Diana Ramlall, Ed.D. is an ESOL Instruction Coordinator for the School District of Palm Beach County. Diana enjoys serving as an advocate and liaison concerning the needs of students, schools, district and community. During her 25 year career in public education, she has taught different grade levels, subject areas, and populations in public schools. Most of her public school teaching has been with exceptional education students and English language learners. She has also been fortunate enough to work as an adjunct professor in teacher training programs at three universities.
In addition to providing continuing education opportunities to other members of the school district, Diana has coached and modeled instruction for teachers in reading, English, math, science, and social studies to facilitate and increase the effectiveness of daily classroom instruction through learning strategies for different learning styles. Diana has also guided smaller groups of faculty to work as professional learning communities. She continues to train faculty and administrators across her district to administer high stakes tests, correctly implement programs and increase parent participation while building community partnerships. Diana has contributed to curriculum units, procedures manuals, and other publications by the district. Diana has contributed to the national effort by serving on panels of experts brought together to remove cultural bias from textbooks and standardized tests, while ensuring the content is comprehensible to various learners. At every opportunity, she continues to focus attention on increasing meaningful language opportunities while accelerating the academic achievement of students. |
Clarissa Duskin is the Coordinator of English Learners and Translation Services for St. Lucie Public Schools. With twenty-seven years as a public and private school educator, she has had opportunities to share her teaching expertise, design professional development, build community partnerships, and enhance student learning as a classroom teacher, school, district and state leader.
In 2008, she was selected by the Schlechty Center as an honored guess to speak in the Working on the Work National conference in Tampa. Clarissa Duskin has served in the Florida Association of Bilingual and ESOL Supervisors (FABES) for the last four years. She has also served in the Parent Representative for the National Associate for Bilingual Education (NABE) in 2019. Clarissa’s personal experience as an English Learner has served as the foundation to her cultural and linguistic responsive teaching and learning approach. Clarissa’s advocacy for her English Learners was recognized by the St. Lucie community and honored with the “Rompiendo Barreras” award in 2016. Her innovated work with English Learners has captured national attention and granted her the opportunity to publish articles in online magazines and highlighted in the Educational Leadership magazine in December 2019. While she has been recognized for her leadership in the development of a comprehensive ESOL program in St. Lucie Public Schools, her most treasured accomplishments are her four children, Andrew, Claryed, Edarissa and Leah. Together with her husband, she has been able to influence the lives of many people who are fortunate enough to serve alongside this family in a local ministry. |
Debra Estes is the Director or ESOL, Migrant and Dual Language Programs for the School District of Manatee County. This is Debra’s 23rd year as a public-school educator. She has been at the helm of the ESOL program in the School District of Manatee County for the last seven years. Debra has taught language arts, reading, and ESOL during her time in the classroom, but spent years as a reading coach, district trainer and ESOL Specialist over the span of her career. She has degrees from Florida State University, the University of South Florida, and the American College of Education. Debra has worked closely with her team to increase the student achievement and success of all English learners in Manatee County.
Debra has been on the FABES board for the last seven years and is the Past-past President having served as President from June 2018 to June 2020. She continues to advocate for English learners and their families in her district role and as a member of the FABES Board. |
Natallie Liz is the ESOL Program Coordinator for Monroe County School District in the Florida Keys. With 22 years’ experience in public education, she has been fortunate to have opportunities to influence positively English learners’ education. Her roles as a classroom teacher, school lead EL contact, EL instructional coach and now as the district ESOL coordinator and Title III federal programs manager facilitate the increase in student linguistic abilities and overall academic achievement.
Natallie obtained her degree from Barry University in Miami, FL and her Master’s Degree in TESOL Curriculum & Instruction, from the University of West Florida in Pensacola, FL. Her personal experience as an English Learner set the framework for her approaches to improving culturally responsive and linguistically strategic instruction. Her dedication to leadership in professional development endeavors earned her recognition by the Key West Chamber of Commerce in 2012. Natallie is honored to serve as a member of the FABES board and looks forward to continuing to advocate for English learners, their families, and their educators in that role and in her role of unending leadership and service for her hometown of Key West, with 8-generation of ancestry and its surrounding communities. |
Kathryn Raike is the ELL Coordinator for Hillsborough County School District. Most of her public-school teaching has been with English Language Learners at the Secondary Level where she taught ESOL 9-12 and Intensive Reading.
During her time in the classroom, she had the opportunity to coach and train teachers in successful academic practices to support ELL students in content areas. Also, she worked closely with administration to create a positive climate and culture for families and students from outside the United States. Kathryn worked closely with community leaders and family-owned businesses to create a Business Fair for the 11th and 12th grade ELL students at her school each year. This opportunity allowed students to leave high school with job security and networking experiences. Kathryn received her Undergraduate Degree in English to Speakers of Other Languages in Syracuse, New York at LeMoyne College and her Master's Degree in Educational Leadership at the University of South Florida. She is excited to serve as a FABES Board Member and welcomes this opportunity to continue advocating for English Language Learners throughout Florida. |
Noel Elvir is an ESOL Instructional Coordinator with the School District of Palm Beach County. With over 20 years of combined instructional and administrative experience, Noel has served as a teacher, ESOL Coordinator, Instructional Specialist and Assistant Principal. For the past nine years, Noel's role as a district administrator in the Department of Multicultural Education has allowed her to work closely with school leaders and educators to provide instructional and programmatic support to ESOL programs throughout the district.
Advocating for equity, high quality instruction and academic excellence for multilingual learners is Noel's passion. Her husband Leonardo immigrated to the United States from Honduras at the age of 14 and his experiences and encounters have been her driving force. She has been fortunate to share research based instructional practices and strategies with hundreds of educators through a wide range of professional development opportunities on various topics, including increased academic talk in the classroom, cultural awareness and responsiveness, and technology tools for language learners. Noel is honored to serve on the FABES Board and is looking forward to the collegial partnerships and continued advocacy for language learners and their families. |
Lourdes Khosrozadeh, Ed.S., Board Member
Lourdes Khosrozadeh, Ed.S., brings over three decades of dedicated service in education to her role as the ESOL and Migrant Coordinator for the esteemed St. Johns County School District, nestled within the historic city of St. Augustine.
With a rich foundation laid during her formative years as an ESOL instructor in Dade County schools, Lourdes quickly emerged as a trailblazer, leading initiatives within the Hialeah feeder pattern. Her commitment to empowering English Language Learners (ELLs) saw her pioneering numerous programs, leveraging federal grants to enhance educational opportunities for her students. Her tenure in South Florida was marked by transformative impacts, as countless ELLs flourished under her guidance, benefitting from scholarships and tailored support. Transitioning to Clay County, Lourdes continued her mission, teaching Honors English while simultaneously advocating for the burgeoning ELL community. However, it was in St. Johns County where her heart found a home, igniting a passion for ESOL education that has defined her career over the past ten years. As the architect behind the district's ELL program, Lourdes orchestrates a symphony of support, from strategic student placement to the recruitment of bilingual staff and the implementation of cutting-edge language programs. A proud alumna of Florida International University and the University of Florida, Lourdes holds a Master of Education with a focus on English Language Arts, complemented by a Specialist in Education specializing in curriculum and instruction, with a minor in bilingual education. Further enriching her expertise, she obtained educational leadership certification from the University of North Florida. Driven by her unwavering commitment to excellence, Lourdes remains at the forefront of educational innovation. She champions professional development, guiding and mentoring teams of educators to foster a collaborative environment conducive to student success. Complementing her leadership within St. Johns County, Lourdes has actively contributed to various professional organizations, fostering networks of like-minded professionals dedicated to advancing educational equity and excellence. Lourdes Khosrozadeh believes in the transformative power of education, embodying a steadfast dedication to ensuring every student, regardless of background or circumstance, has the opportunity to thrive and succeed. |
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