The first conference for educators of English language learners — ELL Raising — on Saturday, Oct. 29, at union headquarters, resembled a meeting of the U.N. General Assembly as an overflow crowd of educators called out morning greetings in scores of languages including Portuguese, Arabic and Korean, a reflection of the incredible diversity of New York City public school students.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew told the approximately 800 educators that the goal of providing an equitable and excellent education for all of the city’s English language learners is one of the school system’s greatest challenges.

“No one is trying to do what we are trying to do,” he said. “And the answer is here, in this room, right now.”

In her opening remarks, UFT Vice President for Education Evelyn De Jesus, who organized the inaugural conference, said it would be an interactive day of empowerment for all teachers facing the challenge of educating the city’s 150,000 students whose first language is not English.

Educators attended two workshops from a choice of 18 topics at the conference, which was jointly sponsored by the UFT, the city Department of Education and Fordham University.

“We know what we need and we need this,” said Maureen McTeague, a 4th-grade teacher at PS 117 in Jamaica, Queens, as she left a workshop on English as a new language in the integrated classroom, led by UFT Teacher Center field staff. Using the knowledge gained, she was already crafting a strategy of visual connections for the 12 English language learners, who include Uzbek and Arabic speakers, in her class of 32 students.

“Visuals are vital for ELL students,” she explained. “I’ll use different visuals for different levels with some writing about them and some talking about them so all levels will be challenged.”

Inspired by the conference workshops, ESL teacher Ana Cepeda from Van Siclen Community MS in East New York said she is planning new ways to use graphic organizers. “It’s a strategy to help students break down and organize material at their different learning levels,” she said.

Except for Mulgrew, all of the day’s speakers had been English language learners themselves, advocates that DeJesus called “the movers and shakers” of the ELL world of educators.

New York State Board of Regents Chancellor Betty Rosa hailed the sharper focus now on English language learners, the fastest-growing segment in the school population. “It’s a new day,” she said.

Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña called for using uniform, proven curriculum and working more cohesively with the parents of English language learners. “We are going to be the model for the whole country,” she said.

In the ongoing push to bring the education of English language learners to the forefront, DOE Deputy Chancellor for English Language Learners Milady Baez said, “ELL students are our future. They are here to stay, and equity and excellence in preparing them for the future must be our goal.”

Afternoon speaker Santiago Wood, the executive director of the National Association for Bilingual Education, emphasized the importance of collaboration in improving student outcomes.

“This challenge is not a sprint or a marathon but a relay,” Wood said.

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