Carlene Thomas Consulting LLC

05/06/2026

Check out the full video interview with Flashlight Learning on their !

Carlene Thomas, an educational consultant supporting districts nationwide, shares how to move from intention to impact by simplifying implementation and alig...

11/19/2025

08/21/2025

Education Leaders: In the face of attacks on multilingual program services, remember that legal requirements for serving English learners/Multilingual learners still stand. Legal presidence from key court cases, such as Lau v Nichols and Castañeda v Pickard, are still in place.

The current administration has rescinded the 2015 Dear Colleague Letter created by OCR and DOJ. However, just as this pivotal resource wasn’t legally binding in and of itself, the legal requirements described in the letter are not revoked because of this action.

How can you uphold EL/ML student rights in these challenging times?

✅ Solidify and communicate procedures for appropriate identification and placement of students
✅ Consistently implement bilingual and ESL programs with an additive approach to language acquisition
✅ Reinforce messaging regarding the benefits of bilingualism/multilingualism and how knowledge in one language supports development in another
✅ Integrate culturally sustaining practices that promote mutual acculturation rather than assimilation
✅ Partner with parents and ensure they receive communication in their preferred language and mode

There’s more than this list, but it’s important to maintain these fundamental practices to ensure each student receives an equitable education. If you have questions on how to support your ELs/MLs, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re in this together.

The Education Department rescinded 2015 guidance spelling out the educational rights of English learners and requirements for schools to provide translation services for parents.

08/13/2025

Join me next Tuesday the 19th in our first National Association of English Learner Program Administrators (NAELPA) Coffee Chat for the 2025-2026 school year! This is a NAELPA Member exclusive event, so if you’re not yet a member, register now to be a part of these monthly chats! As educators who support the implementation of programs for multilingual learners/English learners at the local and state levels, these opportunities are so enriching! Hope to see you there!

☕✨ NAELPA Coffee Chat is Brewing! ✨☕

🥁 Drum roll, please… 🥁
Our next topic: "How can NAELPA help me in my work?"

📅 Tuesday, Aug 19
🕚 11:00 AM ET
💬 Hosted by Membership Committee Co-Chair, Carlene Thomas Consulting LLC

This is your chance to share, connect, and get the support YOU need.
Member-exclusive — watch your inbox for the access link!

08/05/2025

Paraprofessionals are AMAZING ASSETS! Today, I had the privilege of providing professional development on content-based instruction to nearly 90 bilingual and ESL paraprofessionals in Katy ISD!

At the beginning of the training, I asked them this question: What is one thing that you wish your partner teacher(s) knew about you or your emergent bilingual students? Check out this image of a sample of their written responses and some key take-aways from the stem, “If you only knew…”

They were awesome participants, and we had a blast!

Paraprofessionals are many times overlooked. It’s vital that we pay attention to their important insights! Here’s a longer list of some of their powerful responses:
• I wish that my partner teacher knew that EB students are really capable. They just need more visuals and to understand their background better.
• When you have so many years of experience, I wish I could be the person that she will trust the most.
• I wish you realize that personal connections with the students is one of the most important tools to achieve success.
• I wish you knew the connection with the students is the key of success.
• Sometimes they need more time and patience to learn in English.
• It can be more productive if we use a different system. Pushing in the classroom is not effective.
• If only you knew what some of these kids went through to get here.
• I wish you understand that they will do GREAT. They just need time and love.
• EB students sometimes have difficult life. More than we can think…
• I wish they knew that I have a MA and was a practicing Speech-Language Pathologist.
• I wish they knew that it takes our EB students extra time to process before giving a response.
• I wish they knew that I was a PK teacher and majored in Education.
• EB parents are more invested in their kids’ education than some teachers think. They just aren’t able to express it.
• If you only knew that I have great ideas for time management of a class.
• If you only knew the children’s accommodations.
• Tener empatía con los estudiantes. Entender y ayudar en sus situaciones individuales. (Have empathy with students. Understand and help in their individual situations.)
• I wish the teacher knew that she/he can count on me.
• I wish you understood that talking negative about this student in front of him breaks my heart and hinders the child’s confidence.
• If only you knew what he’s going through at home. Understand his home life—it affects how he learns.
• I wish my partner teacher knew about how difficult it was for our student to get here and the living condition the student is experiencing.
• All the diverse experience I bring to the table.
• How much I care about children.
• And all the cultural impact that children experience when immigrating.
• How intimidating it is to be the “new student,” but from a whole different setting, country, language, background.

07/11/2025

Finished up a great week of supporting districts across Texas by presenting in Amarillo for two days at the Region 16 ML Institute!

We dove into how to use strategic cross-linguistic analysis through content-based language instruction within both bilingual and ESL programs to support an additive bilingualism approach.

I’m thankful to support the awesome work of our regional centers! Keep it up! 🙌🏼

07/01/2025

It’s official: Funding has been impounded.
🚨 $6.8 BILLION IN SCHOOL FUNDS HALTED

On June 30, the U.S. Dept. of Education informed states it will not release critical K–12 funding due July 1 — a shocking pause that impacts:

🔻 Title I-C (Migrant Ed) – $375M
🔻 Title II-A (Teacher Dev) – $2.2B
🔻 Title III-A (English Learners) – $890M
🔻 Title IV-A (Enrichment) – $1.3B
🔻 Title IV-B (Before/After School) – $1.4B

⚠️ Call to Action
🗣️ District leaders: Demand answers from federal agencies
🏛️ Lawmakers: Investigate this delay
👨‍🏫 Educators & Parents: Mobilize before cuts become permanent

📣 JOIN THE NATIONAL PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY with NABE
🗓️ Tuesday, July 1 | 🕐 1 PM ET / 10 AM PT
📍 Virtual | 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g5uks5vv

📢 SHARE & TAG MEDIA OUTLETS
We must make this public. Education is on the line.

06/19/2025

Last week was an adventure… 2,580 air miles, 400 driving miles, and 4 hotels in 4 different cities… all worth it to spread the word about equity for multilingual learners!

I started off by flying from Austin (home) to Midland, TX to present at Region 18 Education Service Center on how to support emergent bilingual students with multiple intersectionalities with other programs and services.

Then, I flew to Boise, ID (with a quick stop in Denver, but not long enough to see my family 😔). The next day, I drove from Boise to Pocatello. Check out the map (last pic)… if you see the longer path that winds through the mountains… that’s the path I chose! Sometimes, the extra time is worth the beauty you’ll take in!

Then, I presented at Idaho State University for the Idaho Department of Education. I demonstrated how to put content-based instruction into action and how to target the needs of students referred to as long-term English learners. I taught them to reframe our mindset about these students, shifting to referring to them as Legacy Multilinguals!

From there, I drove to Salt Lake City, UT to catch a flight the next morning back to Austin. A long week, but so invigorating! I love what I do!

06/06/2025

What a great time with Arlington ISD school and district leaders this week! I’ve been working with the World Languages Department to create their own district framework for the implementation of content-based language instruction. Now, we’re in the rollout phase, starting with pilot campuses. I’m so thankful to be a part of these important shifts for their emergent bilingual students!

02/12/2025

Valentina Gonzalez and I are ready to share instructional design elements for newcomers in this CalNEW webinar next Thursday, February 20th! Register using the link below. It will be recorded, so be sure to register even if you can’t watch live. Thank you, Californians Together, for inviting us to present!

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fmcJ6Dx7TP-KiwmRGW6sKg #/registration