Advancing Multilingual Education in California: SEAL at CABE 2026

Every year, educators, advocates, and policymakers from across California gather at the CABE Conference to share ideas, strengthen partnerships, and advance opportunities for multilingual learners.

This year’s conference in San Francisco was themed “CABE Strong: United for Equity & Empowered by Our Cultures and Multiplicity of Languages,” bringing together leaders committed to ensuring students’ languages and cultures are recognized as essential assets in education.

For SEAL, the conference included sharing learning through three sessions, connecting with educators and leaders at our booth, and celebrating a special moment as SEAL co-founder Dr. Laurie Olsen was inducted into the Multilingual Hall of Fame

Sharing Learning with the Field

SEAL contributed three sessions to the conference, sharing strategies that support strong outcomes for multilingual learners:

• Laying a Strong Foundation for Bilingual Learners in PreK and TK
• Designated English Language Development that Targets Your Students’ Needs
• Cross-Linguistic Connections in Multilingual Programs

SEAL Senior Program Manager Patricia Montes Pates, who attended and presented at the conference, reflected on the strong interest from educators seeking practical strategies they can bring back to their districts and schools.

“These spaces are important because educators want to learn from each other,” she shared. “They want practical strategies and examples of what it looks like when multilingual learners are truly centered in instruction.”

The sessions also connected to California’s broader policy landscape, including the California English Learner Roadmap and the ELA/ELD Framework.

Interested in strengthening support for multilingual learners in your district or school?
SEAL partners with site and district leaders to implement instructional approaches that center multilingual learners’ success. Contact us to start the conversation.

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Connecting with Educators and Leaders

Beyond the sessions, the conference created space for meaningful conversations with educators and leaders across the state.

At the SEAL booth, staff connected with district leaders, educators, and partners interested in learning more about instructional approaches that support multilingual learners. Many conversations focused on how districts are strengthening systems to better support multilingual students and align instruction with California’s policy guidance.

“There’s a real energy when people come together around this work,” Patricia shared. “You’re reminded that there are so many educators and leaders across California committed to advancing multilingual education.”

Honoring Leadership in the Field

During the sessions and conversations throughout the conference, CABE also offered a moment to reflect on the leaders who helped shape the movement for multilingual education.

At the conference, Dr. Laurie Olsen was inducted into the Multilingual Education Hall of Fame, recognizing her decades of leadership advancing language justice and multilingual education.

In her remarks, Olsen reminded attendees what has always been at the heart of this work:

“We must always stay focused on doing justice to and honoring the brilliance and the genius of the children who come to our schools.”

She closed with a message to the educators and advocates continuing the movement:

“The next chapter is yours to write. The torch is yours to carry forward.”

Looking Ahead

For SEAL, gatherings like the CABE Conference remind us of the importance of partnering with educators and system leaders working to ensure multilingual learners thrive.

Across sessions, conversations at the booth, and connections made throughout the conference, one message stood out clearly: advancing multilingual education continues through the commitment of educators, advocates, and leaders across California.