edWebinars
«Back to all edWebinars- This event has passed.
Improving Outcomes for Students of Non-English-Speaking Families
Wednesday, January 22, 2025 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm EST
Presented by Kate Pechacek, K12 Strategic Advisor, OpendoorsEd; Dr. Pamela Shay, Director of Federal Programs, Springfield City School District (OH); and Jason Velasco, Vice President, Business Development, TranslateLive
Sponsored by TranslateLive
Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.
The impact of a family-school “wraparound” partnership, in the form of improved student outcomes, is undeniable. There is research showing a positive causal impact on attendance, academics, and well-being. But, what happens when there are barriers that stand in the way of a trusted partnership?
Students of non-English-speaking families are often precluded from this team approach to their success due to communication barriers between schools and their families. Schools have made great strides in eliminating language barriers, but there are often gaps in the needed supports. View this edWebinar to learn how some districts are providing a full spectrum of supports to allow for the family-school relationship to develop in a way that unlocks outcome gains for students of non-English-speaking families.
This recorded edWebinar is of interest to PreK-12 school and district leaders.
About the Presenters
Kate Pechacek currently serves as K12 Strategic Advisor to systems-improving edtech organizations and school districts, including TranslateLive, and is the founder and CEO of OpendoorsEd. Prior to founding OpendoorsEd, Kate served in several leadership roles in education technology over the last nine years. She began her nearly 30-year career in education as a secondary math teacher. In addition to 15 years as a teacher, Kate has served in districts nationwide, holding multiple site and district leadership roles in curriculum, instruction, assessment, and MTSS. She is passionate about ensuring equity, disrupting predictability, and narrowing opportunity gaps.
Dr. Pam Shay currently serves as the Director of Federal Programs and special populations at Springfield City School District in Springfield, Ohio. Dr. Shay began her 40+ year career in higher education as a college professor, moving into administration, working with special populations, and developing community partnerships to serve those in need. She transitioned to public education to serve as a trouble shooter and to develop new systems and tools to better serve a growing immigrant and homeless population.
Jason Velasco is the Vice President of Channel and Strategic Partnerships at TranslateLive. With a deep understanding of the challenges faced in K-12 education, Jason has worked alongside thousands of schools to implement innovative solutions that break down language barriers and improve engagement with students, families, and communities. TranslateLive has seen incredible impact through school district partnerships and a focus on solving real communication challenges in schools. Known for strengths in strategy and problem solving, Jason is passionate about empowering educators with tools that ensure every voice is heard and understood.
Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.
Join the Creating a Positive School Climate community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view recordings of previous programs to earn CE certificates.
With a mission to broaden the spectrum of accessible communication, TranslateLive has built solutions that allow for real-time conversations regardless of language or communication differences. The organization started in 2018 when CEO and Founder Peter Hayes brought his knowledge and experience forward to create the Instant Language Assistant (ILA) as an application to provide communication for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind individuals when interacting with a government agency or business. In working with the U.S. Federal Government, Peter was asked to develop a purpose-driven device that is always ready, easy to use, and accessible to individuals with communication challenges. Upon adding languages and dialects to this offering, the ILA Pro was born. Since its inception in 2018, TranslateLive and the ILA have broken down language barriers on all levels of government, and through partnerships with over 3,000 schools, healthcare facilities, hospitality chains, non-profit organizations, and the transportation industry.
