Dr. Larry Savage, Principal, Siler City Elementary School, Chatham County Schools, Siler City, NC, USA.

Dr. Tim Hart, Retired Director of ESL with Wake County Public Schools. Raleigh, NC, USA.

Ms. Laurie Smith, Carolina TESOL President, Lexington, SC, USA

Dr. Lori Edmonds, Carolina TESOL President Elect, Graham, NC, USA

Carolina TESOL, an affiliate of TESOL International, is proudly celebrating its 35th anniversary to both honor our past and to refocus on new and important future directions as we continue to advocate for language instruction in both North and South Carolina. Our ‘look back to look forward’ initiative will culminate in a panel discussion at our Myrtle Beach Conference to be held on November 6-8, 2019 at the Kingston Plantation in Myrtle Beach, SC in which we will chart out our new vision. Leading up to that culminating event, we want to share with the TESOL community some of the many highlights and outstanding achievements of our organization over those 35 years.

Through the efforts of Carol Compton, Virginia Pritchard, and Peggy Ball of the Intensive Summer Institute in English at North Carolina State University, twenty-five people signed a petition in 1977 to form an affiliate of International TESOL. On February 4, 1978, Executive Director James Alatis came to North Carolina to welcome the North Carolina Association of TESOL, with Carol Compton as President, as the 36th affiliate of TESOL International. The organization, known as Tarheel TESOL, quickly began to affect English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction in the state.

In the 1980s, Tarheel TESOL focused on consolidating and strengthening the fledgling organization, recruiting members, and establishing its identity. Relationships were formed between individuals, school systems, and universities. The most impactful and positive change deriving from the 1980s was the burgeoning relationship between North and South Carolina. In the spring of 1982, faculty members from the University of South Carolina (USC) decided to approach Tarheel TESOL about forming a single organization spanning both states. In 1983, Dr. Michael Montgomery of USC officially proposed Tarheel TESOL. By 1984, Tarheel TESOL became Carolina TESOL indicating a commitment by both states to work together to serve the needs of all our English language learners (ELLs).

Carolina TESOL’s nascent steps in the 1980s were critical, given the changes coming in the next decade. The 1990s brought new groups of non-English speaking children to the Carolinas in increasing numbers leading to a greater emphasis on federal mandates and data collection requirements. Also, the increasing numbers of non-English speaking students demanded more certified ESL teachers. During this period, Carolina TESOL focused on assisting districts and teachers new to the field of ESL with both practical teaching strategies and professional assistance to enhance teachers’ job opportunities. Needs assessment by the Carolina TESOL organization pointed to the paucity of readily available ESL teacher training. The organization addressed this need through training at the yearly conferences and discussions with local universities, seeking assistance to procure federal ESL teacher training grants. For example, both the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University received Title VII (later called Title III) federal grants to prepare teachers for ESL certification. UNC’s grants not only provided courses for teachers in North Carolina but also in South Carolina, anticipating a future South Carolina ESOL certification.

The 2000s saw Carolina TESOL enter the 21st Century. Conferences, newsletters, advocacy, and membership all went electronic. In the 2010/11 school year, Carolina TESOL established the Suzannah Blackwell Memorial Scholarship fund in honor of Suzzannah Blackwell, a Carolina TESOL Board member and ESL educator who died unexpectedly. As a result of the scholarship fund, two students (1 from each state) have received funds each year to help cover their costs to attend college. Finally, Carolina TESOL expanded its professional development offerings well beyond an annual conference. Multiple ‘mini’ trainings have been offered in both states each year to improve teaching and learning for our ELL students. In 2018, Carolina TESOL launched the Innovate to Accelerate Language Learning Grant, providing financial aid (up to $750) for two teachers from each state with an initiative that directly impacts English language acquisition.

Looking toward the future, Carolina TESOL is taking steps to expand our professional development support even further in both scope and sequence. For example, we are increasing our support of ELLs through dual language immersion while also adding online professional development. Advocacy teams have been developed in both states, with the goal of building capacity within our membership--empowering ESOL educators to advocate at all levels. An interactive map will be introduced soon to promote communication and collaboration. As the number of multilingual learners across the Carolinas increases and the issues affecting them evolve, Carolina TESOL continues to develop innovative ways to provide support for both ESL and mainstream/content teachers.

Carolina TESOL also continues to seek to collaborate with other TESOL affiliates. Whether you are a US affiliate, interested in developing some joint professional development opportunities, or an affiliate representing another country, interested in exploring a future teacher exchange program, we would be interested in discussing these ideas with you. Please contact Lori Edmonds at consulting@loriedmonds.com

Dr. Larry Savage has worked to support ELLs since 1995. He started his career as an ESL teacher in both public schools and adult education contexts. From 2010-2012, Dr. Savage served as the Director of ESL with Wake County Public Schools in North Carolina. Dr. Savage was named Principal of Siler City Elementary (a dual language school with more than 200 ELL students) in 2014 where he continues to work. Dr. Savage also has served in the President, Treasurer, Regional Coordinator, and Conference Coordinator with Carolina TESOL.

Dr. Hart began his work on behalf of ELLs in the late 1970s working in numerous roles both in the public schools and higher education. Dr. Hart retired as ESL Director in Wake County Public Schools in 2010. Since then, Dr. Hart has continued to serve in various roles with Carolina TESOL (he has been President of the organization on several occasions), conducted ESL consultant work around the country, all the while running his family farm where he grew up.

Laurie Smith, M.Ed., has 22 years of experience in the SC public school system working with language learners of all ages. She is currently serving as an ESOL Educator at the elementary level in Lexington One Schools. She works to highlight the advantages of multilingualism and the benefits of maintaining students’ home languages while acquiring the English language. Ms. Smith is currently serving as the President of Carolina TESOL.

Dr. Lori Edmonds has taught multilingual learners in public schools as well as at the community college and university level. Currently, she is a consultant, teacher educator, and researcher in the field of TESOL and teacher preparation. She specializes in family engagement and supporting educators in creating inclusive school environments.