Nov 7, 2024

Remaining Steadfast in Our Support of Multilingual Learners

Written by

ELSF Staff

We believe that every multilingual learner deserves the opportunity to thrive in both school and in society. It is imperative that we remain united in our efforts to prioritize these students by ensuring they have access to inclusive instructional materials.

ELSF will continue working with decision-makers at the state and district levels to help create learning environments that celebrate our nation’s linguistic diversity. We invite our community to join us in this important work by championing the needs and strengths of MLLs.

In solidarity, we are calling for collaboration and dialogue among all stakeholders to help create an educational system that truly embraces inclusivity and excellence for every student, regardless of the political environment.

Together, we can build a future where multilingual learners are empowered and poised for success.

Crystal Gonzales is the Executive Director of the ELSF where she collaborates with national experts, organizations, educators and content developers to increase the supply of quality of K-12 instructional materials that meet the needs of the growing EL population. Previously, as a program officer at the Helmsley Charitable Trust, she collaborated with national K-12 organizations with a focus on teacher professional development, quality instructional materials, and advocacy for underserved communities. In this role, she worked with EL experts to elevate the needs of ELs among grantees and her grantmaking peers. Crystal began her career as a 4th grade bilingual teacher in Houston ISD. She is currently a member of Education Leaders of Color, Latinos for Education, and is a Pahara NextGen fellow. Crystal holds a master’s in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago and a B.A. from the University of New Mexico. She is a proud native New Mexican and currently resides in Albuquerque, NM.

The mission of the English Learners Success Forum (ELSF) is to collaborate with field-leading researchers, district leaders, teachers, content creators, and education funders to improve the supply and accessibility of high-quality K-12 mainstream instructional materials that address the linguistic and cultural needs of ELs while building smart demand to reach educators at scale – all with the goal of providing ELs full access to grade-level content and quality learning. Unlike most efforts that aim to improve EL learning outcomes, ELSF focuses exclusively on ensuring that full-year core instructional materials guide teachers in addressing these students’ varying needs.