Paula Polk

Paula Polk is an educator and instructional leader with more than 16 years of experience in K–12 education, including a decade as a 1st- and 3rd-grade classroom teacher. Her transition into educational leadership began as a language coach, a role focused on instructional support for multilingual learners, and she later moved into district leadership as an English as a second language (ESL) facilitator), coaching language coaches, language acquisition specialists, and ESL teachers across preK–12. In this capacity, she also designs and curates professional learning for teachers, coaches, coordinators, and administrators to help create environments where multilingual students can thrive.

Polk is the author of Enhancing Instruction for Multilingual Learners: Coaching Practices to Empower Students (ASCD, 2025), a professional resource that offers coaching frameworks and strategies to support teachers and promote equitable, effective instruction for multilingual learners.