TABE Noticias

Dear TABE Familia,

I want to begin this edition of TABE Noticias by honoring the memory of Dr. Patricia Morales, who passed away December 7. Dr. Morales was an honored colleague in the field of bilingual education who worked closely with our Houston affiliates and many other districts in the state of Texas. She was a beautiful soul who passionately advocated for emergent bilingual students and shared her knowledge with so many bilingual teachers. She will be dearly missed.

I also want to take this time to send out a big thank you to all our bilingual teachers and families for finishing up the first semester of one of the most difficult years we have experienced. I wish for everyone to get some very deserved rest and time with familia to refresh and re-energize to continue serving our children and our teachers during the 2021-22 school year. Many school districts will be holding an intersession week in January to support emergent bilingual students in need of academic acceleration. TABE would like to thank in advance all the teachers who will be working directly with our emergent bilingual students in providing them additional academic and social and emotional support. I also encourage all educators to focus on their own social and emotional needs during this time as well. Self-Care as a Mindset and Practice by Aga Grabowski is a great resource for ideas on intentional, purposeful, mindful, and compassionate forms of self-care to nourish your physical, emotional, relational, intellectual, and spiritual wellbeing.

The TABE Board elections closed this week and all votes have been tabulated by the TABE Election Committee. As TABE President and on behalf of the TABE Board, it is my honor and pleasure to announce and congratulate the winners for TABE President Elect and TABE Treasurer.

Congratulations to Dra. Xóchitl Rocha, who has been elected as TABE's President-Elect and will serve in this position during 2022. Dra. Rocha will serve as TABE President for two years starting in January of 2023. Dra. Rocha has served as treasurer on the TABE Board and has also served on the RGVTABE Board. Her passion and dedication to our bilingual teachers, emergent bilingual students, and families is impresionante e incomparable.

Congratulations as well to Dra. Claudia García, who has been elected as TABE's Treasurer for 2022 and 2023. Dra. Garcia has been a long-time dedicated bilingual teacher, leader, and professor serving bilingual teachers, emergent bilinguals, and families. She will be a great asset to TABE in her new position. ¡Enhorabuena, Dra. Rocha y Dra. García! Gracias por su servicio.

On behalf of the TABE Board, we also wish to thank everyone who attended the first TABE Hybrid Conference that took place in El Paso, Texas in October. We were honored and humbled with the presence of so many teachers, administrators, students, sponsors, and experts in the field of bilingual education sharing their knowledge and networking in person and virtually. The conference was a total success, and our goal is to continue providing our members with quality professional development opportunities all year long.

We are also excited about the first TABE Dual Language Symposium, which will take place January 22, 2022. The lineup of keynote and featured speakers is exceptional. The Symposium is organized around the three goals of dual language: 1) Academic Achievement, 2) Bilingualism and Biliteracy, and 3) Sociocultural Competence.

Thank you once again to our wonderful members and affiliates for having made this such a successful year. I am honored to be serving as TABE President and wish everyone a Feliz Navidad y próspero Año Nuevo.

-Dra. Olivia Hernández

Dr. Judith Márquez, Higher Education Chair

Judith Martínez-Márquez was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley. She lived in Rio Grande City, until her family moved to Edinburg, Texas. After graduating from high school, Judy attended Pan American University and graduated with a BA and teacher certification in Spanish and English. She taught English Language Arts for one year at Edinburg ISD’s North Junior High. Judy knew she was going to continue her studies, so she went to the University of Texas (UT) in Austin to work on her master’s degree in Spanish literature. While at UT, she taught beginning Spanish as a graduate teaching assistant in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese. Judy completed her MA in 1979. She decided to continue studying for her PhD, but this time instead of studying Spanish literature, she decided to study Spanish linguistics.

Similarly, to her parents who met in Austin while studying at UT, Judy met the love of her life, Robert Márquez who was studying law at UT. After getting married, they moved to Houston, Texas, where Robert’s family lived. Robert had started his law practice there, and Judy found a Spanish teaching position in a Houston high school. Judy started her new life in Houston as a newlywed, a high school Spanish teacher, and an adjunct Spanish instructor at the University of Houston. She was also working on her dissertation at the time.

Judy finished her PhD in Spanish Linguistics with an emphasis in Applied Linguistics in December 1988. In 1989, in addition to teaching at the Houston high school, Judy was hired as an adjunct and research associate at the University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL). In November of that year, she resigned her position at the high school to start a full-time position at UHCL. Her position brought a new focus to Judy’s teaching repertoire. She taught multicultural education, bilingual education, and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes for future teachers.

In 1997, Judy received tenure and promotion to associate professor. In 1999, Judy and her colleague Laurie Weaver, received their first Department of Education professional development grant. That grant was followed by several more for a total of more than $6.6 million. In 2009, Judy was promoted to full professor. While at UHCL, Judy served as program area chair for the Foundations & Professional Studies program from 1998 to 2015 and as chair of the Counseling, Special Education, & Diversity Department from 2015 to 2020. Judy continues to teach bilingual education and ESL classes at UHCL. In addition to teaching, Judy loves spending time with her husband and their family, especially their four grandchildren.

Ana was born in El Paso, Texas and raised in Juarez, Mexico. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor's Degree in Bilingual Education at The University of Texas at El Paso. She is a member and District 6 of the Texas State Teachers Association- Aspiring Educator and dreams to advocate for her future students.

She was born and raised in the heart of San Antonio’s Westside. She is an eighth generation Texan. She grew up speaking TexMex at home. Her mother raised six children with her father. Her strong nature and love made Savana the unstoppable person she is today. She attended Edgewood ISD from K-12. She is learning more and more about our beautiful language and culture so she may share it with her daughter. She is currently enrolled in the Gardendale Early Learning Program.

Karina Chapa, Newsletter Committee Chair

Born and raised in Monterrey, Karina completed her BA in International Relations from el Tecnológico de Monterrey. After moving to Texas in her early 20s, she became a Bilingual teacher through an Alternative Certification program. She completed her MA in Bilingual Education and School Principalship at UTPA in 2005. She later became a Bilingual/ESL Strategist, Newcomer Academy Coordinator, Middle School Assistant Principal, and Bilingual/ESL Director in McAllen ISD. Currently, she is an adjunct instructor at Texas A&M University Kingsville and the Language Proficiency, Biliteracy and Cultural Diversity Director in Region One ESC, where she has the pleasure of working for more than 160,000 Emergent Bilingual students and their families, teachers, and administrators in deep South Texas. She has served as Secretary, President, and Parliamentarian for RGV-TABE, as well as Secretary, Bil/ESOL Representative, Legislative, Newsletter Chair, and Hybrid Conference Coordinator for TABE. Karina gave her first TEDxTALK on "The Revolutionary Power of Bilingualism" in 2019 in the city of McAllen. Bilingualism and biliteracy have always been a crucial part of her personal and professional life. Follow her bilingual journey y más on Twitter @bilingualpride

By Rudy Rodríguez, Ph.D.

A Reflection of the Past to Celebrate the Present:

A Tribute to Senator Joe Bernal

By October 1966, Joseph Bernal had already had a distinguished and varied career. A World War II veteran, Bernal received support for his collegiate education through the G.I. Bill and began teaching at elementary and secondary schools in and around San Antonio. In 1964, he made the leap into public service when he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives, and in this capacity, he drew from his rich experience as an educator to become a pioneer in the bilingual education movement.

Rep. Bernal’s commitment to bilingual education was strengthened when he attended the National Education Association’s Tucson Symposium on “The Spanish-Speaking Child in the Schools of the Southwest” on October 30-31, 1966. This meeting combined with the 1967 follow-up conference in San Antonio are critically important for their deep and lasting impact over the entire life span of U.S. bilingual education programs.

At the heart of the Symposium’s program agenda were discussions among conferees driven by findings of the NEA’s year-long study titled The Invisible Minority. Schools in five Southwestern states, including Texas, were selected for participation in this survey. The published report cited glaring examples of deprivation of quality education by exclusion of Mexican-American children, and further described a system that was declining, highlighted by narratives of schools with a deeply rooted toxic culture supported at the highest level of state government. Most conspicuously offensive of the school practices referenced by the NEA was the paddling of Mexican-American students for violating state policies requiring the exclusive use of English on the school campus. Later reports published by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights found these early programs to be morally unjustifiable due to their denigrating effects on the minority children’s self -concept and “appreciably poorer academic records than Anglo students”.

Reform-minded political leaders like Rep. Joe Bernal and U.S. Senator Ralph Yarbrough, representatives from Spanish and ESL education organizations, and school practitioners gathered in Tucson all steadfast in their commitment to “making bilingual education the rule rather than the exception.”

In January 1967, Joe Bernal was elected to the Texas Senate, and in April 13-15 of that year, the second conference reinforcing the Tucson Symposium’s common goal was held in his hometown of San Antonio. As one of the few teachers fortunate enough to attend the meeting, I recall Sen. Bernal, the conference chair, emphasizing in the opening session that “the journey (toward achieving the desired changes in education) will be long and difficult given the scope and complexity of the challenge.” Sen. Bernal’s forecast could not have been more accurate.

An immediate outcome of the Arizona and Texas meetings, described by Chairman Bernal as the “spawning grounds” for bilingual education, was the enactment of federal and state laws supporting improved opportunities for English learners—most notably, Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 1968, sponsored by U.S. Senator Ralph Yarbrough, and Texas legislation sponsored in 1969 by Sen. Bernal.

Program refinements and upgrades enabled by government support and backed by advances in research and new theories of first and second language acquisition have undoubtably accelerated the transition from the English-only “old school” programs to the widespread implementation and public acceptance of today’s first-class multi-ethnic and multi-culture bilingual education/dual language immersion programs.

Joe Bernal is greatly appreciated for his relentless resilience to end substandard education of earlier generations of Mexican-American children and his leadership as the first Tejano lawmaker to make the case for bilingual education. Gracias a este gran gigante por su visión, pasión y optimismo a través de muchos años.

Hay un dicho en español que dice: “Si no hay amigos, no hay testigos.” As members of TABE, we represent many of Joe’s grateful friends who bear witness to his many towering contributions as a legislative leader of school reform, public school teacher and administrator, elected member of the Texas State Board of Education, and “legacy” member of the TABE Executive Board.

As we reflect on where we are today, we highlight and pay special homage to our dear friend and champion, Senator Joe Bernal.

DR. RUDY RODRIGUEZ, now retired, formerly taught in the UNT and TWU

Bilingual Teacher Education Programs; also, is founding director of the Ft. Worth ISD Bilingual Program and longtime member of BEAM, TABE & NABE. The author would welcome readers’ comments and suggestions via rrodriguez1445@verizon.net

Dr. E. Gonzalez, TABE Legislative Chair

Our politicians are not in session but their voices for and against certain topics/bills are clearly being heralded with their constituents. One is the new, more restrictive 'Critical Race Theory' law now in effect in Texas schools. Senate Bill 3 replaces and broadens a prior "critical race theory" law (HB3979) passed by state legislators over this past summer. SB 3 in Texas classroom is a censorship law that limits speech and engagement in talking about race, privilege, entitlement, social inequities, etc. The irony is these topics are not part of the state standards nor discussed in Pre-K to 12. A second bill, House Bill 25, is touted by many as a discriminatory bill aimed at Transgender students. In State of Texas v. United States, our DACA students are still being attacked by conservative politicians in denying them pathways to citizenship despite the many who served in our US military forces. Recently, MALDEF sued Texas over extreme Republican leaning district maps in violation of Federal Voting Rights Act. Our Emergent Bilingual (EB) students need all of us to stand up and advocate for them as these bad bills and policies aim to discourage our students from participating in a free and open democracy.

Getting More “Bang For Your Buck” During Group Work

By Dr. Lileana Ríos-Ledezma

Group work or cooperative learning is essential in any classroom. However, when planning time for these practices, there are certainly some key essentials to keep in mind to create successful interactions specifically for our Emergent Bilinguals.

1. Stay Positive and Patient: Remember, our emergent bilinguals need to feel safe and supported by teachers as well as their peers. Consider spending time to address the essential and courteous practices when engaging in peer interactions.

2. If possible, assign students explicit team roles (such as reporter, recorder, time keeper, and/or materials manager) in order to help students develop or strengthen the skills they need.

3. Provide differentiated sentence stems to allow emergent bilinguals an opportunity to improve their language skills in such a way that they are able to express themselves using the academic vocabulary of the unit/topic.

4. Stage areas around the room for peers to collaborate effectively. It may be that you assign specific classroom markers on the floor or set areas off with duct tape of where peers will stand to foster classroom talk in a structured and organized manner.

Above all, allowing students to engage in group work or collaborative conversations provides an insight into student thinking and helps to amplify student voice!

JBERI Call for Papers - Accepting Manuscripts All Year

By Dr. Josefina Tinajero

The Journal of Bilingual Education Research & Instruction (JBERI) is a peer-reviewed publication focused on improving bilingual education research and teaching practices. The JBERI seeks articles that examine research, pedagogy, policies, theory, and cultural issues that impact bilingual education, teaching, and learning. Qualitative and quantitative studies that can contribute to the growing knowledge base on bilingual education models and best practices are especially welcome. The JBERI will publish articles written in either English or Spanish. The Editorial Board will consider clarity and timeliness of the content in judging the quality of the manuscripts.

Format and Style Requirements

• Authors should follow APA (7th edition) guidelines for style, citations and references. Those not following APA style will be returned without being reviewed.

• Manuscripts should be between 15-25 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman, size 12” font, and one-inch margins.

• Submit manuscripts in a “blind” format and include a separate MS Word-doc/x-file with name(s), addresses, telephone numbers, E-Mail addresses and institutional affiliations of author(s).

• Include a brief abstract of no more than 150 words describing the essence of the manuscript, and a list of key words.

• Authors should send manuscripts as an E-Mail attachment, MS-Word-doc/X-file type to: tinajero@utep.edu and debbie.east1@me.com with cc to isaactapiamartinez@gmail.com

• It is the author’(s) responsibility to ensure that reviewers’ comments are addressed and that any stylistic and grammatical errors are corrected prior to publication.

• Papers accepted for publication in the Journal of Bilingual Education Research & Instruction become the copyright of the Texas Association for Bilingual Education.

The Austin Area Association for Bilingual Education will host its annual ¡Adelante! Conference on April 2nd, 2022. Mark your calendar and make plans to attend! You are also invited to submit a proposal. Access the link and submit your proposal.

The Rio Grande Valley-Texas Association for Bilingual Education Hybrid Conference will be held Jan. 14-15. Make plans to attend! Arturo Castañeda and Jonathan Medina will serve as keynote speakers for the conference. The event will also host a TEA special session. ¡Te invitamos, no te pierdas este gran evento! Aquí pueden ver al equipo siempre trabajando y afinando los últimos detalles para la conferencia en su última reunión del año. ¡Nos vemos en la Isla del Padre!

Por Blanca Gálvez, TABE Parent Representative

VIDEO: Entrevista a la Doctora Palacios sobre la importancia de la etapa pre-escolar

https://www.colorincolorado.org/es/videos/conozca-al-experto/dra-rebecca-palacios

CANCIONES PARA CANTAR EN FAMILIA: 123 Andrés

https://youtu.be/oBiFqDyAZGA

ARTICULO: Cómo hablar con sus hijos sobre el coronavirus

https://www.pbs.org/es/parents/prospera/como-hablar-con-tus-hijos-sobre-el-coronavirus

The TEA English Learner Support Division is excited to be piloting the Texas Effective Dual Language Immersion Framework (TxEDLIF) consisting of new resource tools to increase:

1. the effective implementation of DLI,

2. DLI programs PK-5/12th, and

3. student outcomes state-wide.

For more information about the rest of the program model rubrics, scoring tools, and stakeholder checklists visit:

https://www.txel.org/ProgramImplementation

TEA is in the process of conducting visits to selected districts to test the implementation of these resources to continue refining these tools.

Además, la Dra. Jasone Cenoz nos hace un regalo de Navidad y comparte su nuevo libro gratis: Pedagogical Translanguaging! Just click here to access it: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009029384 We hope you enjoy it!

In efforts to support the expansion of DLI implementation statewide, the Texas Education Agency English Learner Support Division is proud to share the Texas Effective Dual Language Immersion Framework (TxEDLIF) for schools looking to begin a DLI program or to improve their existing DLI program. The English Learner Support Division is currently piloting the framework in 16 DLI campuses across the sate implementing the the newly released TxEDLIF. During the first pilot campus visits, there was evidence of great DLI instructional practices in the classroom and wonderful leadership supporting teachers, students, and families. Looking forward to see the TxEDLIF strengthening DLI implementation statewide and increasing students outcomes.

Karina Chapa, TABE Newsletter Chair

Email: tabe@tabe.org
Website: http://tabe.org/
Location: Po Box 37130, San Antonio, Texas 78237
Phone: 210-979-6390
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TA4BE
Twitter: @ta4be