February 2021 marks the 4th annual Lead with Languages Advocacy Month, a time for celebrating the achievements of language advocates from around the country. Together, we are creating a new generation of Americans competent in other languages and cultures and fully equipped to compete and succeed in a global economy.

Each year, ACTFL and the Lead with Languages campaign posts resources, digital activities, and information about advocacy for use during the month of February. This year, everyone is invited to spread a love for languages and join in the #IHeartLanguages Challenge—a fun way to recognize and show appreciation for all the different kinds of advocates who help to support and sustain language programs.

Visit the Lead with Languages campaign site to select and complete personalized cards for the language advocates in your life, including learners, educators, and champions. Then share with your recipients and be sure to post your cards to social media using #IHeartLanguages so they can be reshared. This site also has a downloadable Lead with Languages Advocacy Month 2021 Media Kit available for free.

The 2020 National Seal of Biliteracy Report for the 2018-2019 Academic Year has been released and is posted on the webpage for the Global Languages Endorsement (GLE), North Carolina's Seal of Biliteracy, at http://bit.ly/NCsealGLE.

This is the second national report on the Seal of Biliteracy, which recognizes graduating seniors for their proficiency in English and another language while preparing all students for global citizenship. Data for this report was collected from 31 states, including North Carolina. For the Class of 2019, there were 108,199 students who earned a Seal of Biliteracy.

North Carolina had the second highest number of students (9,564) in the nation to receive this recognition, after California (48,311) and before Virginia (7,046). According to the report, all 50 states and the District of Columbia are or have begun working toward implementing a state Seal of Biliteracy program.

For more details about the GLE, NC's Seal of Biliteracy requirements or results, go to http://bit.ly/NCsealGLE. Information about our Class of 2020 outcomes will be shared soon via a webinar and then posted to this webpage.

Professional Development (PD) Resources

The new Professional Development (PD) Resources page under the Professional Development tab brings together resources and materials available for FREE from various organizations, such as professional associations, universities and their centers, and NC Virtual. The links and descriptions posted there may be of interest to World Language teachers and administrators who are designing local professional development.

Note: The inclusion of any professional development resource on this page from other entities does NOT constitute endorsement or verification by the NCDPI.

Currently, the PD Resources page includes links to materials that have been shared in recent newsletters and/or in the World Language Webinar Series.

• Annenberg Learner's Teaching Foreign Languages K-12: A Library of Classroom Practices
• Asia Society's TEQ Instructional Videos for Chinese Language Teaching
• CERCLL's Webinar Archives on teaching with social networks, in remote contexts, etc.
• COERLL's Heritage Spanish 5 PD Modules
• NC State Friday Institute's Remote Learning to Support NC Educators
• NC Virtual Digital Transition Webinar Archives with links to:
  • How Do I Effectively Teach a World Language Online? (archived from April 2020)
  • Canvas for World Language Teachers Facebook Group

The PD Resources page is updated on an ongoing basis. Please check back often for new postings and additional materials. The K-20 PD List now has its own page where upcoming conferences, institutes, meetings, online courses, webinars, workshops, etc.are listed chronologically.

State Superintendent Catherine Truitt

In January, Catherine Truitt was sworn in as State Superintendent of Public Instruction. She began her service in education as a high school English teacher, and she has also worked as a school turnaround coach, an education policy advisor, and a chancellor in higher education. Additional details about her experience and background are posted here or by clicking on her picture.

This week at the State Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Truitt, State Board of Education Chair Eric Davis, and Vice-Chair Alan Duncan unveiled their joint budget priorities for the legislative session, which reflect Truitt's vision for public education in the state while also aligning closely with the board's strategic priorities.

Section Chief of ELA & Languages Dr. Damion Lewis

Also in January, Dr. Damion Lewis began his role as Section Chief for English Language Arts (ELA) and Languages, which encompasses English as a Second Language (ESL) and World Languages.

Dr. Lewis has served as a high school English teacher in Nash-Rocky Mount Schools (now Nash County Public Schools) and the Wake County Public School System, as well as a consultant with NCDPI and the former North Carolina New Schools education firm. 

Dr. Lewis holds a B.A. in English from Elizabeth City State University, a M.A. in English from East Carolina University, and an Ed.S. in Educational Leadership and Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Liberty University. He has completed research spanning multicultural literature and online learning.  

Dr. Lewis is also a co-author of the recent best seller, Letters to Our Brothers. In the past, he studied German in high school and Spanish during his undergraduate and graduate years.

The ELA & Languages Section is very excited for all that our new leaders will bring to the Standards, Curriculum, and Instruction Division and NCDPI!