This blog has been a long time coming. Truth be told, I put this off for a long time; not because I had no idea what I wanted to say, but because I didn’t know how to say it. I decided on the version that reflects me the most: the brutally honest, oftentimes sarcastic, unapologetic one. I’m well aware that my style might be different than what is normally posted in this space, but I also think we shouldn’t be afraid to be honest about how we feel, what we’re thinking, and who we are, especially when it comes to advocating for the things we care about. So, if you came here expecting a black and white picture on advocacy, I’m not sorry; advocacy and policy work is as gray a picture as you can get.

I’ve titled this series the Unapologetic Advocate, not only because that describes me pretty perfectly (for better or worse), but also because all too often the advocates I work with feel the need to apologize for their beliefs around English learners and education in general. “I’m sorry, but I have kids who don’t come to school out of fear they’ll be deported,” was something I heard recently from an advocate. Why are we sorry for believing and advocating for our students? There is nothing to apologize for! Within this space, I’m optimistic that we can stop apologizing for who we are and what we think, and get to work on advancing the changes we want to see in English language learning and teaching while being true to who we are. Continue reading →