Ayanna C. Cooper

Ayanna C. Cooper, EdD, is an educator, bestselling author, consultant, and advocate for culturally and linguistically diverse and multilingual learners, with more than two decades of experience in K–12 English language teaching and leadership. A U.S. Department of State English Language Specialist alumna, she has provided technical assistance to state departments of education, school districts, and nonprofit organizations in the United States and abroad, with a focus on improving English, dual, and bilingual language programs and safeguarding multilingual students’ civil rights. She serves as part-time faculty in Howard University’s College of Education and has held roles including ESL teacher, ELL instructional coach, director of multilingual/EL programs, and district-level leader.

Cooper is the author of And Justice for ELs: A Leader’s Guide to Creating and Sustaining Equitable Schools, which guides school and district leaders in creating equitable learning environments for English learners. Her other publications include co-editing Black Immigrants in the United States: Essays on the Politics of Race, Language, and Voice and co-authoring Evaluating ALL Teachers of English Learners and Students with Disabilities: Supporting Great Teaching, and she is the founding editor of Language Magazine’s “Pass the Mic” series.[13