Wisconsin Multilingual Learner Summit

Theme: Collaboration for Change: Building Systemic Support for Multilingual Education
Emphasize cross-departmental collaboration, policy alignment, and sustainable practices that create lasting change for multilingual learners. 

Welcome, Breakfast, and Orientation

Doors Open: 7:45 a.m.

Breakfast and Connect:  8:00—8:45 a.m.

Welcome, Orientation, and Logistics from 8:45—9:00 a.m.

Transition Time: 9:00—9:15 a.m.

Morning Sessions 1: 9:15—10:15 a.m.

From Struggle to Structure: Addressing Writing Challenges with WIDA and L3IFT

Presenters: Megan Merkel, ESL/ML teacher and Jenny Springer, elementary teacher, Beaver Dam Unified School District

Classroom Level Elementary K-5

Originally hailing from the suburbs of Chicago, Megan Merkel made the move to Wisconsin following their time at St. Norbert College. Now in her seventh year in education, she has developed a deep-rooted passion for creating inclusive and linguistically rich learning environments. Over the past three years, Megan has collaborated closely with CESA 2, focusing on a deep dive into the WIDA Standards Framework and Systemic Functional Linguistics. This partnership has been instrumental in refining their approach to explicit language teaching, ensuring that multilingual learners have the tools necessary to thrive academically and socially. Driven by a commitment to equitable instruction, Megan enjoys translating complex standards into practical, classroom-ready strategies. When not advocating for student success, she enjoys doing puzzles and snuggling with her cat.

Jenny Springer is a veteran educator who recently reached a notable 19-year milestone within the Beaver Dam Unified School District. Born and raised in Appleton, she earned her teaching degree from the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh and subsequently obtained a Master’s in Educational Technology from Marian University.  Jenny’s expertise spans multiple roles, including serving as an English Learner educator and teaching both 2nd and 3rd grade. A leader in collaborative instruction, she has spent the past year partnering with Megan to pioneer the implementation of the WIDA Standards and the L3IFT Framework.  Next school year, Jenny will transition to the Appleton Area School District as an EL teacher. Outside of her professional pursuits, she is an avid runner who enjoys participating in 5ks and spending quality time with her family.

Co-Teaching Experiences and Lessons Learned: High School Co-Teaching in the Content Areas

Presenters: Susana Alvarez and Michael Jansen, Bilingual resource teachers, Verona Area High School

Classroom Level Secondary 6-12

Susana Alvarez immigrated to the United States in 1980, when she was 13 years old. She had to learn English without formal language support. That experience deeply shaped her understanding of what it means to navigate school, language, and identity all at once. Years later, Susana studied Italian at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This gave her a different lens on how language can be learned when it is supported, contextualized, and humanized. She earned a Master’s degree in Bilingual and Bicultural Teaching and Learning from Edgewood University, where she learned to put names to scenarios and identify strategies to help students succeed. Today, Susana’s work as an educator is rooted in one central belief: strive to be the teacher she needed when she was 13.

Entering his 17th year teaching, Mike Jansen, is a National Board Certified Bilingual Teacher in the Verona Area School District. He is currently using a co-teaching delivery model to service MLs in the high school math department. He has taught K-12 using other service delivery models in his career, and as such, can lend perspective about the co-teaching model’s efficacy.

Strengthening Outcomes for Multilingual Learners Through Continuous Improvement

Presenter: Kelly Pitzen, District Learning, Language & Literacy Coordinator, Kaukauna Area School District

School or District Level K-12

Kelly Pitzen is the Learning, Language, and Literacy Coordinator for the Kaukauna Area School District. With 22 years of experience in education as a classroom teacher, co-teacher, instructional coach, literacy interventionist, and district literacy coordinator, her work focuses on improving outcomes for students in language and literacy. Kelly believes in the power of language as a foundational building block for learning, connection, and understanding, and that the language we use is powerful in shaping how we think, interact, and influence the world around us. 

Fry Words in Action: Fun, Fast and Foundational: Games, Pictures, and Flexible Activities for Teaching the First 100 Fry Picture Nouns Primary to Intermediate

Presenter: Marla Perfect, EL teacher, Hartford Joint I School District

Classroom Level K-8

Navigating the Licensure Labyrinth 

Presenter: Dr. Kaycee Rogers, Education Consultant, CESA 2

Program and Teacher Level K-12

Kaycee Rogers is a lifelong teacher, learner, and lover of language. She graduated from Luther College with a major in Elementary Education and certifications in ESL, Spanish, and Reading. She began her career teaching 3rd and 4th grade in Colombia. She also taught 4th-grade Spanish Immersion in Minnesota, 7th-grade Spanish, and K-8 ESL in Menomonie, WI. She found her “educational home” as a Middle School ESL teacher in Eau Claire, where she was part of a great team of language educators and taught students from more than a dozen home language backgrounds. After mentoring several stellar student teachers, Kaycee pursued a Master’s degree in Professional Development from UW-La Crosse. From there, she moved into teacher education.

Now, Kaycee serves as a CLASS program coordinator here at CESA 2, continuing to work with teachers pursuing teacher licensure across Wisconsin. She is an instructor in our ESL, K-9, Spanish, and Initial licensure courses. She also supports candidates across content areas in our clinical program. In addition, she holds a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from UW-Madison. Kaycee’s research interests include community-engaged scholarship, rural education, teacher education, and multilingual education.

Transition Time: 10:15–10:30 a.m. 

Morning Sessions 2: 10:30–11:30 a.m.

Bridging for Success: Collaboration That Elevates Multilingual Learners’ Language Domains Within a 5th Grade Dual Language Classroom

Presenters: Gabriela Schloesser, elementary classroom teacher, and Yazmin Avalos-Cano, Bilingual resource teacher, Middleton Cross Plains Area School District

District and School Level K-5

Gaby Schloesser has been working in education for the past 14 years. She currently works as a 5th grade Spanish Teacher for the Two Way Immersion (TWI) Program at Kromrey in the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District. She started working in the district in 2019 as a Bilingual Paraeducator. After she noticed the need for Bilingual teachers in the district, she went back to school to get her Bilingual and ESL licenses. Additionally, she got her Masters Degree in Education in 2023. One of the reasons she is inspired to support multilingual learners is because she understands how learning a new language can be a challenge. She wants students to feel connected to their home language and culture.

Yazmín Ávalos-Cano has worked in education for 16 years and recently completed her third year as a 5th grade Bilingual Resource Teacher in the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District. In her role, she supports both monolingual and Two-Way Immersion (TWI) multilingual learners through effective scaffolding and language-focused instruction. As a multilingual learner herself, who moved to the United States at the age of 17 years old without prior English knowledge or ELL support in her classrooms, Yazmín is passionate about empowering students through language, culture, and meaningful educational experiences that help multilingual learners thrive.

Session Title: AASD Approach to Co-planning and Co-Teaching

Presenters: Dawn Shimura, EL program support teacher, Oriel Combs, EL teacher, Trina Bartel, ELA teacher

District, School, and PLCs Level K-12

Dawn Shimura joined the Appleton Area School District as an EL Program Support Teacher in 2024. She brings deep expertise to the role, drawing from 12 years of living in northern Japan, 6 years teaching ESL at St. Norbert College, and 11 years as a middle school EL teacher, transitioning to EL Program Coordinator in Oshkosh.

Oriel Combs has spent the last 17 years teaching EL students at both the middle and high school level. She came to the Appleton Area School District in 2017 and worked primarily in the high school Newcomer Program teaching both sheltered and co-taught classes. Today she teaches high school EL students across all English proficiency levels in ELA, science, and social studies courses.

Trina Bartel has spent the last 26 years teaching in the Appleton Area School District (AASD). She began her teaching career teaching English Language Arts (ELA) at the middle level, then spent four years as the Secondary District Literacy Coach for the AASD, and finally returned to the high school classroom to teach English and Alternative Education. Today, Trina teaches high school ELA courses at Appleton East High School, including dual credit courses through Fox Valley Technical College.

The Biliteracy Audit: A District’s Journey in Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Revision....Curriculum is never neutral

Presenters: Tony Jennaro, Coordinator of Multilingual Education, and Alicia Rosas, kindergarten bilingual DLI teacher, Sun Prairie Area School District

District and Classroom Level K-8

Courageous Conversations in Multilingual Spaces 

Presenter: Dr. Emily Zoeller, Associate Professor and Language and Literacy Program, Edgewood University, Madison

Classroom Level K-12

Dr. Emily Zoeller is an associate professor and coordinator of Language and Literacy Program at Edgewood University in Madison, Wisconsin. She holds a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and an M.A. from the University of San Diego. She earned an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Edgewood University, where she researched teacher leadership in two-way dual language education. Dr. Zoeller’s scholarship examines equitable instruction for multilinguals and literacy learners in K-12 education; her recent work has been published in the Bilingual Research Journal, Journal of Adolescent an d Adult Literacy, The Reading Teacher, and Teacher Education Quarterly. Prior to her role at Edgewood University, she worked as a bilingual teacher, a reading specialist, and an instructional coach. She is passionate about lifting teacher voices for promoting equity in language and literacy education.

Engaging Multilingual Learners Through Meaningful Talk, Early Literacy Routines, and Powerful Relationships

Presenter: Nicole Aldworth, Early Learning Consultant,  EL-TAI Early Literacy Specialist and Early Childhood CLASS Instructor, CESA 2

Classroom Level 4K-2

Nicole Aldworth, M.Ed., is an Early Learning Consultant at CESA 2, a CLASS instructor for the Early Childhood Education licensure program, and a consultant for the Special Education Induction Grant. With more than 25 years of experience in early childhood education, Nicole is passionate about supporting young learners, educators, and school communities through developmentally appropriate, inclusive, and engaging learning experiences.

Throughout her career, Nicole has served as a kindergarten teacher, 4K teacher, and early childhood special educator, providing her with a deep understanding of child development and the diverse needs of young learners. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education.

Spotlight Presentation and Lunch

Featured Presenter: Daniela Castellon-Lopez, Watertown High School - 11:45–12:15 p.m.

Daniela Castellon-Lopez is a Multilingual teacher at Watertown High School, with previous teaching experience at James C. Wright Middle School in Madison, an English teacher in Taiwan for grades 2, 3, and 5, and Riverside Middle School in Watertown. Having grown up in the Watertown area with two undocumented immigrant parents and needing to translate for them inspired her to become an educator, using her language and culture to serve students in situations similar to her. Her work has currently inspired her to pursue a Masters Degree at UW-Madison, with a focus on Bilingual/Multilingual Education at the secondary level.

Lunch - 12:15–1:15 p.m.

Afternoon Sessions: 1:30–2:30 p.m.  

Empowering Multilingual Scholars 

Presenters: Dianna Rogers Wells, Bilingual resource and Spanish education teacher,  and Tanya Morin, Dual Language/Bilingual-Bicultural Education Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

District and School Level K-12

Dianna Rogers Wells is a Spanish educator, bilingual resource teacher, and Seal of Biliteracy program lead with 19 years of experience in K–12 world language education. She currently teaches at Verona Area High School and serves as teaching faculty in the University of Wisconsin–Madison teacher preparation program, where she supports future educators in culturally responsive and multilingual teaching practices. Dianna has led efforts to expand equitable access to the Seal of Biliteracy through program revisions, multilingual family outreach, and collaboration with districts across Wisconsin.

District, School and PLCs Level

Presentation Title: Co-Planning to Co-Serve Using the WIDA ELD Standards  

Presenter: Jennifer Secor and Bobbi Jo Moore, multilingual program support teachers, Green Bay Area Public School District

Jenny Secor is a Multilingual Program Support Teacher in the Green Bay Area Public Schools. As a ML PST, she collaborates closely with ML administrators, ensuring compliance with state and federal mandates.  In addition, Jenny supports ML teachers, classroom teachers and other staff while fostering equitable instruction and promoting high levels of achievement for their ML students. She has 7 years of elementary classroom experience and 15 years experience in the Multilingual Department, ranging from elementary to secondary in many different schools across the district.  She enjoys working with ML students admire their drive to learn a new language while maintaining their native culture.

Bobbi Jo Moore is a Multilingual Program Support Teacher in the Green Bay Area Public School District starting in 2010.  Previously, she taught sheltered English classes in middle school starting in 1999.  She then moved to an elementary school ESL position in 2005.  At the elementary level, Bobbi did both push in and pull out ESL instruction.  In 2010, she moved into the program support teacher role.  As an ML PST, she am responsible for the state and federally mandated reporting requirements along with instructional coaching for ML & general education staff Bobbi am assigned to.  She works closely with admin teams to align and implement best practices for language development instruction.  She enjoys working with ML students and find joy in learning more about and sharing the importance of language learning with others.

Classroom and PLCs Level K-8

Presentation Title: Whodunit? Enhancing Opinion Writing Through Mystery Writing with SFL and WIDA

Presenter: Madelyn Christopherson, E/ML teacher, Cashton School District

Madelyn Christopherson is an EL Specialist with the Cashton School District, bringing more than 20 years of experience in bilingual and dual language education. A native Spanish speaker from Cuba, she is passionate about supporting multilingual learners and helping educators create language-rich, inclusive classrooms. Madelyn has taught in dual language programs and supported teachers through professional learning in multiple districts. Her work focuses on integrating the L3IFT Framework, WIDA ELD Standards, and genre-based instruction to support students’ academic language development.

Classroom Level K-12

Presentation Title: Universal Design Tools for Engaging Multilingual Learners: Embracing AI

Presenter: Lisa Vann, K-12 multilingual language teacher and Spanish teacher

Classroom and School Level K-12

Presentation Title: Supporting Multilingual Learners Through the 8 Math Language Routines

Presenter: Matt Hayden, Education Consultant, CESA 2

Matt Hayden is a Math Consultant and Instructional Coach with CESA 2. He has served in a variety of educational roles, including 4K–12 Math Instructional Coach, Middle School Math and Science Teacher, and Equity Team Leader. Across these roles, Matt brings deep experience in co-teaching and the co-plan to co-serve model, with a strong focus on equitable access to high-quality instruction.

Matt holds a bachelor’s degree in Horticulture from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a Master of Arts in Education with a Science minor from Cardinal Stritch University, and a K–8 Mathematics Certificate from UW–Madison. He is also a certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher through the International Mindfulness and Meditation Association (IMMA).

Voice from the Field Panel Discussion 

Topic: Implementing Change: WIDA Standards and ML Programming that Expands and Enhances Opportunities and Outcomes for Multilingual Learners in Changing Times: Perspective from Small, Medium, and Large School Districts

Panelists: Stacy Linden, Mayville School District; Tony Jennaro, Sun Prairie Area School District; and Julie Seefeldt, Green Bay Area Public School District

Stacy Linden brings over two decades of experience in education with a career dedicated to supporting multilingual learners through inclusive and student-centered practices. Stacy has led the development of bilingual newcomer courses in Language Arts and U.S. History and expanded co-teaching models to increase access to grade-level content. Her work extends beyond the classroom, including coordinating family engagement events such as multilingual literacy nights and leading after-school tutoring programs for newcomer students.She currently serves as the Mayville School District District Assessment Coordinator and Instructional Coach. Stacy holds a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction and is currently completing her Director of Instruction license through EDUCATE-WI. She is passionate about creating learning environments where all students feel seen, supported, and empowered to succeed.

Julie Seefeldt serves as the Director of Multilingual Learner Programs for the Green Bay Area Public Schools (GBAPS), a position she has held for the past twenty-three years. Prior to transitioning into administration, she spent eleven years as an ESL educator, including three years teaching 4th grade ESL in Las Vegas, Nevada; one year teaching K–2 ESL in the DC Everest School District; and seven years teaching middle school ESL in GBAPS. Julie is deeply committed to advocating for multilingual learners, with a focus on equitable staffing and support systems, research-based program development, and effective classroom instruction. In addition to her full-time role, she has served as a WIDA-certified trainer, delivering professional learning across four states. She has also worked as an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, where she taught ESL coursework to mainstream educators.

Moderator: Audrey Lesondak, CESA 2

Session Wrap Up, Feedback Survey, and Closing Remarks: 3:15 - 3:30 p.m.