Yvonne Williams, a seasoned educator and presenter, serves as the Vice President of Educator Engagement at WCEPS, where she spearheads initiatives to empower educators and foster collaboration with Local Education Agencies (LEAs). Her work is deeply rooted in understanding and aligning with the goals of schools and districts, ensuring impactful outcomes for all learners with an emphasis on multilingual learners.

Yvonne also leads a team of 35 highly skilled coaches who support schools across the country in implementing WCEPS programs, providing tailored guidance and fostering lasting growth. Yvonne’s personal and professional journey is a testament to resilience and passion. Born in Chihuahua, Mexico, she moved to the United States at age 5, her experiences as an English language learner shaped her commitment to a positive impact in the field of education. With over 30 years in the field, Yvonne has worked with diverse student populations across all grade levels, PK to high school, advocating for the success of learners and their families.

Prior to her current role, Yvonne spent three transformative years at WIDA as a Professional Learning Specialist, contributing to educator development on a global scale. She is also the architect of a nationally recognized coaching program at WCEPS, designed to provide ongoing, collaborative support for educators, moving beyond traditional professional development to foster lasting change in classrooms. While guiding the coaching work to include university credit.

A first-generation college graduate, Yvonne holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Angelo State University and a master’s in Bilingual Education from NOVA Southeastern University. Her credentials are further enhanced by endorsements in TESL, Bilingual Education, and Computer Literacy. Her dedication extends beyond her professional life to her family, proudly raising two accomplished sons and living in Washington State with her husband.

As a dynamic presenter, Yvonne combines her rich personal narrative, deep expertise, and practical strategies to inspire and equip educators during her sessions. Her vision is to cultivate a supportive learning environment that celebrates the strengths of k-12 learners and empower educators to drive meaningful change.

Amy King has more than 20 years of experience in the field of English language teaching and learning both in the US and overseas. Before joining WCEPS, Ms. King was a Senior Professional Learning Specialist at WIDA for more than six years. She taught ESL in K–12 public schools, private language schools, and adult education programs. Internationally, she has taught in both Slovakia and South Korea. In Banska Bystrica, she was a visiting lecturer at Mateja Bela University. In Seoul, she worked at Shin–il High School as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant and at the Foreign Language Institute of Yonsei University. She was an English Language Fellow at Hanoi Metropolitan University in Vietnam through a program sponsored by the US State Department. She holds a BS in Speech and an MS in Journalism from Northwestern University near Chicago. She earned a TESOL Certificate from American University in Washington, DC and a Multiple–Subject Teaching Credential from National University in San Diego. In addition to certificates in Blended Learning, Microlearning and E–Learning, she earned a Master of Instructional Design from the Association of Talent Development. She is currently working on a MS in Educational and Instructional Technology also through National University.

Margarita Marrero has 16 years of experience in public education with a passion and focus on improving school systems to integrate literacy and content instruction to provide access and equity to English Learners. Her experience includes serving as a secondary math consultant for the Region 19 Education Service Center in El Paso, Texas. She has taught Spanish and math at a dual-language elementary school in Miami, Florida, as well as high school math in El Paso, Texas. She has served on campus leadership teams as an instructional coach for a public high school and as an assistant principal for a 6-12 all-girls college preparatory public school.
Margarita’s guiding educational philosophy is that learning is inherently a socio-cultural process, therefore, learning occurs with a balance of finding and leveraging unique strengths while creating accountability for growth that is culturally responsive to the learner. She was born and raised in El Paso, Texas, and is of Mexican and Cuban descent. She received her Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from the College of Human Development at Lamar University and her Bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, with a major in Psychology and a minor in Mathematics. She is fluently bilingual in both English and Spanish.

Nora has been a Dual Language educator for the past 12 years and is now a Dual Language Instructional Coach and Teaching & Learning Administrator in North Chicago, IL.  She holds a BA in Communication and Latino Studies, a MA in Elementary Education, a MA in Curriculum & Instruction with ESL/Bilingual endorsements, and is finalizing her dissertation for a PhD in Educational Leadership.  Her research centers around building capacity, confidence, and community through leadership and coaching in Dual Language.  She is passionate about elevating the voices of teachers and students to cultivate a love of learning, increase teacher retention, and improve learning outcomes for our multilingual students.

From the vibrant borderland of Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua and El Paso, Texas, Adriana brings a unique personal perspective to her role. As an English learner herself and a mother of bilingual children, she understands the challenges and benefits of bilingualism. With over a decade of experience in bilingual early childhood education, specializing in working with multilingual students across different levels of biliteracy, Adriana offers a wealth of expertise to her position. Holding a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, with a focus on literacy, language, and culture, she emphasizes critical and multicultural perspectives on language and literacy in K-5 education. 
Adriana’s approach to conceptualizing reading, language, and literacy education is centered on culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogies for students of diverse ethnolinguistic backgrounds. She is an advocate of social justice and equity within language and literacy curriculum and instruction, drawing on research-based best practices in teaching reading, language acquisition, and assessment. Adriana’s commitment extends beyond the classroom as she has served as the NM Teacher Pipeline director, working to help sustain a diverse and robust teacher pipeline with partnering school districts in collaboration with New Mexico State University across the southwest of New Mexico. Currently pursuing a PhD at New Mexico State University, her research is centered on advancing bilingual early childhood education. In her role as a visiting assistant professor at NMSU, Adriana is poised to leverage her expertise to empower educators and promote excellence in bilingual education.

I have 32 years of teaching experience, including 25 years in English as a second language (ESL) and bilingual classrooms. I have taught students from kindergarten through middle school. For 12 years, I led two-way immersion classes in kindergarten and second grade, teaching both Spanish and English. I taught ESL and Spanish as a second language in middle school. I am originally from Puerto Rico, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in School Leadership from the University of Puerto Rico. Additionally, I hold ESL and bilingual endorsements and am TEFL certified.

With over 25 years of experience in both private and public education as an English, ELL and Bilingual instructor, Laura Chávez-Dávalos is currently the director of the Office of Learning Services at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago). In this role she oversees the provision of the college’s Bridge Program, academic strategies courses, peer tutoring, peer mentoring, academic coaching, study tables and disability services. 
A former high school ELL department chair, she has taught all levels of high school ELL and team-taught content courses to multilingual learners at the high school level. At the college level, she has taught ELL Composition and Bilingual Methods to aspiring educators.  
Chávez-Dávalos is a native of El Paso, Texas, who obtained a BA in English and MA in Curriculum and Instruction from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Cross-cultural and bilingual, Chávez-Dávalos is dedicated to removing barriers to student success at all levels.

After her tenure as ESL, Bilingual Special Education teacher, Title Vll Administrator and ESL Specialist for the Boston Public Schools, Anne Dolan joined the Professional Learning Team of MATSOL: Massachusetts Educators of English Language Learners, to focus her experience and expertise on supporting teachers and leaders with their roles in instruction, curriculum, assessment and leadership related to ELLs. Anne designs and implements professional development initiatives that are tailored to district needs and also supports a range of educator collaboration groups in MATSOL, the annual conference, and strategic planning for professional development capacity.Anne is a highly skilled and sought after licensed WCEPS/WIDA Trainer. She is responsive to the multiple entry points in learning about English language learners, and to the different educator roles and needs. Anne is also part of WIDA’s Master Cadre of instructors supporting early childhood and PK teachers with Early ELD Standards for 2.5-5.5 year olds. Anne’s hallmark is modeling and engaging participants with effective strategies and practices for ELLS in her coursework. You can be confident that her WCEPS WIDA presentations will be thoughtfully and responsively designed with great pacing, time for reflection and practical application.

Gwyneth Dean-Fastnacht is an ELS Instructional Specialist with over twenty-five years of experience working with culturally and linguistically diverse students in the K-12 educational system in the United States and abroad, including South Dakota, Bolivia, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, and China. As an endorsed English as a New Language teacher (ENL), Gwyneth has had a varied career in education with language learners. She has held positions as a high school Newcomer Program ESL teacher, a multi-age/multi-grade EL classroom teacher, and a Professional Development Facilitator.

Gwyneth coordinates the SD State-Wide Title III & Migrant Consortia, working with districts across South Dakota including Native American schools, Hutterite Colony schools, and small rural schools with low incidence of ELs. Her work at the Consortia includes providing on-site and regional professional development, preparing in-service teachers for the ENL Endorsement, and serving on SD Department of Education committees that impact English Learner programs.

She has a B.A. in Child Development from South Dakota State University, a Master’s in Leadership & Administration in Education from Northern State University in Aberdeen, SD, and a Specialist in ESL Degree from the University of Alabama in Birmingham. Gwyneth is a licensed WIDA facilitator.

Veronica Maria Gallardo has over 25 years of experience in K-12 education as an educator and educational leader at the school, district, and state levels. Ms. Gallardo’s most recent role is Assistant Superintendent at the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, leading federal and state oversight of Multilingual Education, Migrant Education, System and School Improvement, Foster Care, Homeless, and Institutional Education. As a K–12 educational leader, Veronica partners with communities, districts, and state educational leaders in Washington and across the United States to design, expand, and maximize services and funding for students and historically underserved youth.  
Her lifelong commitment to education includes seven years as an elementary teacher, Eighteen years as an elementary principal, leadership roles as Director of English Language Learners, Migrant Education, and International Schools, division director for K–12 Education for the City of Seattle, and State Director for Migrant and Bilingual Education. 
Veronica holds a Bachelor’s in American Ethnic Studies, a Master’s in Teaching from the University of Washington, and a Master’s in Educational Policy from Columbia Teachers College and possesses Principal Credentials from the University of Washington.

Babatunji Ifarinu has been working with a wide variety of students since 1997. He was formerly a sheltered social studies teacher in which he delivered instruction to immigrant and refugee students. Babatunji (Tunji) graduated from Florida A & M University with an undergraduate degree in History and Geography. He earned a M.Ed at Georgia State University in Educational Leadership and Supervision.

He was also an ESOL Academic Data Coach at a Middle School that has a student population that is more than a third English language learners. In this position he provided support with content delivery, data collection, and developed an instructional plan called “Planning To S.W.I.R.L.” focusing on teaching using the WIDA standards, language domains, and the can do philosophy. While working in this position he also worked as a School Improvement team member where the instructional plan was adopted as a school wide initiative.

As an ELL Success Facilitator in the largest and most diverse school district in Georgia, he has facilitated workshops to improve instruction for culturally and linguistically diverse students. His workshops and seminars have been delivered at the district level and at local schools.

Dr. Silvia Romero-Johnson is an educational leader in the field of K-12 education. She started her career as a paraprofessional working as liaison, interpreter and translator for Spanish-speaking students and families. She became a bilingual mathematics teacher in bilingual programs. Later, she became a principal for a whole school dual language education community school. She has been serving in cabinet level administrative positions in urban and suburban districts. She is the co-author for the book “Advancing Equity in Dual Language Education: A Guide for Leaders” by Velazquez Press. Her passion is to provide leadership for continuous improvement for leadership teams to sustain culturally and linguistically sustaining and inclusive instruction.

Mishelle is a veteran bilingual teacher from the state of New Mexico. In her 16 years in the classroom she has taught Spanish as a Modern Language, Spanish  for Heritage Speakers and for the last five years was instrumental in developing and aligning Spanish and English language arts for emergent bilingual students and multilingual students in a secondary environment. She was the Bilingual Coordinator at Albuquerque High School, the oldest public high school in the state of New Mexico. Although she currently works as the biliteracy coach at Atrisco Heritage Academy while teaching AP Spanish Literature.

Together with her colleagues, she developed a portfolio process for her students to attain the Bilingual Seal of Literacy offered by Albuquerque Public Schools. Mishelle also worked along with many other New Mexicans to create a book of guidance for the State of New Mexico’s Bilingual Seal of Literacy. She has a BA in Spanish and Sociology, an MA in Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural studies with an emphasis in Bilingual Education, and is ABD at the University of New Mexico.

Mishelle has also been on the board for Dual Language of New Mexico for 12 years. She has worked with WIDA in her state and as an employee. She is very excited to come back and work with WYCEPS as a contractor. She believes that true innovation and collaboration is at the hands of empowered teachers. The more knowledgeable to teachers, the better served the students.

Mishelle is married and has two bilingual children in college. In her home, bilingualism is celebrated and exalted to the point that her children could someday become stand-up comedians dedicated to the fusion of Spanish and English. For Mishelle and her family, bilingualism is not just something out of a book or a theory—it’s a way of life.

Dr. Angelica Kalat is an experienced Bilingual Reading Specialist with over 25 years of teaching expertise in Special Education, English Language Learners and historically underserved populations. She has taught students at the elementary and secondary levels.  Dr. Kalat is known for her commitment to fostering inclusive learning environments, nurturing critical thinking skills and empowering students to reach their potential. Currently, Dr. Kalat teaches literacy and provides academic support for high school students in the western suburbs of Chicago. 
Dr. Kalat holds a BS in Special Education, MA in School Administration, M.Ed in Reading and Literacy, Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with ESL/Bilingual endorsements and is a National Board Certified teacher in English as a New Language. She is passionate about being involved in promoting literacy at the secondary level and connecting with educators to share in discourse and advocate for literacy-based instruction that is accessible to all learners. 

Dr. Claudia Martinez is an ESOL leader at North Tattnall Middle School. She was the 2020 GATESOL Teacher of the Year. Dr. Martinez received the Best Example of Teacher & Student Wellbeing Programs award at the 2022 Georgia Tech and Learning Summit. 
Her personal story proves that students can accomplish anything under the right conditions. Dr. Martinez is a first-generation immigrant and high school graduate. She is a product of public education in a southern rural district. She is passionate about educating others and believes in the importance of critical and culturally sustaining pedagogy. She became an ESOL teacher because she knew firsthand the struggles of EL and Migrant students. “I became an ESOL teacher to help create better learning experiences and opportunities for other minorities,” she said. “I want to show other minority students they can attend college and make a difference. I want them to see me and think, “If she could do it, I can do it too.”

Nora Nasser is an experienced educational leader with over 30 years of national and international experience, serving in various roles including PK-8 classroom teacher, school administrator, instructional specialist, staff development specialist, curriculum developer and facilitator, instructional consultant and coach. Nora’s vast experience, multicultural upbringing and multilingual skills have helped to shape her mission to serve all students and educate the whole child regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, ability, and linguistic assets. Throughout her career, Nora has been committed to being a catalyst and champion for educational change, always engaging in transformative efforts to reimagine a high-performing and more equitable educational system that works for ALL students. It has been Nora’s mission to foster environments where students, educators, families, and organizations can grow and thrive. 

Ellen Parkhurst has been working with educators for the past ten years, providing professional development focusing on WIDA’s Standards and Assessments. She also recently joined the team at Confianza as a coach. She loves working with teachers and learning from them as well as sharing her own expertise. Before becoming a consultant for the WIDA Consortium and Confianza, Ellen worked at the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) on the original test development team for ACCESS for ELLs. She has also served as a teaching assistant for the WIDA Item Writing online course, and a test administrator and monitor for the DC Public Schools. Ellen’s classroom experience includes three years as a public elementary school ESL teacher in Raleigh, North Carolina, and one year as private English as a foreign language tutor in Bilbao, Spain. She holds a B.A. in English and Elementary Education, and a Master’s in Education with a focus on curriculum and instruction and ESL.

Ivonne Perez has been a Special education teacher for more than 20 years in rural middle and high schools.  She got a masters in Bilingual Special Education from the University of Texas at El Paso and a Masters in Education with a focus on Autism from the New Mexico State University.  She has worked with verbal and nonverbal students. Ivonne has worked in different areas such as mathematics and reading with students with learning disabilities.  Prior to this she worked teaching ESL to maquiladora workers in Ciudad Juarez.

Dr. Yesenia Rodriguez has over 18 years of experience in both K-12 public schools and higher education. As a first-generation Latina from a single-parent migrant-seasonal farmworker family, Yesenia brings a unique perspective to her work. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Administrative Office Management from Central Washington State University, followed by a Master’s in Educational Administration from Heritage University, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Washington State University. Additionally, she holds a Society for Human Resource Management certificate from Seattle Colleges. 
Currently, Dr. Rodriguez serves as the Assistant Director for Federal Programs at the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). Her administrative leadership is characterized by a multidimensional approach that includes Adaptive and Servant leadership styles. Her expertise extends to understanding and applying federal and state laws, regulations, and policies that impact student learning, access, retention, and completion. Dr. Rodriguez has taught Workforce Education and Basic Skills courses at a Hispanic Serving Institution. She is deeply committed to supporting staff, educators, administrators, families, and community members within school districts and Local Education Agencies.

Dr. Ryan Rumpf is an educational leader whose work focuses on comprehensive and effective structures, systems and strategies for multilingual learners. He currently serves as the principal of an elementary newcomer program in the Midwest and as an adjunct professor for Missouri Western State University where he teaches courses on laws, policies and programs for multilingual learners.
Dr. Rumpf has 20 years of experience working in K-12 schools as an EL specialist and coordinator both in the United States and Vietnam. He also served as the Director of English Language Development for the Missouri Department of Elementary Education during the development and implementation of Missouri’s ESSA plan and led the state’s Seal of Biliteracy initiative. Dr. Rumpf earned his Ed.D in educational leadership in 2023 from William Woods University.

Marisa Silva is a native of the New Mexico borderlands and was born and raised in Las Cruces. She grew up immersed in the vibrant English-Spanish environment of the sister cities of Las Cruces, El Paso, and Ciudad Juarez. Marisa received a master’s degree from New Mexico State University in Curriculum & Instruction with a minor in bilingual education in 2005, and returned again to graduate school as a James Madison Memorial Foundation fellow to the University of New Mexico, where she graduated with a master’s in United States history in 2013.
Marisa began her career in Albuquerque as a bilingual program coordinator and bilingual social studies teacher at Valley High School, where she also served as director of Ballet Folklórico del Sol, as well as on the first APS district-wide committee to craft and execute a uniform exit exam for the Bilingual Seal Program. In 2013, she moved to the Washington D.C. metropolitan area to work as an English Language Learner teacher at Alexandria City Public Schools, where she also served as ELL Department Co-Chair for eight years; she also completed a two-year foreign teaching leave in China and Indonesia. Over her fifteen-year teaching career, Marisa has taught bilingual U.S. history and world history; International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and Middle Years Programme English language and literature, and English language B. She has also supported STEM program multilingual learners in the English for Academic Purposes Biology I and World Civ. I courses and is a veteran co-teacher of World Civilization I, Biology I, and U.S./Virginia history. 

Fernando Ricardo Valenzuela (they/he/el) is an interdisciplinary educator, researcher, political organizer, and social worker with over eight years of teaching experience across various multicultural and international settings. Their educational praxis is rooted in Freirean approaches of critical consciousness that promote understanding and considerations of power, privilege, and oppression through non-hierarchical knowledge sharing and dialogues.

Their international teaching experience began in Madrid, Spain, where they taught English at a bilingual elementary school from 2016 – 2019. As part of Spain’s national bilingual initiative, they collaborated with teachers to create comprehensive English-language lesson plans, prepared students for their yearly English comprehension exams, and supported cross-cultural understanding of topics in racial, economic, and environmental disparities. After moving back to the United States, they continued working in primary public education as a long-term substitute teacher and paraprofessional through 2021 in Nevada and Connecticut, which included supporting primary school students during the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown.

Throughout their graduate program at the University of Connecticut, Fernando refined their international interests and experience by focusing on international social work. From 2022- 2023, they were the graduate intern for the Center for International Social Work Studies where they promoted knowledge and research of international social work, human rights, and geopolitics. In 2022, they were invited to attend World Social Work Day at the United Nations with a group of graduate students. Fernando was also selected to participate in the 2023 Puerto Rican and Latino Studies’ Travel Study in Puerto Rico, where they took courses focusing on colonization, imperialism, and neoliberalism at the University of Puerto Rico. The travel study also included making several site visits across Puerto Rico and Vieques to learn about Latin American social work theory and praxis in areas like mental health, domestic violence, mutual aid, and political organizing.

With a wide range of interdisciplinary and international experiences, Fernando utilizes holistic and ecological social work frameworks alongside concepts of popular education to promote positive and systemic change through various educational settings, workshops, and presentations. 

Wilma Valero served as director of the ELL Program for School District U-46 which is the second largest pre-k – 12 district in Illinois.  It is within the comprehensive lens of culturally and linguistically responsive instruction that Wilma, in collaboration with teachers, is given to the task of designing thematic units from kindergarten through sixth grade that integrate in an organic manner the relevance and rigor of language and content.

Her educational vision revolves and focuses on students within an environment of social and academic relevance.  This is complemented by expectations of rigor of language and content standards that ensure the student’s successful role in this global society.  Under her leadership, one of the most ambitious and successful transition at the national level of the Bilingual Program to the 80:20 Dual Language Program took place.

In 2012, the organization CABE awarded Wilma the prize Promoting Bilingualism District of Distinction for her strong commitment to promoting bilingualism. Wilma is a firm believer that success occurs every day in our schools when teachers are valued with a relevant support infrastructure that sees emerging bilingual students as their greatest strength. Under this premise Wilma implemented, in U-46, the Dual Language Academy, a forum of teachers, for teachers; all collaborating in the development of fairness and social justice in the journey of the teaching and learning process.

Wilma has master’s degrees in Elementary Education and in School Administration and Supervision. She also has endorsements from the state of Illinois in bilingual education and English as a Second Language.

Katie is a dual language educator from Woodstock, Illinois. She began her career as a primary Spanish-English dual language teacher and has spent nearly 15 years as a dual language facilitator, working to help grow and strengthen the dual language program which spans PreK-12th grade. 

Katie enjoys working with teachers to expand their capacity to help language learners thrive. She has undertaken various professional development initiatives in the areas of language acquisition and literacy and has led the development of units of instruction for biliteracy. She teaches in a local university’s ESL endorsement program, preparing educators to meet the needs of their diverse learners. Katie holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a minor in Spanish and she holds a masters degree in educational leadership with an endorsement in bilingual and ESL education. Katie is passionate about additive language acquisition. She and her husband are raising their young children bilingually and Katie marvels at the language and literacy development of her two young children.