In this episode of The ASSETS Podcast, Dr. Jobi Lawrence welcomes back Montserrat Garibay, former Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director of the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) under the Biden-Harris administration.

Together, they explore the State Seal of Biliteracy and its impact in recognizing multilingual proficiency, as well as the role of programs like BESO in supporting and uplifting multilingual learners. From her beginnings as an undocumented immigrant to her leadership in education and labor, Montserrat’s story is one of resilience, advocacy, and transformation.

This conversation highlights the importance of linguistic equity, educational policy, and celebrating diverse voices in our schools.

In this episode of the ASSETS Podcast, Dr. Jobi Lawrence welcomes Arthur Chou, social entrepreneur, passionate advocate, and widely regarded as the “father” of the State Seal of Biliteracy. Arthur shares his journey, from launching national multilingual advocacy efforts to helping over 40 states establish their own seals. Learn how his work with Academic Learning Company, DualLanguageSchools.org, and Velázquez Press has shaped educational equity and empowered multilingual students and communities across the U.S.

How do policy and practice work together to support English and multilingual learners in America’s classrooms? In this episode, host Dr. Jobi Lawrence is joined by Dr. Megan Hopkins, professor at UC San Diego, and Dr. Hayley Weddle, an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Foundations, Organizations, and Policy at the University of Pittsburgh, to discuss the evolving landscape of educational policy. Together, they unpack how state leaders engage with the CCSSO English Learner Collaborative, the influence of federal shifts, and how research is shaping more inclusive systems. Tune in to hear how these experts are driving impact from the top down—and the ground up.

In this episode, we sit with Dr. Julie Sugarman, Associate Director for K-12 Education Research at the Migration Policy Institute’s National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy. Dr. Sugarman helps stakeholders make sense of the complex research and policy issues impacting English and multilingual learners. Together, we explore the rapidly changing policy landscape, the challenges facing schools and educators, and what brought Dr. Sugarman to the policy arena.

Concluding our four-part series on student voice- A journey that's taken us through the transformative stories of young leaders who helped shape the Iowa Student Learning Institute and amplify the voices of multilingual learners. To close out the series, we welcome Dr. Byron Darnall, the co-lead of the Student Voice Initiative. Dr. Darnall has over two decades of experience in education. Follow along as we share the impact of the student leadership initiative and Dr. Darnall's perspective on the legacy of this work.

This month on ASSETS, Dr. Lawrence welcomes you to the third of an exceptional four-part series where we hear from the voices of our students. Dr. Lawrence sits down with former student Ian Coon, who served on the Iowa Student Learning Institute’s ELL Leadership Team at the Iowa Department of Education. Follow along as Ian shares his unique perspective from unawareness and privilege to partnership and advocacy.

In this episode, Ian takes us on his journey in social justice and advocating for underserved populations, the impact of his work on the student leadership team, and how his journey shaped his personal and professional story.

This month on ASSETS, Dr. Lawrence welcomes you to the second of an exceptional four-part series where we hear from the voices of our students. Follow along as Dr. Lawrence sits down with former student Monica Figueroa, who served on the Iowa Student Learning Institute’s ELL Leadership Team at the Iowa Department of Education. As a former English learner, she has firsthand experience navigating the challenges of mastering a new language while excelling academically.

In this episode, Monica joins us to reflect on her life journey, the impact of her work on the student leadership team, and how it shaped her personal and professional story.

This month on ASSETS, Dr. Lawrence welcomes you to the first of an exceptional four-part series where we hear from the voices of our students. Follow along as Dr. Lawrence sits down with former students who served on the Iowa Student Learning Institute’s ELL Leadership Team at the Iowa Department of Education. Together, they share their mission to revolutionize Iowa’s approach to education through the power of student voice.