Presented by Dr. Maria Armstrong, Executive Director, Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents; Dr. Kenji Hakuta, Lee L. Jacks Professor of Education, Emeritus, Stanford University; and Ignacio Ruiz, Assistant Superintendent, Clark County School District, Las Vegas

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Watch this edWebinar for a discussion with ALAS distinguished member and Assistant Superintendent of Clark County Schools, NV, Ignacio Ruiz, and Stanford University language development researcher, Dr. Kenji Hakuta, who examine effective ways to address the educational needs of English Language Learners. This edWebinar gives viewers best practices for both instruction and leadership that viewers can implement today to ensure EL student success. The edWebinar is facilitated by ALAS Executive Director, Dr. Maria Armstrong.

This recorded edWebinar will be of interest to preK through elementary teachers, school and district leaders, bilingual education administrators, ELL administrators, and Title 1 directors.

About the Presenters

Maria Armstrong, Ed.D., was named the Executive Director for the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents in March 2020. In her recent past, Dr. Armstrong ended a 28-year career as an educator as the Superintendent of the Woodland Joint Unified School District, near Sacramento, CA. Prior to that, Dr. Armstrong served as a high school teacher, counselor, migrant program liaison, Assistant Principal, Principal, and Assistant Superintendent. While impressive in its own right, her career path also serves as an inspirational story to many as it is one of those roads less traveled. As a young single mom, Dr. Armstrong earned her GED before going on to attain her bachelor’s degree from the University of Phoenix, a Master of Arts degree in education from Azusa Pacific University, and a Doctorate of Education in organizational leadership from the University of La Verne.

Dr. Kenji Hakuta is the Lee L. Jacks Professor of Education, Emeritus at Stanford University. He served on the Stanford faculty from 1989 to 2017, except for three years (2003–2006) when he founded the University of California at Merced and served as its Dean of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts. His research interests are in the areas of psycholinguistics, bilingualism, language development, and the education of English Language Learners. He is the author and editor of many articles and books, including Mirror of Language: The Debate on Bilingualism (1986). He chaired the National Research Council report on English Language Learners that framed a research agenda for the field in 1997. Dr. Hakuta is co-founder of the Understanding Language Initiative at Stanford, which addresses the challenges and opportunities of current education reform efforts with a particular focus on language. He is actively involved in supporting the work of school districts and states around the country, and he leads several professional learning communities, including school districts in rural central California and a learning community of state leaders organized by the Council of Chief State Schools Officers. Dr. Hakuta obtained his Ph.D. in experimental psychology at Harvard in 1979.

Ignacio Ruiz is the Assistant Superintendent of the English Language Learner Division for the Clark County School District, the 5th largest school district in the nation. With the call to ensure every student has access to an equitable learning experience, Mr. Ruiz previously held the position of Director of the Language Acquisition Department in Tucson Unified School District in Tucson, Arizona, overseeing several programs such as English Language Development, Dual Language, World Languages, curriculum and assessment for English Language Learners and the interpreter/translator division. He brings broad experience in educational leadership where he has held several leadership positions including, assistant principal, principal, director, and his current role as Assistant Superintendent for the English Language Learner Division.

During his first year with the Clark County School District and under his leadership he successfully collaborated with key stakeholders to analyze the District need as it pertains to English language learners, and created a comprehensive Master Plan for English Language Learner Success.

Mr. Ruiz is the president and founder of the Nevada Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents. Mr. Ruiz recently completed the McCourt School of Public Policy in Educational Leadership and Management from Georgetown University. Mr. Ruiz was recognized in 2014 by Luz Social Services as Administrator of the Year. He has also presented on dual language programs at several conferences throughout the United States.

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