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Consultant Position: Schoology Support Specialist

MATSOL is seeking a consultant to fill a part-time contract position as Schoology Support Specialist.

POSITION SUMMARY: Provide course setup and management of online courses in Schoology and provide technical support to instructors and students during  the 2018-19 school year. 

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Regional Family Engagement Focus Groups

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) are working collaboratively to create a comprehensive Birth-Grade 12 Family Engagement Framework for use in home visiting programs, early intervention services, childcare centers, public school settings, and more.

The Family Engagement Focus Groups will bring together members of the cross agency team, national partners, and stakeholders from a variety of fields to provide insight, guidance, and feedback on the work currently underway to draft the Framework.

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Public Comment on LOOK Act Regulations

Proposed LOOK Act Regulations are now available online and will be open for public comment:

  • Presented to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for initial review and vote to solicit public comment: March 27, 2018
  • Period of public comment: through May 18, 2018
  • Final action by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education anticipated: June 26, 2018

Link to proposed regulations:
http://www.doe.mass.edu/bese/docs/fy2018/2018-03/item3.html
Link to submit comments: 
http://www.doe.mass.edu/news/news.aspx?id=24910

WIDA Needs your Input!

In 2019, WIDA will introduce a standards-based instructional framework for the English Language Development Standards. Throughout 2018-2021, educators across the consortium will be invited to engage in a three-year implementation process. 

  • Who: All stakeholders involved in language learner education.
  • What: Provide input on the draft WIDA Instructional Framework (see survey link below).
  • When: March 22 – April 20, 2018
  • Why: To make sure this work meets your needs and those of your students!
Suggested action: Review the discipline and grade-level draft that is most closely tied to your experience (e.g., Grade 1 Social Studies). You only need to review one and it’s better to review one closely than glance at many of them! 
Link to review & submit feedback: https://www.wida.us/standards/eld.aspx#2019 

Call for Proposals: Student Poster Sessions

The MATSOL Conference Committee invites currently matriculated students in teacher preparation programs to submit a proposal for a poster session at the MATSOL 2018 Conference.

Posters should focus on classroom activities, promising practices, or research related to the education of English learners. They should contain a summary of an academically sound, scholarly or creative project presented in a visually engaging format, highlighting work through charts, graphs, maps, etc., and include the main topic(s) and description of the visual display. Presenters should plan on short, informative discussions with convention attendees throughout the entire poster session.

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MATSOL Board of Directors - Call for Nominations

Show your commitment to the value of the MATSOL and help to shape its future!

MATSOL seeks competent, energetic, and committed members of MATSOL to take a leadership role, work on behalf of the organization, and represent MATSOL members and stakeholders. Candidate may self-nominate or be nominated by someone else.

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Interviews for Commissioner Finalists

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will interview finalists for the Commissioner of Education on Friday, Jan 26, with a vote taking place Monday, Feb 29.

The interviews are open the the public and can be viewed in person at the Omni Parker House in Boston or via livestream (recordings of BOE livestreams are also available on this page for later viewing): https://livestream.com/accounts/22459134 

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MATSOL Board Applauds LOOK Act

The MATSOL Board of Directors applauds the passage of the LOOK Bill with the Seal of Biliteracy, which will allow school districts to establish English Learner programs that best meet the needs of students, recognize the assets that bilingual students bring to our schools, and encourage increased language learning for all students.

We would like to express our deep appreciation to Governor Charlie Baker, Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo, Senate President Stan Rosenberg, the bill sponsors Senator Sal DiDomenico and Chairman Jeffrey Sanchez, and Education Committee Chairs Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz and Representative Alice Peisch for supporting this legislation. In addition, we are grateful to Senator Karen Spilka and Representative Kay Kahn for championing the Seal of Biliteracy.

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Volunteers Needed - Review Conference Proposals

Volunteer to review conference proposals as part of the proposal jury for the MATSOL 2018 Conference!

Who?
This volunteer opportunity is open to current MATSOL members. Readers will be assigned to proposals based on their areas of expertise (K12 Elemantary or Secondary, Higher Ed or Adult Ed ESL, or Teacher Education). Members who have submitted proposals may not volunteer for the jury.

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Watch: Creating a Successful Conference Proposal

 Watch the webinar recorded Oct 30 to learn about submitting a proposal for the MATSOL 2018 Conference. 

Topics: 1.Conference Overview; 2.Identify Topic & Audience; 3.Prepare your proposal; 4.Submit your proposal & 5.Tips for presenting. Be sure to also download and read the Call for Proposals on the MATSOL 2018 Conference webpage!

Watch: Seal of Biliteracy Webinar

This webinar gives an introduction of the national Seal of Biliteracy movement and an overview of the Massachusetts Seal of Biliteracy Pilot Project, including the updated resources and experience gained from the third year of the pilot. (Recorded by the Language Opportunity Coalition on Oct 10, 2017) 

Updated Seal of Biliteracy Toolkit

The revised Seal of Biliteracy Toolkit is now available for download!

The toolkit was revised and updated with input from schools that participated in the Seal of Biliteracy Pilot Project during the 2016-17 school year. The revised toolkit includes new resources for use in implementing the Seal of Biliteracy:

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Lasell Course Offer to MATSOL Members

Are your students Bilingual/English Learners with Disabilities?  Lasell College offers a 100% online certificate to prepare teachers with strategies to ensure equitable outcomes for English language learners (ELLs) with disabilities.  The Bilingual/English Learners with Disabilities Certificate (ELL/SPED) is comprised of four 6-week online courses.  MATSOL members receive a discount for PDPs. Next class begins October 25. To take advantage of the discount: 1) Sign up at the MATSOL website to verify membership and qualify for the discount; and 2) visit the Lasell website to learn more about the course and register.

Webinar: Seal of Biliteracy

Please join us for a complimentary Webinar on the Seal of Biliteracy Pilot implementation in Massachusetts (now in its third year). The webinar will discuss the creation of resources and supports for use by school districts, and an update on the legislative status of the state Seal of Biliteracy bill. The webinar is presented by MaFLAMABEMATSOL and the Language Opportunity Coalition.

The Seal of Biliteracy is a national movement to document and reward students for attaining biliteracy in two or more languages. Twenty seven states currently have enacted Seal of Biliteracy legislation and we hope MA will be next!

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2017 Nominations Slate - Board of Directors

The MATSOL Nominations Committee presents the following slate for election to the MATSOL Board of Directors.

The election will take place at the MATSOL Annual Meeting on May 31, 2017 at 6:00 pm at the Framingham Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center. All members are encouraged to attend!

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LOOK Bill Advances with Seal of Biliteracy

The LOOK Bill — H.3705/S.2070 An Act for language opportunity for our kids — was reported out favorably by the Joint Committee on Education and and referred to the House & Senate Committees on Ways and Means.

The LOOK Bill removes the restrictive mandate requiring Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) as the “one size fits all” default English Language Learner (ELL) program model, and gives school districts the flexibility to establish programs based on the educational needs of their students. It also establishes a state Seal of Biliteracy.

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Advocate for a Dual Language Educator Endorsement

Advocate for the addition of a new Dual Language Educator endorsement in Massachusetts -- Deadline May 1

  • Support creation of a new Dual Language Educator Endorsement for educators in dual language program models
  • Continue the current endorsement for Transitional Bilingual Learning for grades PK-6 and 5-12 in CMR 7:06section (9)(b)

A Dual Language Educator endorsement is necessary to meet the needs of the increasing number of dual language programs in Massachusetts, to establish equitable requirements for highly qualified teachers working in dual language programs, and to promote high standards for dual language education.  (For a detailed discussion, see MABE's position statement on the DL endorsement, which is supported by MATSOL.)

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MATSOL Statement on the Immigration Executive Order

The MATSOL Board of Directors voted unanimously on February 1, 2017 to endorse and adopt TESOL International Association's statement on the recent immigration executive order.

TESOL Statement on Immigration Executive Order 

by David Cutler | 01/31/2017

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2017 Call for Nominations: MATSOL Board of Directors

Show your commitment to the value of the MATSOL and help to shape its future!

The MATSOL Nominations Committee is charged with developing a slate of qualified candidates to fill open positions on the MATSOL Board of Directors. We invite your participation in this important process.  Help us identify competent, energetic, committed members of MATSOL to take a leadership role, work on behalf of the organization, and represent MATSOL members and stakeholders. Members may self-nominate or be nominated by a colleague. Deadline: Wednesday, March 15, 2017.  

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Legislative Update

Massachusetts Language Opportunity Coalition Statement on the 2015-16 Legislative Session

We are sorry to report that the Massachusetts legislative session ended on January 4, 2017 with failure to pass either the LOOK Bill (H.498/S.262 An Act relative to Language Opportunity for Our Kids) or the Seal of Biliteracy Bill (H.422 An Act to Establish a State Seal of Biliteracy / S.336 An Act to Promote Global Trade and Economic Development through Biliteracy ).

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