Susan Lafond

Assistant in Educational Services | NYSUT
Susan Lafond

Susan Lafond is a Nationally Board Certified veteran educator of ELLs, professional development leader, and advisor and contributor to Colorín Colorado. She is also a founding member of the American Federation of Teachers' English Language Learner (ELL) Cadre. In her current role as an Assistant in Educational Services with New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), she focuses on regulations and educational issues related to ELLs and ENL/Bilingual programs, as well as creating and organizing professional development across the state needed to positively impact classroom instruction for ELLs.

In this interview, Susan shares strategies and best practices for teaching ELLs, tips for effective collaboration and professional development, ideas for parent outreach, and recommendations for supporting ELLs who are applying for college. 

Biography

Susan Lafond, a Nationally Board Certified Teacher in English as a New Language (EAYA ENL), has 20 years of combined experience teaching ESL and foreign language. As an Assistant in Educational Services with New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), she focuses on regulations and educational issues related to English learners (ELs) and ENL/Bilingual programs, as well as creating and organizing professional development across the state needed to positively impact classroom instruction for ELs in districts.

Susan was appointed to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) English as a New Language Standards Committee in February 2009 to review and revise the existing English as a New Language Standards. She was a teacher representative of the Common Core State Standards Initiative ELA Work Group for the NGA and CCSSO in 2009-2010. She has been serving on the AFT National English Language Learner Educator Cadre since 2004 and currently serves on AFT's Professional Learning Advisory Group.

Susan is an expert practitioner and advisor to Colorín Colorado, for which she develops and edits materials for the web site. Her most recent article for Colorín Colorado is on culturally responsive teaching. She was featured in their Watch and Learn in the ELL Classroom, an online professional development series, and participated as an expert panelist for the four-part webcast, English Language Learners on Adlit.org. She was lead course designer and developer for the ELL Module, Instructional Supports for the Common Core and Beyond: English Language Learners, for the AFT Common Core Resources Kit.