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For more information about Elizabeth Skinner's work, review her profile.

Elizabeth Skinner: Working for change through the bilingual education program

By Lauren Huffman

"We all have the same philosophy and belief in what we're doing, and we work really well together. Our goal is to advocate for bilingual education programs and for the English language learners throughout the state." — Elizabeth Skinner, assistant professor of Bilingual Education, Curriculum and Instruction

(October 15, 2010) In Elizabeth Skinner's line of work, there is no such thing as a typical day. On top of teaching Curriculum & Instruction 211 to students at the Little Village PDS and working as a liaison for the Little Village PDS School, she teaches non-traditional students in the evenings for the Bilingual Paraprofessionals in Training Cohort in Chicago.

One of the things Skinner has learned in her job as PDS liaison and instructor is that it is important to develop relationships with staff, teachers, and administrators in the schools in Chicago. "Through building trust within the schools that I go into, I can develop better relationships with the teachers that mentor our student teachers."

Skinner is a firm believer in starting off small when trying to make a change. "I am interested in community-based organizations' involvement in education reform," she says. She works with a small team at Illinois State (in fact there is only one other faculty member and one support specialist in the bilingual education program), but she knows that the bilingual education students benefit from the cohesiveness of the program as well from learning on site in the PDS sites in Chicago.

Skinner, along with her bilingual education colleagues, strives to be a voice in support of bilingual education and English language learners. She recognizes that many of the children coming into schools come from homes where English is not the primary language, and her mission is to support the education and integration of those students into our school systems.

She tries to instill in Illinois State students "the need to be advocates for the families and the students. They should be great teachers and great practitioners, but they need to advocate for what's right for their students and families."

Skinner urges her students to become advocates for English Language Learners and their families. "You can only do that by understanding second language acquisition theory, knowing the research that supports bilingual education, implementing best practices and including student's families, language, and culture in the classroom in the form of best practices."

It was a lifelong love of the Spanish language that led Skinner to teaching, though it was not her first career path. "I considered other fields but my ability to speak Spanish and respect for the diverse Latino cultures eventually led me to bilingual education."

Perhaps what led Skinner to Illinois State University is the originality of the Professional Development School (PDS) program. "The opportunity for the PDS experience sets the College of Education apart from other teacher education programs," she said.

One of the most rewarding parts of Skinner's job is that she has the opportunity to see her students go on to change and develop the education system. "I see lots of light bulbs going on in class and the students bring such valuable life experiences to the program and to teaching. I feel like we are building a critical mass of bilingual educators in Chicago (and throughout the state) who can become true advocates for English language learners."