and aligned competencies, skills, and standards that are needed to support the instruction of English Learners in the four core content areas. With this alignment, teachers can confidently design instruction that fosters both language development and academic success across the content areas. 

Watch this video to learn how to navigate through the Satchel and begin your journey to language integrated content instruction.

All the best,

Jo-el Cox

Coordinator of Multilingual Learner Instruction

Round Table Session Follow Up

We enjoyed seeing you at VATESOL in Richmond Nov. 13-14! One of the many awesome things you can look for on this year’s program are “Key Take-Away” sessions. During Key Take-Away sessions, we’ve set aside open time and space for you to process the many great new ideas you’re learning. We hope you took advantage of the roundtable time to talk with other conference attendees about how you can take-away new learnings and apply those directly to your everyday work. We can’t wait to hear what your next step are! If you want to share please email our Blog editor Lisa Johnson at johnsonlisarose@gmail.com

Hello fellow VATESOL members and allies.

I am Lisa Johnson the VATESOL Blog Editor, and advocate for English Language Learners.

Are you looking for a summer book club to help you get ready to start your next school. Do you want to make your classroom more responsive but are not sure how? 

This summer I will lead a book club for educators and allies.

We will be reading Paula Denton and Roxann Kriete's the First Six Weeks of school. Asa group we will come together and discuss the text and how we can build social emotional learning activities into our practice.

If you are interested we will meet in late July and 2 times in August via Zoom.

If you want to learn more about the book and the authors you can read more here.

You may order the book for anywhere books are sold but I prefer Abe.com or Alibris.com for affordability.

The ISBN # is 9781892989048

If you are interested in joining  kindly complete the Google form here by July 15th.

Call for Proposals The Call For Proposals for our 2025 Fall Conference remains open! We love to offer a diverse set of presentations from our wide range of membership, so all are welcome and encouraged to submit by July 15. Conference Theme Advocating for Excellence in Multilingual Education

Submit a Proposal