Friday’s Keynote Lineup

    

The countdown has begun to WIDA's first ever national conference. In anticipation of the event, we are taking a look at each of the keynote speakers. 

 

Dr. Aida Walqui will speak on Friday morning from 8:30 am until 9:15 am. She is often invited to speak on topics related to teacher growth in linguistically and culturally diverse school environments. She has written several books, numerous journal articles and edited volumes. Her books have focused on Spanish for Spanish speakers in American schools, teaching Spanish as a second language in Andean countries and teaching indigenous languages in intercultural, bilingual programs. She has taught at several universities including the University of California, Santa Cruz and Stanford University. Dr. Walqui's international teaching experience includes universities in Peru, Mexico and England. Her native country is Peru. It was there that she received her Licenciatura in Literature from the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. She also holds an MA in sociolinguistics from Georgetown University; and a PhD in language, literacy, and culture from Stanford University. In 1999, Dr. Walqui joined WestEd, where she heads the Teacher Professional Development Program and the Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL) project.

 

On Friday afternoon at 1:00 pm, Dr. Michael Hinojosa will give his keynote address. Dr. Hinojosa is an energetic speaker who is passionate about education and leadership. He tells his story of growing up in America, his inspirations and his challenges in a short video produced by the Supes Academy. He began his career in public education as a teacher and coach. Over time he worked his way up to the superintendent's office. He served for five years as the superintendent/CEO of the Dallas Independent School District. Now, with over twenty years of experience as a superintendent, he has successfully led several districts to reach higher levels of student achievement. Notably, the Texas Association of School Boards named him Superintendent of the Year in 2002. Then the University of Texas at Austin named him Superintendent of the Year in 2005. In June 2011, Dr. Michael Hinojosa was named superintendent of the Cobb County School District, which serves over 100,000 students in suburban Atlanta, Georgia. His energy and passion are inspiring.

 
 

Written by: Tammy King
 

Image of a person speaking: freedigitialphotos.net
Keynote speakers' photos: www.widaconference.us