2025 MABE Dual Language Bilingual Education Conference

Lisa Lineweaver is the principal of the Kelly School, a dual language school located in Chelsea, MA. She has led the transformation of the school from a strand to a full school dual language program. Lisa has worked as an administrator in Boston Public Schools and in Chelsea leading change initiatives. Jody Klein is the assistant principal at the Kelly School, Jody is a veteran educator whose career in dual language education and English language development has spanned for more than 30 years working as a teacher and administrator in Framingham, Newton, and Chelsea. Alma Pezo is the assistant director... Read more

Jennifer Albury has served as the Multilingual Education Director for Holyoke Public Schools for the past three years. Before stepping into this role, she worked as an instructional coach for the district’s English Language Development (ELD) department and taught ELD and special education at the middle school level. Jennifer’s journey in language education began 15 years ago in Guadalajara, Mexico, where she collaborated with a team of teachers to establish a language center. The center focused on individualized learning curriculums and immersive, collaborative teaching approaches.

Kate Beil has been an educator for almost 10 years, working as an ELD teacher in dual language and SEI, and most recently as a Grade 3 dual language classroom teacher. She has developed curriculum maps for both DL and SEI programs in Massachusetts, leads professional development, and serves as a mentor for pre-service and new teachers. Kate has also been chosen to be featured in DESE's Deeper Learning video library. Kate is a wife and mom of 3 girls. Her favorite thing to do is read books and talk about it with others.

Amy Finsmith is a MABE consultant and a Supervisor of Multilingual Education in Windham Public Schools (CT), home to the Compañeros and Dos Ríos Dual Language Programs and known for its commitment to providing equitable access to multilingual learners through its One-way, Two-way, and Secondary Dual Language Programs. With over 25 years of experience in Dual Language Education, Amy is passionate about supporting educators in delivering high-quality dual language bilingual education. Over the past 20 years she has been a dual language classroom teacher, literacy coach, maestra de lectura, Dual... Read more

Michael Gary is President of Multistate Association for Bilingual Education, NE and an English Language Development Teacher at Quinn Middle School in the Hudson Public Schools. Mike has served as a teacher, administrator, and language development coach. He has collaborated with colleagues to launch dual language programs in three districts. He has also helped to convert TBE programs to DLBE, and support the expansion of DLBE programs to middle school levels. Mike was a contributor to the 2023 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Guidance for Implementing Dual Language... Read more

Daniel Toro-González (Moderator) is the Western Massachusetts Bilingual Hub Coordinator, he holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Washington State University and has more than two decades of experience in the education sector. His expertise focuses on the design, implementation, and impact evaluation of education policies and programs. After a long career in higher education, Toro-González now focuses his efforts on K12 bilingual education.

Phyllis Hardy is Executive Director of the Multistate Association for Bilingual Education-Northeast, Inc. MABE views Bilingualism and multiculturalism as assets that provide cognitive, social, emotional, educational, and employment advantages for all students. We identify, promote and disseminate research-based programs and practices that support bilingualism and multiculturalism for educational success. We work closely with schools and districts in advocating, planning, implementing and sustaining bilingual and dual language programming.

Janna Kook, Ph.D. is a research scientist at Education Development Center (EDC) in Waltham, MA and has been studying early childhood education for over 15 years. Her research focuses on effective strategies and programs to enhance children’s STEM learning in the classroom, at home, in the community. She is also a mother to three young dual language learners.

Elizabeth Llorca joined the Graduate Teacher Education program at Stonehill College in 2024. Formerly, she served as the Bilingual Hub Liaison at University of Massachusetts Amherst and worked as a dual language teacher for five years. She is currently working on her dissertation, focusing on inclusive practices within dual language programs.

Katie Richardson is the Multilingual Education Administrator for the Amherst Public and Amherst Pelham Regional Public Schools. She has worked in Amherst for 10 years and as an educator for 17 with a focus on English learner education. She oversees the district ELL and Biliteracy programs and is the founding administrator of the Caminantes Dual Language program now in its 6th year.

He is the music teacher at W. B. Sweeney in Windham Public Schools, home of the district's Dos Rios one-way bilingual education program. He has a bachelor's degree in music education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and a master's degree in Curriculum from Appalachian State university. He is currently enrolled in Boston University's Doctorate of Musical Arts in Music education program. His classes blend heritage art forms and popular music with classical ensemble skills and student leadership to foster intercultural competence and cultural pluralism in his school community... Read more

Sarah Rodriguez works in Windham Public Schools in Connecticut. She is a returned Peace Corps Volunteer who worked in both Honduras and Nicaragua. She has worked in Windham for almost 10 years, and has taught 1st and second grade Spanish and Spanish reading intervention. She currently works as a dual language program specialist, supporting teachers in the district’s one- and two-way dual language programs, Compañeros and Dos Ríos, grades Pre-K through 8. Sarah has also worked with MABE to provide workshops to teachers and administrators in Middletown, CT and Providence, RI.

I currently serve as the Biliteracy Coach at Worcester Dual Language Magnet School in Worcester Public Schools. With nearly 20 years of experience in early childhood education, ESL, and Dual Language education, I also teach as an Adjunct Instructor for the Bilingual endorsement at Lesley University.

Shera Simpson has worked as a dual language educator for over a decade, primarily in kindergarten and first grade. She is the co-founder Outside the Box Learning Laboratory, in Costa Rica. Additionally, Shera is the co-founder and senior educational consultant at Dual Language Connections, where she provides professional development to support dual-language programs in the US and abroad. Together with co-presenter Liz Howard, she is also the co-author Dual Language Tandem Teaching: Coordinating Instruction across Languages through Cross-Linguistic Pedagogies (Velázquez Press). They have presented... Read more

Emy Tomita has been a bilingual educator for the past 14 years. She was a 4th grade bilingual teacher in transitional and dual language programs (one-way, two-way, 50/50 & 80/20 model) for 8 years. She was also a school librarian and 5th & 6th language arts resource teacher. In Aldine ISD, Mrs.Tomita has been a District Bilingual Literacy Coach in the elementary level for 4 years. She graduated from University of Houston - Main Campus with a master's in Bilingual Education. She has a certificate in Bilingual Special Education and Library Science. Currently, Mrs. Tomita is a doctoral student in... Read more