MATSOL Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

Advocacy SIG

The Advocacy Special Interest Group brings together educators who want to learn about and get support for advocacy at local, state, and federal levels to advocate for English Learners (ELs), their families, their teachers, and the field of TESOL & Bilingual education.

Community College ESL Faculty SIG

The Community College ESL Faculty Special Interest Group (SIG) is a group for faculty and staff in ESL/ESOL programs at Community Colleges in Massachusetts.  

Early Career Educators SIG

The Early Career Educators' Special Interest Group (SIG) is for students in teacher education programs and working towards a degree in ESL, bilingual, or SEI teaching as well as new teachers who have less than 5 years of experience in the field.

Educators of Color SIG

The Educators of Color Special Interest Group (SIG) will provide a space for educators of color with common backgrounds, interests, and experiences to get together in order to build relationships, share ideas, and support each other.

Emerging Scholars Circle SIG

Emerging Scholars Circle SIG is for international and domestic undergraduate and graduate students interested in social justice-oriented research centered around equity, diversity, inclusion and empowerment. The Emerging Scholars Circle SIG is a bridging space for these students who are engaged in scholarly research and undergraduate/graduate school coursework.

ESL Co-Teaching SIG

The ESL Co-Teaching SIG is a collaborative network for K-12 teachers throughout the state who are interested in creating high-quality co-teaching models for ESL that reflect a balance of English language and content instruction guided by the 2020 WIDA ELD standards and MA DESE frameworks and Blueprint for English Learner Success.

ESL Unit Developers SIG

The ESL Unit Developers SIG is a collaborative network for K-12 teachers throughout the state who are interested in creating, implementing, and sharing ESL curriculum units that reflect WIDA ELD standards and MA DESE expectations, as currently outlined in the Next Generation ESL Project: Curriculum Resource Guide.

Instructional Coaches SIG

The Instructional Coaches Special Interest Group (SIG) is for PreK-12 educators whose responsibilities include SEI coaching, ESL coaching, and/or professional development aimed at meeting the needs of English Learners.

Low Incidence Programs SIG

The Low Incidence Special Interest Group (SIG) is a group for PK-12 educators working in low incidence districts in Massachusetts.

MATSOL English Learner Leadership Council (MELLC)

Registration for the 2025-26 school year is open!

The MATSOL English Learner Leadership Council is a group for Directors and Coordinators of English Language Education Programs in Massachusetts. It is a professional community that supports and guides EL educators in the administration of ELE programs at the district level through collaboration and advocacy. 

Teacher Education SIG

The Teacher Education Special Interest Group (SIG) is a working group designed to connect teacher educators and teacher educator groups to improve teacher preparation and thus improve educational opportunities for English Learners (ELs). The group is also interested in moving forward advocacy issues from a teacher education perspective. The group meets several times during the year face-to-face and using online meetings, and communicates via a MATSOL E-list.