Highest Aspirations

This episode of Highest Aspirations features Sarah Nandi, Alaina Peterson, and Thomas Hekma—former educators who now work at Ellevation—sharing how their classroom experiences shape the way they support educators across the country.

Tune in to hear how their journeys from teaching multilingual learners to working in edtech help them build tools and resources that are relevant, empathetic, and grounded in real classroom needs. Learn ...

This episode of Highest Aspirations welcomes Alice Collins from the Colorado Department of Education and Dr. Esther De Jong from the University of Colorado Denver to explore the dynamic landscape of bilingual education in the state. Discover the innovative programs designed to support Colorado's growing number of multilingual learners and the crucial initiatives aimed at building a strong pipeline of qualified bilingual educato...

Elise White Diaz, a passionate advocate for trauma-informed multilingual education, joins Highest Aspirations to discuss practical strategies for connecting with and supporting students who have experienced trauma or come from challenging backgrounds. Drawing on her extensive work in diverse settings, Elise emphasizes the power of understanding students' experiences and building trust as foundational elements for effective teac...

Valentina Gonzalez, a passionate advocate for multilingual learners, joins Highest Aspirations to discuss her collaborative work on Welcome to Teaching Multilingual Learners and her solo project, Equitable Instruction for English Learners in the Content Area. With a focus on bridging content and language instruction, Valentina shares her experience working alongside renowned educators Drs. Fisher and Frey, highlighting the transfor...

Drs. Margo Gottlieb and Andrea Honigsfeld, authors of Collaborative Assessment for Multilingual Learners and Teachers, join Highest Aspirations to discuss how administrators can support educators in transforming assessment practices. Moving beyond traditional methods, they emphasize the role of school leaders in fostering a collaborative approach that centers multilingual learners and empowers teachers.

This episode explores the ess...

Drs. Margo Gottlieb and Andrea Honigsfeld, authors of "Collaborative Assessment for Multilingual Learners and Teachers," join Highest Aspirations to discuss transforming assessment practices. Moving beyond traditional methods, they advocate for a collaborative approach that centers multilingual learners and empowers educators.

This episode explores the five phases of collaborative assessment and how they integrate into...

An encore episode from season 9 of Highest Aspirations, where we discuss how schools are accommodating English learners with disabilities and the impacts that EL and disability status have on reclassification or exiting with Dr. Sara Kangas.

Key questions we address:

1. What impacts have we seen on recent policy changes to reclassification or exiting of ELs with disabilities?
2. How can schools prioritize collaboration and impro...

Jaime Gonzalez, Bilingual Director at Eagle Pass ISD, joins Highest Aspirations to share how his district fosters success for emergent bilingual students and educators. Located on the Texas-Mexico border, Eagle Pass ISD leverages its unique bicultural and bilingual community to empower students and teachers alike. Jaime discusses grassroots initiatives like the district's bilingual certification academy, leadership development ...

English learners with special needs often face significant barriers to accessing appropriate support in schools, and accurate identification is critical to their success. Steve Gill, a seasoned educator, school psychologist, and consultant with over 15 years of experience, joins Highest Aspirations to discuss the Critical Data Process—a framework designed to guide teams in evaluating and supporting dually identified students. Drawi...

Newcomer students bring diverse strengths and experiences to their schools but often face unique challenges in adjusting to a new country, culture, and educational system. Amy King and Yvonne Williams from WCEPS join Highest Aspirations to discuss how clear communication, culturally responsive practices, and meaningful family engagement can help schools support newcomer families effectively.

In this episode, King and Williams share...

Newcomer students face unique challenges as they adjust to life in a new country, culture, and educational system. Dr. Marie Heath, an international educational consultant with over 30 years of experience, joins Highest Aspirations to share her expertise on acculturation and bicultural identity. Drawing from her own experience as the child of an immigrant and her doctoral research at Texas A&M Commerce, Dr. Heath discusses stra...

In this episode of Highest Aspirations, Sandra sits down with Rocío Figueroa, Senior Instructional Content Manager at Ellevation, to explore how personalized professional development can transform teaching and learning for English learners. Drawing from her diverse experiences as a teacher, instructional coach, administrator, and consultant, Rocío shares practical strategies for tailoring professional learning to meet the unique ne...

The IMPACT Conference was born out of a desire to bring educators together during a time of unprecedented isolation and challenge. In this episode of Highest Aspirations, Ben McNelly and Steve Sofronas join us to reflect on the journey of the conference—from its inception during the height of the pandemic to its evolution into a dynamic virtual event that continues to serve educators nationwide.

They share insights into how the co...

Welcome to Highest Aspirations, a podcast dedicated to empowering educators with insights and strategies to support multilingual learners in reaching their fullest potential. In this episode, we’re joined by Cheyen Herseth, an Elementary Multilingual Learning TOSA in Washington State and a WIDA Fellow, who has been instrumental in her district’s transition to the WIDA Framework.

Cheyen discusses her experiences leading this shift a...

Welcome to Highest Aspirations, an education podcast focused on providing educators with inspiration and strategies to help multilingual learners achieve their highest aspirations. In this episode, we are joined by Yolanda Rios and Roxanne Rodriguez, leaders at Ellevation Education and co-leads of the SOMOS Employee Resource Group.

Yolanda and Roxanne share how their Latinx heritage has shaped their leadership styles and how they’...

Welcome to Highest Aspirations, an education podcast focused on providing educators with inspiration and strategies to help multilingual learners achieve their highest aspirations. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Juana Bordas, author of The Power of Latino Leadership – Ahora! and Salsa, Soul, and Spirit: Leadership for a Multicultural Age.

Dr. Bordas discusses the vital role family and cultural connections play in shaping lea...

Welcome to Highest Aspirations, an education podcast focused on providing educators with inspiration and strategies to help multilingual learners achieve their highest aspirations. We have a very special guest with us today, the co-founder of CoolSpeak, Ernesto Mejia. Mejia is the proud son of Mexican immigrants, and a true example of the American dream. Diagnosed with the rare disease of Guillain-Barré (ghee-yan bar-ray) Syndrome ...

Welcome to Highest Aspirations, an education podcast focused on providing educators with inspiration and strategies to help multilingual learners achieve their highest aspirations. We have a very special guest with us today, Dr. Rebecca Palacios. This episode is dedicated to all of our educators who are in back-to-school mode and I could think of no one better to get us talking about parent engagement and early childhood education ...

Welcome back to Season 13 of Highest Aspirations, an education podcast focused on providing educators with inspiration and strategies to help multilingual learners achieve their highest aspirations.

In this episode, Steve and Sandra will be sharing the mic as they talk about change, why it can be intimidating to some and motivating to others, and what’s next for both of us moving forward. They discuss what we can do to mitigate the...