The ELM Project

Hello colleagues-

I’m reaching out to share an exciting new grant opportunity from the state that your school or district may be interested in. The Teacher Mentorship & Retention of Effective Teachers Grant will fund about $3 million in initiatives state-wide. Schools/districts can apply individually or as part of a group. Districts with teacher leadership models in place are a prime place for this opportunity.

As you know, the ELM Project is coming to a close in August of 2022. The model is currently transitioning to a more expansive platform through TESOL International Association under the name SWEL (School-Wide English Learning). They are the same professional organization that published our book Teacher Leadership for School-Wide English Learning in 2020. This is exciting news because the reach will be far greater, the training will be more comprehensive, and completers will earn an official certificate and badge from TESOL.

The SWEL Certificate series includes three workshops. It is a fee-for-service model which is why the teacher mentorship grant couldn’t have come at a better time! Your school/district can apply to train teachers who are new to this model of teacher leadership (formerly ELM and now SWEL) or those who have already trained with ELM. There are options to participate online in a global cohort or on-site/face-to-face per arrangements with TESOL International.

Universities aren’t able to apply but schools districts, groups of school districts, or even groups of teachers are eligible to submit an application for funding. If you would like to request funds to train SWEL teacher leaders, check out the tips below.

If your school/district partnered with Hamline University on the English Learners in the Mainstream Project, be sure to mention that in your application. The ELM Project is a National Professional Development grant through the Office of English Language Acquisition at the US Department of Education and the SWEL Certificate represents how the work of ELM expands and continues..
In your narrative, mention that you will use funds for the following activities:
“Provide grants supporting licensed and non-licensed educator participation in professional development, such as workshops and graduate courses, related to increasing student achievement for students of color and American Indian students.” This activity would refer to registering licensed ESL teachers for the SWEL certificate workshops with TESOL International Association.
“Pay a stipend to a mentor who may be a current or former teacher who has taught at least three years and is not on an improvement plan. Please explain how the mentoring program is included in or aligned with districts’ teacher evaluation and peer review processes under sections 122A.40, subdivision 8, and 122A.41, Subdivision 5.” This activity would refer to providing a stipend to SWEL coaches AND general education teachers who work with them to support ELs in the general education classroom.
“Provide additional stipends as an incentive to mentors of color or who are American Indian. Please explain how the mentoring program is included in or aligned with districts’ teachers 5 Minnesota Professional Educators Licensing and Standards Board document evaluation and peer review processes under sections 122A.40, subdivision 8, and 122A.41, subdivision 5.” This activity would refer to an additional stipend for BIPOC SWEL coaches and general education teachers who work with them to support ELs in the general education classroom.

PELSB will host an informational session at 4:30pm on Tuesday, March 8, 2022 for those who are able to attend. See information below:

How to Join the Meeting
Meeting Link
WebEx Meeting number: 2496 146 6971
Password: TMRG23

Please let us know if you have any questions or if you would like to connect you with other schools/districts wanting to partner on one application.

A message from the ELM Project funder- The US Dept of Education

EL teachers: Thank you for helping non-native speakers of all ages & levels learn formal grammar, vocabulary, & pronunciation of spoken and written English - but most of all, thank you for instilling confidence in those that need to communicate clearly & comfortably.

Hello ELM coaches! Please see below for an opportunity to participate in a study on EL teacher leadership!

Greetings. I hope this message finds you well.

I am researching a role many ESL/ELL/ESOL teachers are performing in the K-12 public schools. The title usually is ESL/ESOL/ELL Resource Teacher, but it may be slightly different. This role is about the responsibilities many ESL/ELL/ESOL teachers have in addition to their language instruction (e.g., placement testing, or advocacy).

If you are serving as an ESL/ELL/ESOL teacher, I’d be so appreciative if you would be willing to participate in a research study by being interviewed about your experiences working as an ESL/ELL Resource Teacher. I’m curious to know how teacher education programs can better prepare individuals who will become ESL/ELL/ESOL teachers. It would take approximately 1 hour on Zoom. I can schedule for a time/day that works best for you.

Your interview would be completely confidential and anonymous.

Please let me know if you have time and are willing. Your knowledge would be insightful and help many future educators. You can reach me at [email protected] with questions or to schedule an interview. Thank you.

Congratulations to Rochester EL teacher Natalia Benjamin for being named Minnesota teacher of the year!

Education Minnesota - News releases Information for members of the media

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📢 Applications are now open for the 2021-2022 Teachers for Global Classrooms Program! This program offers U.S. educators targeted training, experience abroad, and opportunities for global collaboration.
➡️Apply by March 24, 2021 to be considered for the 2021-2022 cohort: https://bit.ly/3agJDcs

Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program - Fulbright Teacher Exchanges Learn what this program's participants do, how to apply, whether the program is right for you, and how we select participants.