Keynote Speakers

Dr. Pedro Noguera is the Distinguished Professor of Education at the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at UCLA.  His research focuses on the ways in which schools are influenced by social and economic conditions, as well as by demographic trends in local, regional and global contexts.  He is the author of eleven books and over 200 articles and monographs. He serves on the boards of numerous national and local organizations and appears as a regular commentator on educational issues on CNN, MSNBC, National Public Radio, and other national news outlets.  Prior to joining the faculty at UCLA he served as a tenured professor and holder of endowed chairs at New York University (2003 – 2015) Harvard University (2000 – 2003) and the University of California, Berkeley (1990 – 2000). From 2009 - 2012 he served as a Trustee for the State University of New York (SUNY) as an appointee of the Governor.  In 2014 he was elected to the National Academy of Education.  Noguera recently received awards from the Center for the Advanced Study of the Behavioral Sciences, from the National Association of Secondary Principals, and from the McSilver Institute at NYU for his research and advocacy efforts aimed at fighting poverty.

Dr. José Medina presently serves as Director, Dual Language and Bilingual Education at the Center for Applied Linguistics. As an English learner himself, José understands first-hand the importance of ensuring that all students have access to educational opportunity. José recently completed his dissertation study titled Campus Principals’ Perceptions of How Principal Mentorship Influenced Their Ability to Lead a Dual Language Campus in One Texas School District, graduating with his Doctorate in Educational Leadership in May, 2015. Before moving to Washington, DC to serve as a member of the CAL team, José was the Director of Bilingual and ESL Education in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District (CFBISD) in the Dallas area. In that role, José provided guidance, professional development, and implemented systems to ensure that all elementary, middle, and high school teachers were well equipped to effectively meet English learners' needs. Prior to accepting the CFBISD district leadership position, José was the founding campus Principal at Ruth Barron Elementary School in the Pflugerville Independent School District (PISD) in central Texas. In twenty years of service in the field of education, José has worked as an educator and school administrator at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. 

Dr. Ayanna Cooper is an advocate and author for culturally and linguistically diverse learners. She is a co-author of Evaluating ALL teachers of English learners and students with disabilities: Supporting great teaching and has contributed to WIDA publications such as the Essential Actions Handbook. She has held positions as an English as a Second Language teacher, ELL Instructional Coach, Urban Education Teacher Supervisor and ELL/Title III Director. She has worked with and facilitated professional development for administrators and teachers, both pre-service and in-service, in urban and suburban areas and is currently an independent consultant. Ayanna has taught a number of graduate level courses in the areas of first and second language acquisition, sociolinguistics and sheltering instruction for English learners across content areas. In 2009, she chaired the Southeast TESOL Regional Conference, A Passion for Language and Teaching, held in Atlanta, GA. In 2010, she was selected as an ASCD Emerging Leader. She is a past president of Georgia TESOL and served on the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education English language learner/Bilingual Education Advisory Council. She is currently serving as chair of International TESOL Professional Development Standing Committee. Ayanna holds an Ed.D. in Teacher Leadership from Walden University, an Ed.S. in Curriculum & Instruction from Piedmont College and an M.Ed. from Lesley University. Her areas of professional interest include social justice, ESL teacher efficacy, professional development and educational policy.

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