2026 Newcomer Network Conference: Full Schedule

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10:10am PDT

Arts on the Plaza: Bringing EL Roadmap Principle 1 to Life Through Visual Art

Friday October 9, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am PDT

Limited Capacity seats available

Art has the unique power to heal, empower, and build community. "Arts on the Plaza" is an innovative, quarterly lunchtime pop-up that turns the school campus into a celebration of student identity and talent through visual and performing arts. Led by 2025 Teach Plus Change Agent Grant recipient Erin Webster, this session explores how to use creative, student-centered events to build a welcoming and inclusive environment. Discover practical ways to give your students voice and agency while fulfilling Principle 1 of the EL Roadmap by honoring the rich cultural assets of newcomer students.

Speakers

Erin Webster

Illustration Pathway Coordinator / Art Teacher, Washington Union High School, Fresno, CA

Erin Webster is an artist, an educator, and a recipient of the 2025 Teach Plus Change Agent Grant from the Central Valley of California. Holding a master's degree and a single-subject teaching credential in visual art from Fresno State University, Erin is deeply committed to the... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am PDT
Gomes 3rd Floor

Breakout Session

10:10am PDT

Barriers to Bridges: Empowering English Learners through Resilience, Relationships, and Relevance

LIMITED

Friday October 9, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am PDT

Anderson

Limited Capacity seats available

English Learners encounter multiple barriers to learning. English Learners also come to school with many assets and strengths! Learn strategies to build upon these strengths by cultivating student resilience and mindset. Participants will leave the session with resources and strategies to bridge barriers and empower ELs' success through self-advocacy in the classroom, school, and community.

Speakers

Jamey Olney

Teacher, Glick Middle School

Jamey Olney teaches 7th and 8th grade English Language Development at Glick Middle School in Modesto, CA, where she serves as the English Language Development site coordinator and advises the H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Everywhere) Club. Jamey previously taught grades K-8 and has... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am PDT
Anderson 3rd Floor

Breakout Session

10:10am PDT

Cultivating Success for Newcomer & Multilingual Learners with Imagine Learning

LIMITED

Friday October 9, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am PDT

Stockard

Limited Capacity seats available

Discover how Imagine Language & Literacy helps educators cultivate language development, literacy growth, and academic confidence for newcomer and multilingual learners. This session will explore the program’s embedded supports, including scaffolds, home language resources, offline tools, and personalized learning pathways designed to meet students where they are. Participants will learn how to leverage these supports to create inclusive learning experiences that accelerate language acquisition while providing meaningful access to rigorous academic content.

Speakers

Alexandra McCarthy

National Curriculum Consultant, Imagine Learning

Alexandra McCarthy holds a Master of Education and brings more than a decade of experience, with a focus on elementary and TESOL instruction. Since joining Imagine Learning in 2018, she has supported large-scale implementations and now specializes in consulting with district leaders... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am PDT
Stockard 20

Breakout Session

10:10am PDT

New Tools for Newcomer Education

LIMITED

Friday October 9, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am PDT

Mondo Conference Room 1st Floor

Limited Capacity seats available

In this session, participants will play with, discuss, offer feedback, and take home new tools being developed by the California Newcomer Network. Time will be split between the Newcomer Instructional Coach, an AI-powered chatbot, and the California Newcomer Implementation Guide, a program reference for district staff.

Speakers

Sam Finn

Director, California Newcomer Network & Californians Together

Sam Finn is the Director of the California Newcomer Network and the Director of Newcomer Policy & Practice at Californians Together. A former teacher and union representative, he has served as an organizer and advocate for newcomers at local, state, and national levels. His data analysis... Read More →

Efraín Tovar

Founder and Middle School Teacher, California Newcomer Network & Selma Unified

Efraín Tovar is the founder of the California Newcomer Network and a teacher in Selma Unified School District. A three-time Teacher of the Year, he has served as vice president of both the Selma Unified Teachers Association and Central Valley CUE—now the Central Valley CALIE (California... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am PDT
Mondo Conference Room 1st Floor 1715 Canal St. Merced CA 95340

Breakout Session

11:00am PDT

Math Multilingual Learner Strategies for Every Classroom

LIMITED

Friday October 9, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am PDT

Gomes

Limited Capacity seats available

MLR's combined with ELD standards. Funds of Knowledge. How they look in the class, and how we can help our students as they work through the math. Engage students, promote inclusivity and empower students.

Speakers

Gloria Carrasco

Math Coordinator, Merced County Office of Education

Hola, soy Gloria G. Carrasco. I began my career as a high school teacher at Livingston High, where I spent my years learning and refining the math for our students, I kept up with this as I transitioned to Atwater High. After a few years, I took a big leap into the world of leadership... Read More →

Luz Valdez

Math Coordinator, Merced County Office

Luz Valdez is a math coordinator focused on improving math instruction for multilingual learners. She has experience delivering professional development in mathematics and is passionate about helping educators develop practical skills for incorporating ELD standards into their work... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am PDT
Gomes 3rd Floor

Breakout Session

global Y

11:10am PDT

Cover to Cover: Novel Studies in Newcomer ELD

LIMITED

Friday October 9, 2026 11:10am - 12:00pm PDT

Mondo Conference Room 1st Floor

Limited Capacity seats available

For many Newcomers, access to rigorous and high-quality texts, such as novels and book-length works of nonfiction, are gatekept behind higher levels of integrated ELA coursework. In this session, the presenter will share teacher-developed materials for a novel study in his Newcomer ELD Beginning and Intermediate courses and discuss an architecture for scaffolding challenging book-length texts, such as The House on Mango Street, for Newcomers in their first three years of study.

Speakers

Duncan Rivera Wanless

Teacher, Edison High School

Duncan Rivera Wanless is an ELD and ELA teacher at his alma mater, Edison High School, in Fresno, CA. He serves on the advisory board of the California Newcomer Network.

Friday October 9, 2026 11:10am - 12:00pm PDT
Mondo Conference Room 1st Floor 1715 Canal St. Merced CA 95340

Breakout Session

11:10am PDT

From Overwhelmed to Optimized: Your New AI Co-Pilot for ELL Success

LIMITED

Friday October 9, 2026 11:10am - 12:00pm PDT

Anderson

Limited Capacity seats available

Are you overwhelmed by the time it takes to scaffold lessons for ELLs? Join this hands-on 50-minute workshop to transform your planning process. Learn how to use NotebookLM, SchoolAI, and Wayground to automate content adaptation and create engaging formative assessments. Move beyond the hype and master practical workflows that save hours of prep time. Bring your laptop and a lesson plan; you will leave with ready-to-use resources for your students. Reclaim your planning time, boost your efficiency, and provide targeted, equitable support to your ELLs. Let’s make Monday morning easier, together!

Speakers

Victor Soria

ELA/ALD Teacher, Edtech Coach, Grace Davis High School/ Modesto City Schools

As an experienced educator, Victor Soria combines expertise in academic language acquisition with a forward-thinking approach to educational technology. Victor currently supports 12th-grade students through English and ALD instruction, ensuring that multilingual learners have the... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 11:10am - 12:00pm PDT
Anderson 3rd Floor

Breakout Session

11:10am PDT

Scaffolding for Success: Practical Strategies for Newcomer Classrooms

LIMITED

Friday October 9, 2026 11:10am - 12:00pm PDT

Stockard

Limited Capacity seats available

Newcomer students bring linguistic and cultural assets, yet require intentional systems to access rigorous, grade level content. This session provides a practical framework for supporting Newcomers through integrated ELA/ELD instruction, structured academic discourse, and targeted scaffolds aligned to the California ELA/ELD Framework and EL Roadmap. Participants will engage in real world strategies including sentence unpacking, vocabulary development, academic discourse, and scaffolded writing to support immediate classroom application. The session also highlights the role of data, including ELPAC, in informing instruction and accelerating language development.

Speakers

Shelby Huerta

ELA/ELD Coordinator, Merced County Office of Education

Shelby Huerta is an experienced educational leader with over 25 years in public education, specializing in English Language Arts and English Language Development. She has served as a teacher, instructional coach, site administrator, and county level coordinator, collaborating in the... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 11:10am - 12:00pm PDT
Stockard 20

Breakout Session