About the Author

Valentina Gonzalez has worked in public education for 21 years, serving as a classroom teacher, an ESL coteacher and pull-out teacher, a district ESL facilitator, and a district professional development specialist for teachers of English learners. Through these roles, she has supported students and educators and coached teachers on sheltered instruction and ESL strategies. Her personal experience as an immigrant from Yugoslavia and as an English learner fuels her desire to advocate for English learners and support teachers and administrators in their work with ELs Dr. Melinda Miller, a full professor, has been teaching literacy at Sam Houston State University since 2001. She currently teaches at the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels. She previously taught public school in the classroom and as a Reading Specialist for 11 years. After completing an undergraduate degree in Education at the University of Texas, she received her Master's degree in Reading from Sam Houston State University and her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from Texas A&M University. She has published over 40 articles and presented internationally. She has been an Educational Consultant with Seidlitz since January of 2015.