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Sassarini principal named to state panel of experts

Sassarini Principal Dr. Leticia Bhatia was recently appointed to a panel of experts selected by the State of California Department of Education because of her expertise in shaping curriculum for English-language learners (ELL).

Assembly Bill 124, signed into law in 2011, requires the board of education to update, revise and align California’s current English-Language Development (ELD) standards, by grade level, to the state’s English Language Arts (ELA) standards, by late 2012. These standards help guide curriculum, instruction and assessment for English-learners who are developing the English language skills needed to engage successfully with state subject matter standards for college-and-career readiness.

Assembly Bill 124 specifically directed that a group of experts be convened for the purpose of updating, revising, and aligning the English-language development standards.

The panel, on which Bhatia now serves, consists of experts in English-language instruction, curriculum and assessment, including individuals who have a minimum of three years of demonstrated experience instructing English learners (ELs) in the classroom at the elementary or secondary level.

Bhatia will meet regularly with them in Sacramento, starting in March and ending in June of this year.

“My areas of expertise are K-12 education, English language development, and bilingual education,” explained Bhatia. “As a first generation Mexican-American, my expertise in these areas has developed from both my personal and professional experience. As a second-language learner, I was fortunate to have inspiring teachers who guided me from kindergarten through my doctoral program in education. I have devoted my career to supporting the education of all children, including English learners and children of low socio-economic backgrounds.”

Bhatia joined the Sonoma Valley Unified School District as a bilingual teacher in 2006 and was named principal of Sassarini in 2007. She has a bachelor’s of arts and a master’s degree in elementary education from Loyola Marymount University, as well as a doctorate in education from the University of Southern California.

School Superintendent Louann Carlomagno said of Bhatia, “We were so pleased to hear of Lety’s appointment. She clearly understands best practices in English-language development and shares this expertise with her colleagues in the district. She will represent our community well and be a great resource for the panel as they do this important work on the new Common Core standards.”