I write this article because there is amazing work that educators are doing throughout Texas and across the country, and in particular. I want to highlight the Council for Great City Schools 2022 BIRE Meeting earlier this month in San Antonio, Texas. It was an outstanding learning and networking experience facilitated by an organization with a proven track record for supporting multilingual learners. It is tremendously energizing every time we get to meet amazing school leaders and educators face-to-face. They have shown such fortitude and perseverance, and it inspires us to do our very best as well. I’d like to thank the Council for Great City Schools (CGCS) for providing this opportunity!
Our Vice President of Sales, Charles Askew, had this to say about his time at CGCS: 
“At Speak Agent, our mission is to ensure that each student masters the content language and concepts critical to success in STEM courses and careers. The Council of Great City Schools created an ideal environment for exchanging ideas and sharing successes. BIRE showcased exemplary programs with outstanding leadership.
The BIRE meeting created an opportunity for me to connect with old friends and make new ones. In the words of one of my new BIRE colleagues: “...we traveled so far to come to BIRE because we have been isolated for the last two years, and our student population is rapidly changing. BIRE gives us the chance to hear and learn more about best practices, practices that we can take back to our home district.”
Like our district partners, I will take what I’ve learned about best practices and emerging needs and apply them to our design and implementation models. I look forward to participating in the BIRE conference for years to come.”
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As a former ESOL educator at Fairfax County Public Schools and Prince Georges Community College, I couldn’t agree more with Charles's sentiments. CGCS as an organization demonstrated tremendous support for districts with significant multilingual learner populations. There was a great deal of dialogue and collaboration centered around supporting students' families, funding in the schools, and instructional support for English language learners. School and district multilingual departments create such a lasting, positive impact on the communities, families, and students they serve. I witnessed advocacy at its best for some of the most marginalized students in our country and what it takes for district leaders and administrators to support those students.
We came back full of new ideas and excitement for the future of our company and our current and future district partners. I feel it's more important than ever for us to continue to learn, grow, and celebrate educators who make an impact on young lives each and every day. I can’t wait for the next Council of Great City Schools event in July.
If you’d like to continue our conversation following the CGCS BIRE 2022 meeting or discuss how Speak Agent supports multilingual learners, let’s schedule a time to meet! We’d love to hear from you.
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Written by Michael Huckaby
Michael is a Speak Agent Educational Consultant (WIDA) and an English as a Second Language teacher with 15 years of delivering and supporting ELL products.
